Manchester United have a few areas in the starting XI that need improving before the start of the upcoming season.
JoseMourinho led the Red Devils to the Europa League title in his first season at the club, although failed to finish inside the top four in the Premier League.
He has brought in Victor Lindelof from Benfica to improve his side’s defence, but more signings need to be made to give the side the best chance of a successful Premier League campaign in 2017-18.
Ligue 1 may not be seen in the same light by fans as leagues such as La Liga or Bundesliga, but there are many players in the French top division who could become a major part of the squad at United.
In the last two years, United have brought in ZlatanIbrahimovic and Anthony Martial from PSG and Monaco respectively. Patrice Evra, who found a lot of success in his time at Old Trafford, also arrived from Monaco.
We look at five players from the French league that would offer an improvement on United’s current side.
Kylian Mbappe
The 18-year-old striker was been a sensation in his first season, helping Monaco to their first Ligue 1 title since 2000 with 15 goals in 29 games.
United are in need of a striker and signing Kylian Mbappe would prove to be a big statement. He is just at the beginning of his career and has many years to improve even more.
The price tag that Monaco will be asking for would smash the transfer record set last summer when Paul Pogba joined the Red Devils, while the club would also have competition from Real Madrid.
Blaise Matuidi
After winning the Ligue 1 title four times with Paris Saint-Germain, Blaise Matuidi missed out on a fifth this season.
The 30-year-old midfielder is consistent, playing around 50 games a season every season since 2012-13. Since signing for PSG from Saint-Etienne in July 2011 he has made nearly 300 appearances.
Matuidi is a more defensive minded midfielder and would link well with fellow countryman Pogba.
Benjamin Mendy
Another player from Monaco, Benjamin Mendy has had a great first season with the club and has caught the attention of many European sides.
The left back could fit into the Man United first team, with Jose Mourinho seemingly unhappy with Luke Shaw last season.
The 22-year-old made his international debut for France in March and has played in three more games since, including the 3-2 win against England earlier this month.
Fabinho
Originally starting his career as a right back, Monaco’s Fabinho has been successfully used as a defensive midfielder in their title-winning campaign.
The 23-year-old Brazilian has played in the majority of Monaco’s league games in the last three seasons and has scored 22 goals for the club overall.
With Michael Carrick nearing the end of his career, Fabinho would be a great long-term replacement as the Red Devils aim to challenge for the Premier League title in the upcoming season.
Marquinhos
While PSG have a world-class centre-back in Thiago Silva, his defensive partner Marquinhos could be a smarter signing to bolster the Man United squad.
The 23-year-old joined the Ligue 1 side in 2013 after spending a year as Serie A side Roma. With the departure of David Luiz last summer, Marquinhos had a bigger role to play for PSG alongside Silva.
He has also successfully made appearances for the side as a right back, so his versatility would be important for United if their injury record next season becomes similar to their 2016-17 campaign.