The four bargain transfers Man United must make this summer | OneFootball

“In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.”

Albert Einstein was most likely not thinking about a football club’s ability to strike a bargain deal in the transfer market when he made this prophetic statement.

But it is a maxim which applies perfectly to the Premier League – where fire sales unfold at teams staring down the barrel of relegation to the Championship at the end of the season, with surviving members of England’s top division able to raid their fallen competitors.

It is almost certain that three of the following teams – Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley, West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Leeds United – will be relegated come May. Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur are just a few points clear of this battle, but the respective quality of their squads means the London duo will not be dragged into it.

Separate to this tale of woe at the bottom, Manchester United are on the hunt for a top four finish at the opposite end of the table – with a return to Champions League football next season representing the holy grail for ‘Caretaker Carrick’ and his band of merry men.

However, a return to Europe’s elite competition does not mean the Red Devils should look beyond the inevitable backyard sale at the relegated sides; rather, this is exactly where United should be shopping, given the number of positions which need to be strengthened this summer, and the surprising number of quality players on offer.

The Peoples Person have identified the four areas of United’s squad which are the most urgent needs – two central midfielders, a left winger and a striker – and then selected the best candidates from sides facing the dreadful drop into the Championship.

Let’s dive in.

Central Midfield

The obvious standout for this position is Elliot Anderson, Nottingham Forest’s midfield maestro. However, irrespective of Forest’s survival, United will target the 23-year-old England international, so we have identified two alternatives should the red-hot transfer race for Anderson prove unsuccessful.

Joao Gomes – Wolves’ best player in an otherwise dismal season at Molineux, the Brazilian was an option for United this month, but INEOS decided against a move. The Black Country side are destined for relegation, however, and their £44 million price tag will be reduced once this fate is sealed. United should strike at this point for the 24-year-old dynamo, before one of their rivals gets there first.

Mateus Fernandes – The 21-year-old midfielder faced relegation last season with Southampton before West Ham swooped to perform their own raid for the Portuguese. Now, it’s United’s turn, with Fernandes having shone in a poor Hammers’ side, building on his strong campaign at St Mary’s and sparking INEOS’s interest. He previously played for Ruben Amorim at Sporting CP, and offers the unrelenting energy and work-rate United’s former head coach demands.

Left Wing

The departure of Amorim, along with his winger-less 3-4-2-1 system, has sparked the need for reinforcements on, surprise surprise, the wing. United are stacked with two outstanding options on the right in Amad and Bryan Mbeumo. But they lack depth on the left, despite the transformation of Denmark international Patrick Dorgu into a reincarnation of Gareth Bale – so we return to Molineux for the best option.

Mateus Mane – Besides Gomes, the “fearless” 18-year-old winger has been the only other source of optimism for beleaguered Wolves fans. Mane offers a refreshing throwback to direct wingers who immediately engage their opposite number, while retaining surprising maturity with his decision-making for such a young player. His performances have sparked interest across the entire league, meaning United will have to act fast to agree a deal for the Portuguese native.

Striker

Benjamin Sesko has endured a quieter start to life at Old Trafford than his £74m price tag may have demanded, but the Slovenia international has shown enough glimpses to offer optimism for next season. However, his partner in crime up top – Joshua Zirkzee – is guilty of providing zero reason to keep him at the club this summer. United must target another centre-forward this summer to ease the pressure on Sesko, and provide the team with another source of goals.

The best options from the relegation candidates are Wolves frontman, Jørgen Strand Larsen, and Leeds United’s resurgent No. 9, Dominic Calvert-Lewis. However, the former will still prove a costly purchase, even with Wolves’ demise, and may end up being sold before the January window shuts on Monday. The latter is in red-hot form, yet has a horrendous injury record and cannot be relied upon to stay fit.

This leads The Peoples Person to be a tad cheeky and break the rules of the game, though the guiding principle is a ‘bargain raid’ so this target still qualifies for selection, even if his side will not be relegated.

Danny Welbeck – Brighton & Hove Albion’s striker is well-known to United fans, and while a 35-year-old is an odd target for a big club, the former Red Devil is an experienced operator with an outstanding attitude who is ageing like a fine wine on the south coast of England. He is also out of contract come the summer, meaning a free transfer, with zero risk, will land a player who knows Old Trafford, who can handle the weight of the red shirt, and is happy to play a supportive role to a younger first-choice option. In short, Welbeck is a must-buy, without the burden of even having to buy him.

Conclusion

United’s budget this summer is expected to be considerable, yet the number of reinforcements needed means compromises will have to happen.

It would not be advisable for INEOS to rely on all four of these bargain basement options as the primary recruits. It makes sense, however, to choose two – Gomes and Mane from Wolves, for example –  if their signings then freed up sufficient funds to launch big-money raids for two of the club’s first-choice targets.

The strength of the Premier League means even the worst sides now have excellent players in their midst. There is no shame in recognising as such; just as there is no shame in exploiting the crisis of relegation for Einstein’s prediction of “great opportunity”.

P.S. Sorry Burnley – you just don’t have any players worth saving. No offence.

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social