As it stands Manchester United have no active transfer pursuits for defensive midfield players this summer.
A lot can change, but youngster James Garner is the obvious beneficiary of United investing recruitment efforts in other positions.
Garner, 20, knows he has a huge summer and pre-season ahead of him and he is doing everything he can to be ready.
Garner posted a picture on his Instagram feed of him working hard at the gym, looking to bulk up and improve his physique.
This will be essential if he is going to cope in the Premier League and hold his own.
Garner excelled last season in the Championship on loan at Nottingham Forest.
This gave him a real test of a physical brand of first team football and he knows what he needs to do to improve.
From a technical point of view Garner is already very promising and needs to develop more physically to help his all round game. That can give him an edge upon his return to United in pre-season.
He appears to be putting the work in and that can pay off when United return to pre-season in July.
Big pre-season ahead
With senior stars on international duty this month, Garner could get an extra chance to impress United’s coaches and he seems determined to seize it.
As it stands Garner is in pole position to be United’s next defensive midfield star, and while he has plenty of attacking qualities to his game, United have an opening for a player who can shield the defence.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer likes to give his young talent a chance, and Garner could benefit from the opening in midfield in the same way Mason Greenwood did up front in 2019.
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