مدير عام كرة القدم
Bruno Fernandes had just picked up a trophy, but he was in no mood for celebration. Manchester متحد had sealed the Premier League Summer Series title after beating West Ham, بورنموث and drawing with Everton, but the performance in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with the Toffees had deflated the initial excitement that surrounded the Red Devils’ pre-season tour, and Fernandes was not interested in beating around the bush.
He called out the attitude of some of his team-mates and made a call to United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to make more signings before the real action begins, despite the club splashing out £133 million ($176m) on Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha while failing to make any money back on player sales.
"Our performance wasn’t the best and we were a little bit lazy today. We want to avoid that because with laziness you can pay at any moment," the United captain told NBC Sports. [The squad] is improving. But it’s not the place it needs to be. I don’t want to take a dig at anyone, but the club is doing the best they can in terms of the financial situation they talk about.
أؤكد رغبتي في رؤية محتوى خارجي. قد تُنقل بيانات التعريف الشخصية إلى جهات خارجية. اقرأ المزيد حول هذا الموضوع في سياسة الخصوصية الخاصة بنا.
"It was crystal clear we needed more competition for the players that were here, more quality to get everyone to step up a little more to get to the XI, and I think that is what the club are trying to do. Hopefully we can get one or two players more to help with that."
Fernandes comments will probably not have gone down well with Ratcliffe and United’s other directors, but the midfielder, who resisted a hugely tempting offer from Al-Hilal earlier in the summer, was speaking the truth. His team still looked vulnerable in defence, in goal and in central midfield, and with no further investment in the squad it would be difficult to see how they can gatecrash the Premier League’s top four next season and qualify for the Champions League, which should be the main objective.
So here, then, are the players United should be looking to sign before the transfer window shuts on September 1, if not before they kick-off their campaign against Arsenal on August 17:
Bruno Fernandes had just picked up a trophy, but he was in no mood for celebration. Manchester United had sealed the Premier League Summer Series title after beating West Ham, Bournemouth and drawing with Everton, but the performance in Sunday’s 2-2 draw with the Toffees had deflated the initial excitement that surrounded the Red Devils’ pre-season tour, and Fernandes was not interested in beating around the bush.
He called out the attitude of some of his team-mates and made a call to United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to make more signings before the real action begins, despite the club splashing out £133 million ($176m) on Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha while failing to make any money back on player sales.u0026nbsp;
“Our performance wasn’t the best and we were a little bit lazy today. We want to avoid that because with laziness you can pay at any moment,” the United captain told NBC Sports. u0026nbsp;[The squad] is improving. But it’s not the place it needs to be. I don’t want to take a dig at anyone, but the club is doing the best they can in terms of the financial situation they talk about.u0026nbsp;
“It was crystal clear we needed more competition for the players that were here, more quality to get everyone to step up a little more to get to the XI, and I think that is what the club are trying to do. Hopefully we can get one or two players more to help with that.”
Fernandes comments will probably not have gone down well with Ratcliffe and United’s other directors, but the midfielder, who resisted a hugely tempting offer from Al-Hilal earlier in the summer, was speaking the truth. His team still looked vulnerable in defence, in goal and in central midfield, and with no further investment in the squad it would be difficult to see how they can gatecrash the Premier League’s top four next season and qualify for the Champions League, which should be the main objective.
So here, then, are the players United should be looking to sign before the transfer window shuts on September 1, if not before they kick-off their campaign against Arsenal on August 17:
United lined up against Everton without a recognised centre-forward, and though they produced some thrilling attacking play in transition, they lacked a focal point in the middle. It is no secret, either, that the club want to sign another striker after Rasmus Hojlund only scored four Premier League goals last season, and that Benjamin Sesko is their top target.u0026nbsp;
United will face fierce competition from Newcastle for the Slovenian’s signature, and he is set to cost in excess of £70m ($93m). Then again, there is little point in United investing so much in their attack without having a reliable striker leading it, and آر بي لايبزيغ hitman Sesko is the highest scoring player under the age of 23 in Europe’s top five leagues.
