Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is targeting three more additions this summer after the Red Devils sealed a £40.3million deal for Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek.
The 23-year-old underwent his medical in Amsterdam today after being given permission to leave the Netherlands’ training camp ahead of his nation’s upcoming international games.
United have long tracked the Dutchman but they pounced on the opportunity to sign him at the end of last week after Barcelona boss Ronald Koeman vowed to prioritise other midfield targets.
Jadon Sancho has been United’s priority for months but a quick-fire deal for Van de Beek will settle the nerves of many supporters, who were beginning to worry about the lack of signings.
While Sancho still very much remains the target, the Times claim the winger is just one of three further signings that Solskjaer wants to make this summer.
Solskjaer wants Sancho to fill a void on the right wing that Mason Greenwood had temporarily filled towards the end of the season.
Though the 18-year-old sparkled, Greenwood’s long-term future is through the middle and Solskjaer wants the blistering pace of Sancho on the wing in order to rotate his front three.
Elsewhere, the Norwegian wants to sign a fast centre-back to play alongside Harry Maguire.
Victor Lindelof partnered Maguire throughout last season but neither of them possess the pace to play a high line and Solskjaer wants a faster defender alongside Maguire in order to push his team further up the field.
RB Leipzig ace Dayot Upamecano is a target for the club but there’s doubts whether the Frenchman is ready for Premier League football.
However, Ighalo’s minutes dried up following the restart and Solskjaer wants a better alternative to Anthony Martial so that the Frenchman can experience genuine competition.
With £40m of Solskjaer’s budget already spent, it looks inevitable that the club will have to sell if they’re to come close to securing their other targets.
Jesse Lingard, Phil Jones, Andreas Pereira, Chris Smalling, Sergio Romero and Marcos Rojo are all surplus to requirements and are available for transfer,
However, though there’s interest from many clubs, United have long struggled to flog their deadwood due to the sky-high wages paid at Old Trafford.
Therefore, the club may have to accept lower up-front fees just to get some of the unwanted players of the books, particularly in a post-pandemic world.
