Manchester United have had a strong first half of the Premier League season and they are currently three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur with one game less.
The £220million spending spree this summer has certainly had a positive effect on the club’s displays. With the exception of Martin Dubravka, all the other signings have had outstanding performances at some point.
Despite this, the club lingers just outside the Champions League places and there must be significant spending in January to secure a place in the league’s top four.
The Glazers are currently exploring strategic alternatives for the club, including a possible sale, but that shouldn’t stop them from making another big spend this winter.
A sale will depend on investors meeting the Glazers’ demands and, in our view, the process could take a long time. A decision could well be made by the end of the season.
If United were to qualify for the Champions League via a top-four place (or by winning the Europa League), there is a greater chance that the Glazers’ asking price would be met.
Therefore, there must be another spending spree in January. United may have to spend around £158m on the purchase of two versatile forwards and a creative central midfielder.
PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo and Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix are United’s top attacking targets and the pair could be valued at £52m and £86m respectively this winter.
A new right-back has been the subject of regular speculation in recent months, but we believe United could wait until the summer to land Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong.
In the short term, Ethad Laird could be recalled from his loan spell at Queen Park Rangers to provide backup for Diogo Dalot. Aaron Wan-Bissaka could be heading for the exit door.
Therefore, a third target for United should be a creative central midfielder to rival Christian Eriksen. Youri Tielemans of Leicester City could be a suitable target for January.
The Foxes wanted £40million for the Belgian last summer when he entered the final year of his contract. He could be prized for 50% of the fee (£20million) at the start of the year.
Tielemans has had a difficult start to the season with the Foxes amid transfer speculation, but he has been one of their best performers in their excellent pre-World Cup revival.
In our view, United may have to spend on the aforementioned trio to secure their Champions League place next season. It could take a combined fee of around £158million.
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