Having secured a return to the Champions League and with just a handful of points needed to secure a third-placed finish, the future looks bright for Manchester United. However, a serious amount of work is needed to ensure United’s squad is deep enough to cover the additional games the Red Devils will play next season.
With that in mind, many fans and pundits are already looking ahead to the upcoming transfer window. United will need to recruit flawlessly to ensure the Red Devils are ready to compete on all four fronts next season.
But as rumours begin to swirl and names are linked with a move to Old Trafford, it is imperative that the recruitment team prioritises one trait above all else.
Last summer’s success
In their first summer in charge, INEOS operated remarkably well, bringing in a mixture of players with Premier League experience and young players with enormous potential.
Senne Lammens, Bryan Mbuemo and Matheus Cunha all hit the ground running, strengthening key positions in the team and delivering a series of electric performances across the season.
It took Benjamin Sesko a little longer to adapt to the demands of the Premier League and earn his spot in the team, but since Michael Carrick was appointed in January, he has produced some exquisite performances and scored several match-winning goals.
Besides their eye-catching performances, the quartet of new signings have all managed to remain available throughout practically all of the season, allowing the team to adapt to playing alongside them and build up patterns.
Earlier missteps
Though Mason Mount, Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt are all great players in their own right, they have all struggled with rather relentless injury troubles since arriving at Old Trafford.
De Ligt has not featured for the club since before Ruben Amorim lost his job, while Mount and Martinez have been in and out of the team for the past two seasons, never managing to build up any rhythm or form.
Looking ahead
Moving forward, the recruitment staff at Old Trafford must value any transfer target’s injury record above all else. All the talent in the world is of little use to the club if a player spends more time in the treatment room than on the pitch.
The staff should look to Bruno Fernandes as an example. Not only is he climbing up United’s all-time assist charts and on course to break the Premier League assist record this season, but he is practically always available.
Fans can count on one hand the number of games the Portuguese magnifico has missed through injury this season. And, given United will likely be playing many more games next season, all new signings must remain fit to gel with the team and make an impact across the season.
Potential United target Mateus Fernandes is a prime example of the type of player the Red Devils should look to sign. The Portuguese midfielder has been almost ever-present for West Ham this season, appearing in 34 Premier League matches and embodying the grit and determination United’s squad is crying out for.
Featured image Jan Kruger via Getty Images
online polls
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
