What Manchester United need to do before Monday's transfer deadline

 

A summer that promised so much has unsurprisingly delievered little as far as Manchester United supporters are concerned. They've spent all summer pursuing Jadon Sancho with no success and are in danger of ending the transfer window without addressing a single one of their shortcomings.

 

With three days left to finalise their squad until January, time is running out for United to get their act together. The Red Devils have not only found it difficult to land their top transfer targets this summer but they have also failed miserably offloading their deadwood.

 

United surely can't finish the window without a single new signing in addition to Donny van de Beek, can they? As Monday's deadline looms large, we assess where United's squad is lacking, who they have been linked to and where they should prioritise their time.

 

Where they are weak

 

Where to start with this one. United supporters will argue there squad is full of holes despite finishing third last season. Rather than spend months going in circles trying to prise Sancho away from Borussia Dortmund on the cheap, United would arguably have been better served resolving their issues at the back.

 

They splashed a world-record fee for a defender to land Harry Maguire and finally signed a recognised right-back in Aaron Wan-Bissaka 12 months ago but they both need help. Victor Lindelof has proved he is not of the quality required to even challenge for a Premier League title, while Eric Bailly has struggled to stay fit his entire United career. The same is true of Luke Shaw, who has also managed only one goal in just 98 Premier League appearances for the club. United's current back four not only struggle to clean sheets but offer little going forward.

 

The Transfer Targets

 

As always, United have been linked with just about every player under the sun ranging from Sancho to Federico Chiesa to Ainsley Maitland-Niles. You could write a four-book series on their targets alone but we will keep it concise. 

 

They've had to shelve any plans of signing RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano after failing to offload Marcos Rojo, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones, while talks with FC Porto for Alex Telles have reached impasse. Maitland-Niles has emerged as a shock alternative but Arsenal are unlikely to deal with their rival so late in the window even if they are desperate for cash. 

 

Dortmund have made it clear Sancho will not leave this late in the window and United have made it clear they won't pay his €120m valuation. Why they continue to hold out hope for him remains a mystery. A line should have been drawn months ago but here we are. Alternatives include Watford's Ismaila Sarr and Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele.

 

 

Who they should sign

 

Ideally United would get a couple through the door before Monday's deadline but Ed Woodward has proved hopeless are working on different transfers simultaneously. With that in mind, United are only likely to sign one new player over the next three days and even that would be a surprise. So which signing should they prioritise?

 

Sancho is clearly not going to be a United player by Monday. It's been obvious now for months. Even the alternatives are questionable at this stage. With a new centre-back out of the question, United should really nail down a back-up for Shaw. They have been in talks with Porto for the past few weeks over Telles, who is available for around just €20m.

 

It already seems a fair price for someone with less than a year left on his contract but United feel determined to pay even less. Knowing there is a good chance Shaw will breakdown with injury at one point this season United really can't afford to miss out on a left-back. Brandon Williams did a fine job deputising last season but the 20-year-old is a right-back and Solskjaer wants him there this season.

 

Shaw has even called on United to make more signings even if one of the positions they are trying to address is his own. Telles would certainly give United a greater attacking threat down their left. The 27-year-old has remarkably played a direct hand in 50 goals and assists in the league since August 2017, compared to Shaw's return of five in the same period.

What Manchester United need to do before Monday's transfer deadline