There have been a lot of questions about Andre Onana’s suitability to remain United goalkeeper, even before he got injured in the first week of training and became a doubt for when the season begins. The Cameroon international is, though, still easily the best ‘keeper within the squad, as Altay Bayindir looked shaky in the draw against Everton and Tom Heaton, who turns 40 next April, is unquestionably the third choice.u0026nbsp;
United were linked with Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez earlier in the summer, but he has been deemed to be too expensive to pursue. In the meantime, however, another renowned international goalkeeper has appeared in the shop window: Gianluigi Donnarumma is about to enter the last year of his contract with باريس سان جيرمان and has seenu0026nbsp;his status as Luis Enrique’s No.1 challenged by the imminent arrival of Lucas Chevalier from ليل.
The gigantic Italian is the type of proven, serial-winning ‘keeper Amorim appears to favour, and if his price drops further in the final weeks of the window, United would be advised to pounce.
While United have spent big on their attack, they have neglected their midfield, and the Everton match underlined how lightweight they still are in the middle of the pitch. Kobbie Mainoo is a wonderfully gifted footballer, but he lacks the physical steel of some of his counterparts, whileManuel Ugarte, who gave the ball away for the Toffees’ first goal, did not really convince in his first season in the Premier League. Indeed, Amorim left him out of the team for the Europa League final against Tottenham.
And there is a face very familiar to the coach who is shaping up as a tempting option. Morten Hjulmand was the player Amorim signed to replace Ugarte at Sporting CP in 2023 when the Uruguayan left for PSG, and Hjulmand helped the Lisbon side win back-to-back Portuguese league titles.
The Denmark international would have no trouble fitting into the coach’s system and would be available for around £40m ($53m). The only concern is that his passing statistics were far lower during Sporting’s games in the Champions League and that he could struggle to adapt to the intensity of Premier League, just as Ugarte has done.
u0026nbsp;
Given Amorim’s preference for signing Premier League-ready players such as Mbeumo and Cunha, a move for Carlos Baleba of Brighton would present a lower risk than Hjulmand. The Cameroon international schooled Mainoo and Ugarte in the Seagulls’ 3-1 win at Old Trafford last season, the same game which led Amorim tou0026nbsp;smash a television in the dressing room in anger afterwards.
Baleba would cost in the region of £70m ($93m), but former United defender Rio Ferdinand believes it is a price worth paying, even at the expense of signing a centre-forward like Sesko.
“Would I get a number nine I’m not sure about, who’s a bit young, inexperienced, or would I get Baleba with Premier League experience and know what he can do here? I’m going Baleba, sorry,” Ferdinand said on his Youtube channel. “I think he’ll have a huge impact on this squad, on this team. You free up a few people in that midfield area as well to have a little less responsibility defensively because I think he’s all-action. He can do it all.”
If United are looking for a player on the rise who they could get without breaking the bank, then they need look no further than Javi Guerra. The 22-year-old, box-to-box midfielder has locked down his place in the Valencia starting XI in the past two seasons and has grown into one of the most influential players at a club in crisis.u0026nbsp;
Valencia are hoping to tie Guerra down to a new contract, but he has rejected their first offer and the fallen giants’ financial instability gives United a huge advantage when compared to their other midfield targets, as an offer of around £20m ($26.6m) is believed to be enough to secure his signature.
Lucien Agoume has been on the map for a long time, having signed for Inter when he was 17 after bursting onto the scene with Sochaux. But he only played four matches for the Nerazzurri, and joined Sevilla permanently last year for just €8m after a loan spell following previous stints at Spezia, Brest and Troyes.
Agoume’s stock has soared following hugely impressive displays at the Under-21 European بطولة, where he entrenched his reputation is a combative ball-winner during France’s run to the semi-finals in Slovakia. He also has a knack for picking out long-range, line-breaking passes, and Agoume was believed to be a target for Arsenal but has slipped off the Gunners’ radar since they signed Christian Norgaard. The 23-year-old is in a similar price bracket to Guerra, available for roughly £20m ($26.6m).
