INEOS must stick with PL proven stars for Man United’s summer rebuild

Andre Onana

A disaster from the off. United will almost certainly look to make his loan deal at Trabzonspor a permanent one, with the Turkish club keen on taking the ‘keeper full-time. Whilst he has helped his new side reach a cup final this season, the Cameroonian is nowhere near the levels required to keep goal at Old Trafford, with Senne Lammens bringing more peace to the side in his first appearance than Onana did over his entire duration at the club.

If Trabzonspor cannot match United’s asking price, Onana will likely have suitors in Serie A given his impressive spell at Inter Milan, and that could prove to be a happy selling ground for United, who will want to recoup as much of the £45 million outlay they spent to bring him to the club in 2023.

Altay Bayindir

Not much to add that hasn’t been said about Onana; the Turkish giant just isn’t up to the standard to challenge for the position of United’s number one, and the club should strike any kind of deal to get him out the door for him to rebuild his career elsewhere – most likely destination is back to his homeland with Besiktas rumoured.

Manuel Ugarte

With Casemiro’s exit guaranteed, it should have been the perfect time for Ugarte to step up and claim his place in the United side, given his promise when signing from PSG.

However, the pace of the Premier League has proven too much for the Uruguayan, who simply isn’t good enough on the ball to survive in the top flight of English football. Whilst he is busy enough getting about the pitch, the lack of quality has seriously hindered his time at Old Trafford and INEOS should cut their losses on a player that might go down as their worst signing since arriving at the club.

No doubt there will be suitors across Europe given his pedigree, and the pace on the continent is likely to see him turn into a decent player for a side competing in a league that is much better suited to his style of play.

Mason Mount

A real shame, this one. Mount undoubtedly has the quality to have left a bigger impact at the club than he has; however, flashes of brilliance have been all too rare and he just hasn’t justified the outlay and wages afforded to him since joining from Chelsea in 2023.

Handed the iconic number seven shirt that has become the kiss of death for many, Mount has spent more time on the treatment table than the pitch and, if his performance against Sunderland at the weekend was anything to go by, he doesn’t have the legs to play in a deeper role for the club.

Therefore, he will be challenging the front players, or Bruno Fernandes, for a role in the team and, whilst he is a handy option to have, it feels like his time is up at Old Trafford after too many false starts. With a bumper schedule coming next year, it’s difficult to see Mount not experiencing even more time on the bench and frustration growing even further with the player.

Given his injury record, finding a buyer might prove tricky, but if INEOS can get anything like the £55 million spent on the Englishman, they should bite the relevant hands off and reinvest in someone who can remain available for more than a handful of weeks at a time.

Marcus Rashford

A decision made with a heavy heart, but United simply must move the Wythenshawe lad on after his successful season-long spell with Barcelona ended with him playing a key role in securing the La Liga title against Real Madrid.

No doubt Rashford could add something to the United squad if he stayed, but it feels like too much water has gone under the bridge and, given the mammoth wages he is earning, INEOS should be looking to strike a deal with the Spanish giants to turn the loan into a permanent transfer.

Furthermore, Rashford himself admitted his preference is to stay in Spain and, with the fact he has come from United’s academy meaning any fee received helps hugely with FFP, it will surely not take long for the two clubs to come to an agreement for a player who has talent to burn but struggled under the bright lights of the Theatre of Dreams when things got tough.

Rasmus Hojlund

Another forward who has found the pace of football on the continent much more to his liking and probably the easiest transfer to do, given Napoli’s acceptance to trigger the clause in his loan deal and pay United the £38 million agreed as part of the package.

Hojlund might consider himself unfortunate to have joined United when he did, with his tender age in need of an experienced head alongside him to help guide him through the early stages at Old Trafford. However, despite flashes of undoubted potential, the Dane failed to do enough during his time and will be rightly moved on in the summer to add to Carrick’s kitty.

Joshua Zirkzee

Just not good enough. The odd eye-catching first touch, flick or trick will not suffice to be a part of United’s squad moving forward.

Is he a false nine, is he a centre-forward? The self-professed nine and a half just doesn’t have the pace or power to cope with the demands of the Premier League and should be moved on for any kind of fee in the market. Chido-Obi will be chomping at the bit for a place in the first team squad and, after another goal-laden season for the under-21s, looks like he could play Zirkzee’s role. Zirkzee simply hasn’t done enough to justify his stay in Manchester.

