Manchester United ended their 2018-19 season with a 0-2 loss at home to Cardiff City, a game which depicted how far behind United have fallen, highlighted not only by the gap between them and the champions, but also the attitude of the players on the pitch in the final game of the season.
Several of the players that are there at the club aren’t good enough for Manchester United while others looked like they did not want to be out on the pitch.
An overhaul of the squad is needed in the summer, and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can begin the turnaround of fortunes by signing these three players.
Kalidou Koulibaly
Kalidou Koulibaly is a name that has been linked with Manchester United over the last two seasons as the French-born Senegalese international has been in superb form for Napoli, with many regarding him as one of the best centre backs in the world.
Koulibaly seems to have it all – pace, power, aerial presence and great tackling ability, which has led to interest from some of the biggest clubs in the world, including Real Madrid, who have reportedly put in a bid. The 27-year-old is at the peak of his powers and Manchester United would become a significantly better team with him in defence as he is the kind of defender that they have been crying out for. He has a release clause of £132 million at Napoli.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka
21-year-old right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka has been a revelation at Crystal Palace this season, with his performances attracting interest from a host of clubs. A quick, tricky and dependable defender, Wan-Bissaka is a young player that could be a constant fixture for Manchester United for the next decade if he plays the way he did in the 2018-19 season for Crystal Palace.
The Red Devils reportedly made a bid of £25 million recently, which is way below the £60 million price tag that Palace have put on him. United need a serious upgrade in the right full-back position as Ashley Young has been below par, while Diogo Dalot has not entirely convinced that he can be a long-term starter for the club.
Youri Tielemans
It may surprise many that Youri Tielemans is just 22 years of age – it seems like he has been playing forever! The Belgian midfielder had a strong second half of the 2018-19 campaign when he went on loan to English side Leicester City, impressing with his goals, assists, and strong passing from midfield.
Tielemans, who is currently with AS Monaco, is for sale and could be an ideal replacement for Ander Herrera in midfield. He may not have the combative, tough-tackling ability that Herrera possessed, but he can move the ball forward quickly, as well as control the tempo of the game, which is the kind of player that Manchester United require, to ease the burden on Paul Pogba to run the midfield on his own.
His passing, through balls, and long-range shooting could certainly help United register more goals, that too against stubborn teams.