Wing-wizard Matias Soule among the smart transfer picks for Man Utd

It’s finally here - the dawn of the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era at Manchester United. However, fans eager to see their new part-owner shake up the squad to bring the good times back to Old Trafford will have to settle for changes behind the scenes for now with the summer transfer window still many weeks away. 

That is no bad thing. While critics of the Glazer family’s ownership are correct to point out the impact of the debt and dividend payments they have saddled the club with since their takeover, the problem with United is not that they have failed to spend money. It’s that they have failed to spend money well. 

Part of Ratcliffe’s sales pitch to supporters is that he will bring in a far more thought out approach to signings. His trusted lieutenants such as Sir Dave Brailsford are already in the stands and poking around operations. The former head of British cycling has become something of a public face for the idea of sports performance gurus thanks to his widely-reported mantra of "marginal gains" and the results he has overseen in that sport. 

It may turn the stomachs of some diehard fans to suggest it but their bitter rivals Liverpool are currently something of a blueprint to follow for clubs eager to work smart and win big. Ratcliffe has already referenced Jurgen Klopp’s side as an enemy to learn from if only to go back to knocking the Reds off their perch, once the mission statement of Sir Alex Ferguson when he arrived in Manchester to return United to the top. 

Under the ownership of John W. Henry, Liverpool have pulled off exactly the sort of revival that Ratcliffe is hoping to usher in at Old Trafford over the last few years. They went and won everything, including their first league title in 30 years, after building a new foundation for success based on data analysis, genuine football expertise and a knowledge base that went beyond the dugout. Klopp famously lost the internal battle to sign Julian Brandt from Bayer Leverkusen and instead ended up welcoming Mohamed Salah to Anfield. It’s interesting to ponder who United could have signed had they possessed the brains to challenge Erik Ten Hag’s big push to sign Antony in 2022. 

Of course, it could be argued that Liverpool are only doing the sort of business that United themselves used to excel at, albeit with a few more layers of modern sophistication. Ferguson too went out to snap up players of the calibre of Virgil van Dijk while finding overlooked value. For Andrew Robertson and Georginio Wijnaldum see Javier Hernandez and Park Ji-sung.  

Even with stories about financial fair play regulations restricting what United will be able to do in the transfer market, the rumour mill continues to whirr. Recent links have included Everton’s Amadou Onana, Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and his nine-figure price tag, and Swedish wonderkid Roony Bardghji. Leaving those big money options to one side, who are the bargains that a smarter United recruitment strategy should be targeting instead of blowing another fortune on the latest flavours of the month? 

It’s clear where the squad needs work. Centre-back, full-back and right wing are all positions in need of attention. Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia’s injury issues make a left-back a smart move too, at least for reasons of depth. Competition for Rasmus Hojlund up front would also be wise but good luck finding a forward worthy of the challenge who wouldn’t cost serious cash. Every club in Europe is looking for that sort of unicorn signing. The same is true of a midfielder able to elevate the starting XI. Instead, let’s look at where United can be clever in other positions to hopefully save up money to spend on a more obvious target up front or in the middle eventually. 

Here are the names for Ratcliffe’s team to look into based on their performances of late and relatively low profiles. 

Centre-back: Alessandro Buongiorno (Torino) 

A left-footed centre-back playing for the team with the best defensive record in Serie A outside of the two title leaders Inter and Juventus, Torino defender Buongiorno is a talismanic presence for the Turin-based side. He has the sort of personality to take responsibility and lead by example while also possessing the skill on the ball to make a difference in possession. 

Buongiorno (7.25) is WhoScored’s highest-rated member of the Torino defence, and there’s no problems with sample size here. He has played more league games as an out-and-out centre-back than any other defender in the squad this season and tops the charts for average interceptions in Serie A with 2.4 per game. At 24, he has his best years ahead of him and would provide both competition and cover for Lisandro Martinez, another left footer at the back with his fair share of injury problems at United. 

Hull City’s Jacob Greaves could be an interesting alternative too. He’s also left-footed and can be deployed at left-back or through the middle. Greaves (7.11) is WhoScored’s highest-rated central defender in the Championship this season and has impressed playing under Liam Rosenior in a team that wants the ball. 

Right-back: Trai Hume (Sunderland) 

If United fans are fed up of seeing Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City receive all the acclaim for having their full-backs step into midfield, Trai Hume could be a fascinating capture to add a whole new dimension to their build up play. 

The Northern Irishman was a minor revelation under Tony Mowbray at the Stadium of Light, cutting inside as a full-back from the left and right, and would provide United with an option they currently lack for a role that is becoming common at the highest level of the game. 

He is top in the Championship for successful tackles per game among defenders and defensive midfielders of all stripes with 3.4 and is fourth among full-backs for passes per game with 55.9. Hume is safe on the ball, dogged in his defensive duties, and under Mowbray did his best work creating a safety net so that wingers and other more advanced players could focus on their attacking responsibilities. The 21-year-old would be an asset for killing off counter-attacks and taking more control over the middle of the park while leaving the forwards to get on with hurting the opposition. 

Able to play from the left or the right, he could provide something different and offer cover to United’s injury-prone left-backs and a point of difference to the current options at right-back. 

However, if United wanted to resupply their right flank with a more of an attacking presence to compete with Diogo Dalot while moving on from Aaron Wan-Bissaka and his shortcomings playing higher up the pitch another player to consider could be Pedro Malheiro of Rio Ave. 

The 23-year-old is the most efficient high volume carrier of the ball at right-back in the Portuguese top-flight with 2.1 dribbles per game, 1.7 of which are successful. He is second only to Benfica’s Alexander Bah for tackles won per game among other players in his position (2.8), is the third-most prolific passer at right-back in the division, second for accurate long passes per game (2.3) and third for short passes (31.5), creating 1.1 chances per game to boot. 

Bah could be an even more appealing option but Benfica aren’t a club that sells their most promising players for cheap. If money is an issue, at least when it comes to reinforcing the right-back position, Pedro Malheiro could be worth a look. 

Right winger: Matias Soule (Frosinone, on loan from Juventus) 

Antony and Jadon Sancho were supposed to provide dribbles, goals and a terrifying creative threat to defences from the right flank. By the end of the summer transfer window, both big money wingers could be playing their football away from Old Trafford on a permanent basis. 

Meanwhile, over in Serie A, Matias Soule is catching the eye for Frosinone, on-loan from Juventus. Surely the small matter of who his parent club are should rule out any move for the player if United are looking for smart, cheap captures? Not necessarily. 

The Italian giants are in a bad way, financially. Soule would have to overcome the likes of Federico Chiesa and Andrea Cambiaso to get into the team, either up front or at wing-back if they are to continue playing with three at the back. 

Soule has done his best work playing off the right in a 4-2-3-1 for Frosinone this season, ranking fifth for goals in Serie A (10), second for chances created per game (2.3) and has made and completed the most dribbles per game in the Italian top-flight (6.9 and 3.8, respectively). He is left-footed and likes to cut inside to move the ball on to his stronger side. 

He isn’t the finished article just yet. Soule has also been dispossessed more times per game than any other player in Serie A this season (2.4) but that’s also down to his style of play. Bruno Fernandes would surely appreciate having another creator in the game to help ease the burden placed on his own shoulders as a player determined to take risks to make things happen over playing with more wingers too indirect or selfish to open teams up.