A few clubs from Serie A have raised an interest in the Dutchman and INEOS should accelerate his exit to Italy as soon as they can and cut their losses.

Incomings

It’s widely expected United will be focusing on improving their options in the middle of the park, with improvements needed even with Casemiro and Ugarte at the club. However, with both of the midfielders tipped to depart, the need for surgery becomes even more prevalent and that is where the main bulk of the transfer kitty will be spent.

Elliot Anderson

The Nottingham Forest star has enjoyed another wonderful campaign at the City Ground and is expected to start for England at the World Cup alongside Declan Rice, underlining the progress he has made over the last two seasons.

Anderson covers every blade of grass with power, pace and tenacity that makes him every inch the perfect Casemiro replacement. The 23-year-old would also provide the ideal foil to Kobbie Mainoo, with the individual qualities of the pair looking like they would dovetail to perfection at Old Trafford.

Given the age and profile of Anderson, he and Mainoo could be United’s midfield pairing for the best part of the next decade, with both players already proving they can do it in the Premier League. It will take an eye-watering fee, but INEOS should be moving heaven and earth to beat Manchester City to the punch for his signature and give Carrick a midfield that can dominate games at the highest level next year.

Mateus Fernandes

With West Ham favourites for relegation, Fernandes will likely be handing in his request to leave East London and United should be keeping a keen eye on developments here, with a cut-price deal a real possibility.

Fernandes has proven he can cope with Premier League football and has been a standout for The Hammers this season. He would give Carrick perfect depth to the midfield two of Mainoo and Anderson, with his ability and profile again suiting how United will want to play.

He can run all day and, at just 21 years of age, has room to grow and turn into one of the leading lights in his position in the game. If INEOS can get in early, Fernandes will surely welcome the chance to play at Old Trafford and in the Champions League next season.

Leon Goretzka

A free signing that will only add to the depth and experience in Carrick’s ranks. If United do manage to convince Anderson and Fernandes that Manchester is the place for them, giving them some guidance and experience of top-level football will be vital.

Similar to Casemiro’s role now, off the pitch can be just as important as on it, and Goretzka comes with bags and bags of pedigree that has seen him win trophies galore during his fine career in Germany. At 32, Carrick will be tasked with managing his load and, providing he is willing to do the role United need him for, could be a masterstroke given the economics of the deal.

Lewis Hall

Despite Luke Shaw miraculously starting every Premier League game for United this season, there is little to no chance of him repeating that feat next year, given the extra games and a year of hard graft. With Patrick Dorgu expected to add to the forward line rather than at left-back, United need to be ready for Shaw’s potential collapse and life after the Englishman.

Lewis Hall is the perfect choice to replace Shaw not just in the long term but from the start of next season. Shaw can still play his part, and Hall’s impressive rise in the game since joining Newcastle has caught the eye of many. INEOS should look to strike a deal this summer.

Very similar to Shaw in profile, Hall can defend as well as provide a hand in attacking areas, and United have clearly shown an interest in the 21-year-old who is reportedly open to a move away from Tyneside in the coming months.

Dusan Vlahovic

Another free transfer. With Zirkzee potentially on his way, United are light up top and, even with Chido-Obi and Bryan Mbuemo capable of filling in, if Benjamin Sesko suffers a long-term injury, Carrick will be wafer thin at centre-forward.

Vlahovic could prove to be the ideal back-up to Sesko, with the pair of them possessing a similar profile, meaning Carrick will not have to change his tactics too much should Sesko become unavailable or need a rest. The Serbian can score goals and, despite not catching fire as much as he would have liked at Juventus, does possess the qualities that are suited to the Premier League.

Additionally, at 26 years of age, he has gained some valuable experience playing for a massive club in Juve and, given the fact he is available on a free, should be worth a look at this summer.

Final thoughts

The importance of this summer speaks for itself, with INEOS seemingly trusting Carrick with a war chest that could define their time at the club. If United can improve on the midfield to the levels required, the team will have a much better chance of competing on all fronts and finally looking like a side making steps in the right direction.

Whilst it’s clear United are a couple of windows away from hopefully bringing the glory days back to the club, securing some high-quality additions this year that are Premier League proven will no doubt be key to INEOS’ long-term vision.

These options should also leave Carrick with some wiggle room for a surprise signing or two and flexibility when negotiating for the key primary targets.

Featured image by Justin Setterfield via Getty Images

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