MANCHESTER UNITED will be dissatisfied with some of their recent acquisitions.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was a big spender in the Old Trafford dugout, but his Manchester United signings were dubious. United are preparing to sign replacements after breaking transfer records on players who underperformed at the club.
Harry Maguire joined Manchester United from Leicester City in an £80 million transfer in 2019, but he has never lived up to the price tag.
The Englishman has struggled to play high-pressing game with a high line, which has exposed his main flaw: his speed.
The signing of Raphael Varane from Real Madrid in the summer was meant to give Maguire with a rock-solid centre-back partner and lay the foundations for a side capable of winning trophies.
Varane, on the other hand, has just underlined what Maguire's game lacks, and the club appears to have chosen to replace the 28-year-old in the summer as they aim to start their rebuild under a new manager.
Solskjaer lobbied for Maguire to join United.
Solskjaer lobbied for Maguire to join United. (Photo courtesy of Getty)
United are in negotiations with Borussia Dortmund defender Manuel Akanji, according to BILD, and have already offered the centre-back a contract.
In the summer, the Switzerland international will enter the final year of his contract at Signal Iduna Park, and he is expected to be sold after apparently rejecting a new agreement.
With Maguire being offloaded or simply warming the bench on a regular basis, Akanji, who has played in an aggressive style at Dortmund, might be the ideal partner for Varane.
With Eric Bailly and Phil Jones maybe on their way out of the Theatre of Dreams, such a rearrangement does not appear to be out of the question.
Maguire was signed by United for a hefty fee.
Maguire was signed by United for a hefty fee. (Photo courtesy of Express Sport)
Ralf Rangnick has presumably told the club's higher-ups which positions need to be improved before moving into a consulting role, prepping them for what his successor is likely to require.
And it appears like Aaron Wan-Bissaka is another Solskjaer flop who has to be replaced.
The right-back joined for £50 million from Crystal Palace in 2019, but has slid down the pecking order following a promising start.
"Should he not be the whole package as a right back at that price?" former Liverpool great Graeme Souness said The Times in 2020. He's terrific defensively and one-on-one, but he's not so brilliant at the other end of the game, which is crucial for a full-back nowadays, particularly getting into the final third and delivering the perfect ball."
Wan-opportunities Bissaka's have been limited.
Under Rangnick, Wan-opportunities Bissaka's have been limited. (Photo courtesy of Getty)
Wan-inability Bissaka's to create chances in the final third cost him his starting job under Rangnick, even if he wasn't very good defensively in the games before he was replaced by Diogo Dalot.
If he is not guaranteed minutes under a new manager, the 24-year-old is likely to seek a move sooner rather than later, but that appears unlikely considering the Red Devils' interest in Tino Livramento.
The Southampton defender is garnering a lot of interest from the club, according to Calcio Mercato, and his abilities in the final third may be excellent in the United system.
The Chelsea academy product possesses all of the skills of a top-tier defender, as Ralph Hasenhuttl is demonstrating at St. Marys.
Livramaneto and Akanji's entrances would set the wheels in action for a period of transition at United, and both arrivals would be fantastic buys if Wan-Bissaka and Maguire's exits were used to fund them.
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