How Man United might line up with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in the team | OneFootball

Manchester United’s drastic summer rebuild has begun in earnest with the £62.5m capture of Wolves’ Matheus Cunha all but rubber-stamped and the pursuit of Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo in full swing.

Following a disastrous season, a raft of players are set to leave the club with Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony among several high earners expected to depart, while Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton have not been offered new contracts. Question marks also hang over the futures of Rasmus Hojlund, Casemiro and Andre Onana.

Ruben Amorim has at least persuaded captain Bruno Fernandes to stay at the club after strong interest from Saudi Arabia, and the coach now needs his recruitment department to work some magic with no Champions League football to lure potential signings and sales required to meet profit and sustainability rules.

We know what formation Amorim will use next season, wedded as he is to 3-4-3. But which players will be in his starting XI and how will they line up?

Ruben Amorim admits he and his Manchester United players are desperate to ‘turn the page’ on this season (Martin Rickett/PA) (PA Wire)

Goalkeeper

Onana’s season was riddled with mistakes and he briefly lost his place to back-up goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, who wasn’t much better. Expect a new signing in between the posts come August, but Onana will likely continue wearing the gloves if no one arrives.

Centre backs

This is one part of the pitch where Amorim doesn’t necessarily need reinforcements. Lisandro Martinez, Harry Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro provide four decent options for three positions, while Luke Shaw and Noussair Mazraoui can slot into the wider roles if needed.

Wing-backs

The left side remains a concern, with Shaw lacking the fitness record to be a reliable season-long option and January signing Patrick Dorgu still looking like raw talent rather than the finished article. Harry Amass is not quite ready to step up, while it was clear throughout the campaign that Diogo Dalot does not work as an inverted wing-back on the left. A new signing may be needed.

Mazraoui was one of very few United players who could say they had a positive season, and the Moroccan looked like a good solution for the right wing-back role during the latter half of the campaign. A more adventurous option out wide would be Amad Diallo, especially if new attacking reinforcements fill the advanced roles in the team.

How Man United could line up next season (Independent)

Central midfielders

The midfield axis was helmed by Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte for much of the season, with mixed success, and Bruno Fernandes often found himself dropping back there later in games as Amorim made changes. With Casemiro’s future up in the air, Ugarte and Fernandes seem like the most natural partnership to start the new season, while Kobbie Mainoo is another option if he can refind his form and sharpness. But a new signing is needed given the departure of Christian Eriksen.

No 10s

Matheus Cunha was bought for exactly this role as he seeks to drive the team forwards from the inside right channel. Who will fill the other spot? Fernandes and Amad are the most likely options from the current squad, while Bryan Mbeumo would provide some energy and goalscoring nous should he sign, and his off-ball movement would complement Cunha’s dribbling and vision. Mason Mount will be another option here if he can stay fit.

Matheus Cunha is set to join while United pursue Mbeumo (PA)

Striker

United are actively searching for a new forward to lead the line, having failed in their pursuit of Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, now of Chelsea. Signed from Atalanta two years ago, Hojlund is being linked with a move back to Italy after a frustrating season in front of goal, while Joshua Zirkzee has so far proved a useful option rather than a leading man. Amorim will hope to have a new shiny No 9 in place when the season starts, and Mbuemo can play the role if needed.