Manchester United must improve their squad this summer if they intend to start the next campaign well.
The Red Devils made significant progress in the first season of Erik Ten Hag being their manager, and they will be smart to build on that success in the next term so that all Manchester United tickets buyers will be delighted they made the purchase.
To achieve this, they will need to bolster their squad with some of the best players around, and several stars have already been linked with a move to Old Trafford.
After reaching two finals and comfortably qualifying for the Champions League, it is now obvious that Ten Hag is the right manager for Manchester United, and the club just needs to support him with the right players.
The Dutchman was expected to struggle in his first season in England, but he has hit the ground running immediately and will no longer want to fail at the club.
In this transfer window, United has several deadwood they must offload to make room for new talents in their squad.
The likes of Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes have been in superb form for them so far, and the club must keep them happy.
The Englishman will sign a new deal after scoring the most goals of his career in 2022/2023 and will probably become their top earner when that happens, which will be fully deserved.
The likes of Fred and Anthony Martial have simply not been good enough for the club so far, and they should be flushed out and make room for players who can make an immediate impact to turn the club into a top side.
Ten Hag has been supportive and patient with the players he met at the club and played a key role in helping Jadon Sancho get back to form after struggling initially at the club.
This Dutchman has displayed remarkable man-management skills, which is one attribute that has helped Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp succeed in the English top flight.
Having dominated the Dutch league as the manager of Ajax, he has a real chance of giving those two managers a run for their money in the next few terms, but it will be a gradual process, and it would start with building a superb team that can compete.
In this transfer window, several players have been linked with a move to the club, and we discuss some of the top stars they simply must add to their group before next season starts.
Mason Mount, Chelsea
Chelsea is on the verge of losing one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League as Mason Mount seems to have decided against extending his contract with them, which could be Manchester United’s gain.
The midfielder is an accomplished Premier League star and has often been the match-winner for Chelsea, which is why it would be a shock if they do not do all they can to keep him at Stamford Bridge.
Mount has won the Champions League, FIFA Club World Cup, and the European Super Cup, among many other trophies.
Chelsea were terrible in the 2022/2023 season and it was partly because of the poor form of some of their key players, with Mount not left out.
He suffered from injuries and played in just 24 league games for the Blues, providing two assists and scoring three goals.
It would be harsh to judge him based on his performance in that campaign, but in the previous season, he had 11 goals and ten assists from 32 league games.
This is a player who will bring more value to United’s current attackers as well as the new ones they will add to their squad before this transfer window closes.
Victor Osimhen, Napoli
Osimhen is one of the world’s best strikers now after helping Napoli to end three decades of hurt to win the Italian Serie A.
The Nigerian has gradually improved every season since he made a breakthrough at Belgian club Charleroi, and he is due a move to a big league like the Premier League.
Ten Hag opines that Martial is the best finisher in Manchester United, but they will not win the league with the Frenchman as their top attacker.
Martial has never scored up to 20 league goals in just one season in his career, which clearly shows the 27-year-old is not good enough to lead the line at Old Trafford and must be replaced.
Osimhen scored 26 times in Serie A in the 2022/23 season and also bagged five goals in the Champions League for the Italian club.
This has been the highest-scoring season of his career, but at 24, it is clear that he is far from the peak of his profession. United will be smart to add him to their squad now so he will develop further with them and lead the line for at least five seasons at Old Trafford.
Kim Min Jae, Napoli
Another player who has been linked with a move to Manchester United recently and they must sign is Kim Min Jae of Napoli.
Osimhen may score the goals, but without a solid defence, Napoli will struggle to win games and trophies, and Min Jae is the reason they have been so stingy at the back as well.
The Korean centre-back was relatively unknown until this season, although Jose Mourinho had wanted him at Tottenham around 2020.
Min-Jae is the complete centre-back who has pace, power, and can read danger very well. These are the attributes that helped Napoli to see off competition from other clubs to become the top side in the Italian top flight.
Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof do not inspire confidence at United, and at least one of them should leave the club this summer. Min-Jae is the best man to replace them.
The defender has just ended a season as a league winner, so we can be sure that he will bring that expertise and experience to United if they can pull off the transfer.
Declan Rice, West Ham
Rice is one of the most sought-after Premier League players at the moment after consistently impressing on the books of West Ham.
The Englishman is one of the finest central midfielders in the league who know how to deliver whenever he is on the field.
This explains why he has been linked with a move to Arsenal and Bayern Munich, who will compete with United to sign him.
Every successful team has had top players in each role in their squad before achieving success, and Rice will complete the midfield makeover that Ten Hag is working on.
They already have Casemiro and Fernandes doing an amazing job at Old Trafford. If they add Rice to that group, the midfielder will make them even better as a team, considering how much he will add to their game.
However, the competition for his signature is serious, and United might have to break a transfer record to win the race to add him to their squad.
If the ex-Chelsea trainee wins the Conference League with the Hammers, his transfer value will likely improve even further.
Diogo Costa, FC Porto
David de Gea won the most clean sheet in the Premier League last season, which earned him the Golden Glove in the competition.
The Spaniard is capable of making remarkable saves but is also error-prone, which has proven costly in several games for the club.
United must replace De Gea soon and one man for that role is the impressive Costa from FC Porto.
The Portuguese star is one of the finest young goalkeepers in Europe at the moment and has continued to impress since he broke into their first team.
He kept 16 clean sheets in 33 league games in 2022/23, while conceding just 22 times in those matches, which is less than 1 goal conceded per game.
United can still keep De Gea as a squad member because his leadership and experience would be needed, but Diogo should become the first choice if they can add him to their squad.