The time has come for the rumours to become facts, and for Manchester United to finally sign Wesley Sneijder! Okay, maybe not, but at least his agent hasn’t given up hope. On a serious note, this season has been pretty steady, but many fans will certainly agree, we need to sure up this team to become great again. In this two-part article, I will discuss potential targets for Manchester United this summer. Let’s start with the defence.
With his current contract situation on a knife edge and the appealing prospect of playing for Real Madrid dancing around his head, many fans may have to come to terms with the fact that, David De Gea is very seriously, considering a move back home to Spain. Manchester United must be ready to act swiftly, should the loss of De Gea occur. I feel two goalkeepers would suit the role perfectly.
1. Hugo Lloris- Currently on the books at Tottenham Hotspur, the 28-year-old French stopper is arguably, in the prime of his career. This season, Lloris has six clean sheets compared to De Gea who has 10, but the Frenchman has made 96 saves to De Gea’s 79. Lloris is the captain of the French national team and would be my personal choice, should De Gea leave. Lloris is a very well-rounded goalkeeper, with superb reflexes and competent in one-on-one situations.
2. Bernd Leno- My second choice to take over from De Gea would be Bernd Leno. Standing at 6’2″, Leno has made 70 saves and has 12 clean sheets in 26 games for Bayern Leverkusen, which is a stellar record for a 23-year-old. This guy is one of the best young goalkeepers in Europe, at the minute and I feel this move would suit him perfectly.
Many fans have seen the obvious need for a strong centre-back with leadership qualities to control the defence. Manchester United need to mount a title charge next season and I have singled out three players in defensive positions, to help with that.
1. Mats Hummels- Firstly, we can certainly call this Bundesliga season a write off for Hummels and Borussia Dortmund. However, this doesn’t affect the stock of the World Cup winner and current Dortmund captain, as he is still classed as one of the world’s best players. Hummels has played 170 times for his club, scoring 19 goals along the way. He was also in fine form at the world cup, grabbing two goals, as Germany progressed through the competition. Hummels would be the leader our defence is crying out for and United must do what it takes to land this man.
2. Nathaniel Clyne– Manchester United need a proper right-back because well, Antonio Valencia is just not good enough and that’s where Clyne comes in. Clyne, at 23, has quickly become one of the best right-backs in the Premier League, playing every minute in Southampton’s surprise season. The young Englishman has power and pace in abundance and has used both to become the player that he is today, whilst scoring three goals for his club, so far this season.
3. Seamus Coleman– Another right-back in this piece for one reason… he’s Irish! No seriously, Coleman is one of the Premier League’s most stable defenders and is more than capable of commanding a place in Manchester United’s first-team lineup. Coleman is the elder of the two right backs at 26, but he brings experience along with the ability to match any right-back in contention. So far this season, Coleman has three goals and two assists for Everton, which is a good return for a defender.
I believe, the players I have discussed, are more than capable of lifting Manchester United to that next level, should we choose to bring some of them in. In the next article, I will discuss the possible midfielders and forwards that Manchester may be looking to bring in.
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