As we approach a new era at Manchester United, and fans still petition at Old Trafford with their yellow and green scarves for new owners, you feel the club is at a real crossroads. Having been trophyless for five years now despite consistently spending big money, United have appointed former Ajax manager Eric ten Hag as the solution to their problems — their fifth permanent manager since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013.
This season looked to be a promising one for United, with Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphaël Varane all arriving as Ole Gunnar Solskjær looked to embark on a title race. Things fell apart though and as quickly as United were favourites for the title with those that bet on football with SkyBet they came crashing down to reality and the Norwegian was sacked before the turn of the year.
Ralf Rangnick was appointed as an interim boss until the end of the season but since arriving with such a big reputation, he’s failed to capture the imagination of the Stretford End, leaving Ten Hag with plenty to do over the summer. Lots of players will be heading for the exit door, but who could come in? Read on, as we discuss where United could strengthen this summer under Ten Hag.
Aurélien Tchouaméni – Monaco
A player that looks to be one of the hottest prospects this window, Aurélien Tchouaméni could be the next big thing on the conveyor belt of French midfielders, and ticks all the boxes as a replacement for the physical attributes of Paul Pogba when he departs Old Trafford. Still only 22 years old, the Monaco man has has shown his versatility this season in Ligue 1, playing in front of the defence in the holding role as well as his more familiar box-to-box role
The issue that United are facing is that Premier League rivals Liverpool are also interested in the Frenchman, and with Tchouaméni already expressing interest in the Reds, Ten Hag could look at other options in the middle of the park, such as Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans.
Darwin Núñez – Benfica
He’s far from the finished article, but Benfica striker Darwin Núñez has been on fire this season and the Uruguayan would improve on Marcus Rashford and outgoing national teammate Edison Cavani. The striker has outperformed Erling Haaland and Luis Suárez this campaign, and while Ronaldo would be the main striker in the team, he’ll be 38 at the end of next season and a year developing under Ten Hag could be exactly what he needs.
The South American helped his side reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League, knocking out the Dutchman’s Ajax en route although they came up short to Liverpool. And with 25 goals in as many Primeira Liga appearances, Núñez is surely due a move to a bigger club at the end of the season.
Pau Torres – Villarreal
The biggest problems in the United team come in their defence. Varane’s injury problems mean he has missed a lot of games this season, forcing a pairing of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelöf, who have proven on too many occasions to be error prone and cost the Red Devils points.
Pau Torres has been immense for Villarreal this season and after beating United in the Europa League final last year, fans will be aware of the Spaniard’s ability. He was instrumental in Unai Emery’s run to the Champions League semi-finals and considering he played in a team of ragtag former Premier League misfits, it would be interesting to see how he performed alongside better players.
Alongside Varane and with international colleague David De Gea between the sticks, Ten Hag could build a solid foundation for his side to build on, with clean sheets the key ingredient for any form of success, although Torres will command a high price tag.
