Five things Man Utd still need to do in the transfer window

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 30 Aug 2022 22:18 BST
• 5 min read

Manchester United have confirmed the arrival of Ajax winger Antony for €100 million. The Red Devils have already signed Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez, Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia, but there is still work to be done.

Erik ten Hag's United are beginning to take shape. After back-to-back losses to Brighton and Brentford, the Red Devils have rebounded with consecutive wins over Liverpool and Southampton.

With Antony arriving, Ten Hag will have two players - the Brazilian and Martinez - whom he won the Dutch domestic double with in 2021. At a combined €166m, he will be hoping upon hope that they can recreate that success in England.

There are five key things United should do to help them to that end. Football Transfers takes a close look.

1) Sell Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo deserves respect as one of the greatest players of all-time; one who has scored 142 goals in two spells for the club, including a team-high 18 in the Premier League last season.

But - whisper it quietly - football may have evolved past the otherwise evergreen 37-year-old. His pressing, or lack thereof, is a problem. United finish second the season before Ronaldo returned, and only sixth last term.

The Portuguese legend wants to extend his Champions League record in the current campaign having been one of the reasons United didn't make it in the first place, and the club should let him.

Sporting Lisbon, Napoli and Atletico Madrid are the latest clubs who have been credited with an interest, and Ronaldo should set them back around €24 million, unless they want to throw in a player...

2) Replace Cristiano Ronaldo

Of course, for better or for worse, Ronaldo would leave a gaping hole in United's attack. Marcus Rashford has deputised well in recent weeks and hit what proved to be the winner against Liverpool, but he prefers to start on the left flank with a central striker for company.

Anthony Martial did well in pre-season, scoring three goals, but there is the feeling that Ten hag was simply playing with the cards he was dealt with Ronaldo electing to miss the tours of Thailand and Australia altogether, and Martial is now injured anyway.

Napoli's Victor Osimhen and Atletico's Alvaro Morata have been floated as potential makeweights in any deal for Ronaldo. United should bite their hands off, assuming they can't persuade Harry Kane that he is more likely to win trophies in Manchester than London.

3) Cash in on Harry Maguire

There is no way United will recoup the £80m/€94m they paid Leicester for Maguire in 2019, the England international ranked at €35m by Football Transfers' sophisticated inhouse algorithm, but they should be willing to take a hit on the 29-year-old.

Maguire has a positive impact on the dressing room - hence he remains club captain under Ten Hag - but he is no longer part of United's best XI and it is a World Cup year.

Raphael Varane partnered Martinez at centre-back during United's recent turnaround, and Maguire isn't even a steady back-up with Ten Hag continuing the Red Devils' tradition of playing a back four.

Maguire is a top performer for England, but he plays on the left of a back three where there is more insurance against any of his mistakes. Chelsea were credited with an interest before going for Wesley Fofana, and there are other clubs who play with three centre-backs...

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4) Sign a new goalkeeper

David De Gea, like Ronaldo, deserves huge respect for what he has achieved with Man Utd. Signed from Atletico Madrid for €23m in 2011 - with Sir Alex Ferguson choosing him ahead of Manuel Neuer - De Gea has spent much of the decade since as the best goalkeeper in the land.

De Gea has made the 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 has begun to move past De Gea's skill set, shot-stopping alone no longer enough to cut it at the top level.

And even those numbers are down. Last season the Spaniard only saved 69 per cent of shots on his goal - worse than nearly half of goalkeepers in the division.

Kevin Trapp, Yann Sommer and Mark Flekken are among the Bundesliga goalkeepers who have been scouted. Trapp has since reaffirmed his loyalty to Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt, but the other two could be upgrades who are willing to move.

5) Loan or sell the fringe players

Antony's arrival makes Amad Diallo's path to first-team minutes particularly blocked, with the Brazilian and Jadon Sancho expected to hog the wide attacking positions assuming Rashford stays up front.

While the Ivorian still has time to prove he can fulfil his potential at 20, it might be time to cash in on Tahith Chong in the same position. The Dutchman is two years Amad's senior and loan spells with Werder Bremen, Club Brugge and Birmingham have borne little fruit.

Facundo Pellistri and Brandon Williams are also trusted, but they need more loan deals if Ten hag isn't going to use them this season. Goalkeeper Dean Henderson is starring at Nottingham Forest, meanwhile. United would do well to bring him back.