Manchester United fans have been listening to promises of a ‘rebuild’ for far too long. It’s 2022, and supporters are impatient, although realistic that the club are as far away as ever.
The league table does not lie, and United are 19 points behind leaders City. It’s an unacceptable position.
During the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer era, efforts were made to strengthen the squad, position by position, far too slowly.
In the summer of 2019, United moved for a centre-back and right-back, and then it took until 2021 to sign the winger the club really wanted. By then it was too late, Solskjaer’s squad took a step backwards and imploded.
Last summer there was talk among fans of signing a defensive midfielder. Solskjaer fatefully chose not to do so.
The idea was to wait until 2022 to pay big for a Declan Rice, or a Jude Bellingham. The Athletic reported just a fortnight ago this is still the plan. Either midfielder would cost United around £100 million, and there are reservations that either West Ham or Dortmund would do a deal anyway.
£100m midfielder would plug one gap as others emerge
The problem with waiting too long to rebuild, is that new problems emerge. Let’s say United succeed in signing Declan Rice, are the club suddenly title contenders? Sadly no. There is far more work to do.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has failed to kick on at right-back, and it looks like United need a new signing at the position.
More pressing is the attacking position. Edinson Cavani’s contract is set to expire, Anthony Martial may not want to play for the club again, and Mason Greenwood may never be asked to.
Cristiano Ronaldo will be 37, and if United fail to qualify for the Champions League, expect him to consider an exit. And you could not blame him.
This would leave Marcus Rashford and Anthony Elanga as potential forwards. Even with Ronaldo, it’s not really enough.
United could solve the midfield position with a £100m move, but there will still be a striker, and right-back required. You could even argue a better left-back is needed too, if neither Luke Shaw or Alex Telles really grab the position between now and the end of the season.
The never-ending rebuild
Every summer it seems like one or two positions get neglected. It doesn’t have to be this way. A new manager may have a change of approach, but with the Glazers at the top, United fans are probably in for more of the same.
A midfielder or right-back may be signed, and the team will be left short up front, pledging to sign another striker in 2023. By which time more problems will have sprung up.
It is never ending, and it doesn’t have to be this way. Spreading the spend equally across positions, and coming into the window with a real plan, can enable United to address all the needs at once. We are not getting carried away though, we will believe it when we see it.
United’s rebuild continues, and failing to sign anybody during this past transfer window has just left even more to do this summer.
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