Manchester United are preparing to buy Ajax winger Anthony for 100 million euros. The Red Devils have already signed Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen and Terrell Malacia, but there is still work to be done.
United, led by Erich Ten Hag, is starting to take shape. After consecutive losses to Brighton and Brentford, the Red Devils regained consecutive victories over Liverpool and Southampton.
With Anthony’s arrival, Tin Hag will have two players – the Brazilian and Martinez – with whom he won the Dutch domestic double in 2021. For €166 million, he hopes they can achieve that success in England.
There are five main things United should do to help them achieve this. Football transfer takes a closer look.
1) Selling Cristiano Ronaldo
Ronaldo deserves respect as one of the greatest players of all time; One scored 142 goals in two spells for the club, including 18 in the Premier League last season.
But – whisper it softly – football may have evolved after that 37-year-old. Its urgency, or lack thereof, is a problem. United finished second in the season before Ronaldo returned, and only sixth last season.
The Portuguese legend wants to increase his Champions League record this season after he was one of the reasons why United didn’t succeed in the first place, and the club should let him.
Sporting Lisbon, Naples and Atlético Madrid are the latest clubs to get attention, and Ronaldo should cost them around €24m, unless they want to throw a player…
🤬 angry Ronaldo ignores Teen Hagpic.twitter.com/wFI3tck1ci
Football Transfers (Transfersdotcom) August 13, 2022
2) Replace Cristiano Ronaldo
Of course, through thick and thin, Ronaldo will leave a huge gap in United’s attack. Marcus Rashford has coached well in recent weeks and hit what proved to be the winner against Liverpool, but he prefers to start on the left with a company’s central striker.
Anthony Martial did well in pre-season, scoring three goals, but there is a sense that Ten hag was simply playing with cards dealt with Ronaldo picking him to miss the Thailand and Australia tours altogether, and Martial is now injured anyway.
Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Atletico’s Alvaro Morata have been raised as a potential captain in any deal for Ronaldo. United should bite their hands, assuming they can’t convince Harry Kane that he is more likely to win titles in Manchester than in London.
3) Cash in Harry Maguire
There is no way United will get back the £80m/€94m they paid Leicester for Maguire in 2019, as the England international earned €35m through Football Transfers’ sophisticated internal algorithm, but they should be prepared to take a hit in 29 years old. -Old.
Maguire has had a positive impact on the dressing room – and thus remains captain of the club under Ten Hag – but is no longer part of United’s Top 11 of the World Cup year.
Raphael Varane has partnered with Martinez in the center of defense during United’s latest turnaround, and Maguire is not even a consistent supporter as Ten Hag continues the tradition of the Red Devils playing a defensive quad.
Maguire is England’s top performer, but he plays on the left flank of three defenses where there is more insurance against any of his mistakes. Chelsea were credited with the interest before going to Wesley Fofana, and there are other clubs playing with three centre-backs…
4) Sign a new goalkeeper
David de Gea, like Ronaldo, deserves great respect for what he has achieved with Manchester United. Signed from Atlético Madrid for €23 million in 2011 – with his pick of Sir Alex Ferguson ahead of Manuel Neuer – De Gea has spent most of the decade since then as the best goalkeeper on earth.
De Gea has been named PFA Team of the Year five times, even if United have only won the Premier League title once since he got there. But like Ronaldo, the game is starting to overtake De Gea’s skill set, and stopping shooting alone is no longer enough to cut it into a higher level.
Even these numbers are down. Last season, the Spaniard saved only 69 per cent of shots on his own net – worse than nearly half of the division’s goalkeepers.
Kevin Trapp, Jan Sommer and Mark Let were among the German Bundesliga goalkeepers surveyed. Trapp has since reaffirmed his loyalty to Europa League-winning Eintracht Frankfurt, but the other two may be upgrades ready to move in.
David de Gea’s replacement won’t come cheap if he keeps playing this way!https://t.co/TQ3x25z62l
Football Transfers (Transfersdotcom) August 28, 2022
5) Lend or sell important players
Anthony’s arrival makes Amad Diallo’s path to first-team minutes particularly veiled, with the Brazilian and Jadon Sancho expected to dominate the wide attacking positions assuming Rashford stays ahead.
While the Ivorian still has time to prove that he can fulfill his potential at the age of 20, it may be time to tap Tahith Chung in the same position. The Dutchman is two years old as Amad and his loan spells with Werder Bremen, FC Brugge and Birmingham have paid off quite a bit.
Facundo Pellistri and Brandon Williams are reliable too, but they need more loan deals if the Ten hag don’t use them this season. Meanwhile, goalkeeper Dean Henderson is starring in Nottingham Forest. United would do well to bring him back.
