Two Players Manchester United Should Snap Up This January

I have no doubts that Manchester United need to strengthen their squad when the transfer window reopens in January.

The Red Devils look particularly weak when it comes to depth in both their midfield and forward departments.

They need at least one midfielder and an attacker to come in if they want any chance of breaking into the top four this season.

United are currently sitting in seventh place in the Premier League but are already nine points behind fourth placed Manchester City.

Goals have been an issue for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side this term. They sold Romelu Lukaku in the summer and the Belgian was the only member of the squad that had regularly scored twenty plus a season. Lukaku has scored nine goals in just twelve Serie A games for new side Inter Milan.

United didn’t replace Romelu believing that between them youngsters Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood. That’s too few hitmen to provide strong consistency in two big competitions like the Premier League and the Europa League.

Rashford has struggled for form this term, Martial has missed a chunk of the campaign due to injury and teenager Greenwood is still very raw and inexperienced.

That’s led to Man Utd scoring just sixteen goals in their first twelve league games.

The Old Trafford side have been heavily linked with Norwegian hot-shot Erling Braut Haaland. According to The Sun, United are willing to sign up the Red Bull Salzburg striker in January but loan him back to the Austrian side for the remainder of the season.

While I think Haaland is a terrific talent and a prolific scorer, I’m not sure Man United can afford to wait for his services and carry on with the three forwards that they currently have.

Now maybe Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic could come in and be a stop gap.

But an alternative could be Lyon central striker Moussa Dembele.

The former Celtic man is currently Ligue 1’s joint top scorer with his nine strikes. He’s provided 45% of side’s league goals so far this season.

We know Solskjaer likes a forward that possesses pace and Dembele fits the bill in that regard. He’s also a player that steps up in the big games and is exceptional in one on one situations.

Moussa also has experience of scoring more than fifteen goals a season unlike the current forwards at Old Trafford.

Having previously excelled at Fulham and Celtic, Dembele’s style is suited to the British game.

I’m not sure going to France was his preferred destination when departing from Glasgow but he fell out with Brendan Rodgers and Lyon offered him an escape route. I think his preferred destination was to go to a big English side.

So I believe he would jump at a chance to sign for United. Lyon could be interested in selling too. They are tough negotiators but if they sold Moussa for £60m then that would represent a huge profit on a player they signed for £20m in 2018. The French side also still have Memphis Depay at the club and there seems to be a battle between the two when it comes to being the club’s main man up top.

United’s midfield could do more to help their attackers by providing them with more ammunition. In that regard the Man United hierarchy could go out and bring in Portuguese star Bruno Fernandes.

Fernandes was linked heavily with a move to Old Trafford all summer but nothing came of the move.

He’s a player that provides assists for teammates and goals from midfield too. United have lacked that this term with Jesse Lingard out of form and Paul Pogba missing due to injury. Even when fit again Pogba’s commitment will be questioned as he seems desperate to push for a move to Real Madrid.

Bruno is in terrific form this season, scoring five and assisting another five in the league for Sporting Lisbon.

The twenty-five year old makes things tick. Portuguese legend Luis Figo thinks that Fernandes is a vital player for both his club and country:

“I think Bruno Fernandes is one of the highest values ​​at national level. If he stays, it is good for Sporting, but I imagine that there is always a financial constraint, and these will be situations analyzed individually and collectively. If he stays, it is a great plus. was good for Sporting, but we have to wait and see. He is a player who can make a difference by the quality he has, he has already shown, “

Via Renascenca

United need players in the middle of the park that can unlock tough defences and Fernandes would fit into that mould perfectly.

The creative midfielder has an excellent first touch and he also possesses a keen eye for a through ball. He’s an attack minded player that will push the ball forward with neat passes or a dribble into the final third.

Bruno isn’t scared of having a pop from outside the penalty area, scoring because of his accuracy and technique in such situations.

Adding Moussa Dembele and Bruno Fernandes to this current Manchester United side and it would improve them greatly, in my opinion. They would add much needed quality in areas that United have struggled with this term.

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