3 positions Manchester United still need to strengthen

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Manchester United have been quite busy in the transfer market despite a mega tournament holding off some major deals for now.

They have secured the signings of marquee players like Diogo Dalot and Fred. Also, the Belgian midfielder, Marouane Fellaini, has been handed a new contract which was a priority on Jose’s agenda for the summer.




United were left frustrated when their neighbors, Manchester City clinched the Premier League title in some fashion.

A few more signings are set to be completed once the World Cup wraps up. Ed Woodward has constantly been pulling the strings behind closed doors. That said, here are the three positions Red Devils desperately need to strengthen.

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#3 Left-back

United’s problem in the full-back area was more than evident throughout the 2017/18 season. The left-back position was mainly dominated by Ashley Young, who was one of the team’s best performers.




But with him being on the wrong side of the 30s, the team craved for a much dependable and long-term option for the role.

Luke Shaw, once the most promising English defender, showed sparks but couldn’t impress the boss for too long. Mourinho publicly criticized the defender for his lack of dedication on the pitch.

It remains to be seen if Jose is willing to trust Shaw or not. However, United have strongly been linked with a move for Alex Sandro of late. A left-back signing seems imminent as an immediate upgrade is required for the position at Old Trafford.

#2 Center-back

Manchester United held the second best defensive record in the league. However, the stats indicated little about the weaknesses in their back-line.

For a major part of the season, the team missed their best defender Eric Bailly due to his injury. Their best options came in the form of Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Victor Lindelof or Marcos Rojo.

The first three names were responsible for at least 25%-30% goals conceded by the team. The individual errors of these center-backs proved costly.

Jose is in dire need of a top quality center-back: a leader and an absolute beast in defense who has proved his worth at the top.

Toby Alderweireld is understood to be a top target for the Portuguese boss.

United should break the bank for him as the Belgian is among the best center-backs in the business right now.

#1 Right Wing

The current crop of attacking talent at Jose’s disposal is immense at the club. The likes of Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba, Alexis Sanchez, Juan Mata, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford provide enough depth to the team’s attack.

However, there is still an underlying problem of balance in the team. Most of the aforementioned names like to operate either on the left or up top. None of them is a natural right-footed winger who can produce crosses from the wing.




Jose has mostly used Jesse Lingard or Juan Mata on that flank. But they have still lacked creativity.

Which is why, the club have long been pursuing the star Welshman, Gareth Bale. The player is a sensational talent but a highly inconsistent and risky investment because of his fitness issues.

The Red Devils need to figure out the potential alternatives to fill in the position if they aren’t willing to spend big on Bale. Riyad Mahrez might be the one for now.

It is important to have a specialist in such a crucial position especially when a player like Romelu Lukaku is waiting in the box for crosses.