Priority Signing: CB vs DM vs RW vs Striker

[A-man]

We just have to look at the table. We have the worst defence of the top six. Scoring goals isn't the issue.
If given the choice of buying only one player, a CB for me.

I think that’s drawing the wrong conclusion by looking at it in the wrong way. We started off badly with 11 goals conceded in the first 3 matches, but recovered quickly. After that we have conceded 21 goals in 26 matches which is quite good.

We have a good goal scoring average but we also have too many matches where we don’t score or only score one goal.

 

[SAFMUTD]

Right wing all the way for me, its been years since we had the last natural right winger. I think it was Di Maria? All our attack goes through the left side, I remember seeing a stat saying that we attack like 80% from our left side and 20% from our right side or something ridiculous like that.

 

[El-Manos]

We haven’t had a RW since WW2, it’s a no brainer.

 

[Nou_Camp99]

Above is our team with the 4 key positions that remain unsorted left empty and the hope that Pogba stays. Now we know that there's no way our board will buy Ole starting quality players in 4 different positions and that the budget is likely limited to one big signing, so which position do we plough the big fee into?

CB - Recently Maguire and Lindelof have been playing solidly but many of us feel we need a pacey, athletic CB to partner Maguire long term, of course Axel is still here and we are in talks with Bailly over a new contract. Depth in this position is fine but quality and reliability are question marks.

DM - Matic is past it and the McFred thing can't continue next season if the team is to progress, both are box to box workhorse's who are very mediocre on the ball, neither are holding midfielders that can anchor the team and give Pogba more attacking freedom in the double pivot.

RW - We have an exceptional young talent in Mason who is plying his trade out there as he matures but it's probably not seen as his long term position, and we've got Dan James who is the McFred of wingers and Amad who looks talented but is an unknown quantity.

Striker - it's looking like Cavani will leave and his fitness issues have meant we haven’t gotten much from the signing. That leaves us with Martial who has had a very poor season and Mason who is still learning to play #9 at senior level. The problem with this position is the lack of quality options to sign.


Could we get a poll @Damien @golden_blunder please.

Wan Bissaka should be nowhere near a team with title ambitions let's be honest. He's a very very very average footballer.

 

[r0663664]

It has to be a striker, someone who bangs in 25-30 goals a season. Martial can sulk on the bench, I can’t really see his hungry or passion maybe Ole made him a promise. He is probably one of most talented but underachieving player in Utd. We should get a CDM after we secure our striker.

 

[NICanRed]

My wish would be that we get a "United" quality player in any of those positions because there aren't likely to be those players available for all four positions. Then continue to improve on the other vacancies as our type of player becomes available.

CDM sounds interesting because we need to be able to put more quality attack in midfield.

STR is always exciting because they score goals. Everybody like attacking football.

RW is a United classic player. Has to be world class.

CB important as they stop goals. How many times did we go behind this season only to miraculously recover and win. That should never be allowed to happen. I'm sure one of you will have analysed that horror show and be able to put a finger on the source of the problem. Because winning means scoring more goals than the opposition or letting them score fewer than us I reluctantly admit that strengthening our defence with a CB or CDM might be the best route to go here.

 

[RobertoBaggio99]

We just have to look at the table. We have the worst defence of the top six. Scoring goals isn't the issue

To this day I'm baffled as to how common it is for people to think it's of any relevance whether a goal difference improvement of +10 comes from attacking or defending. Improvement is improvement, it doesn't matter where it comes from.

 

[FatTails]

CDM for me. I’d like us to become less of a chaotic team that have a bunch of talented players who try stuff and see what sticks. We need to be better at keeping the ball, drawing out the opposition, setting the tempo, and controlling the game. I don’t get that impression watching us and we are actually at our best right now when we don’t have time on the ball.

Liverpool had a lot of issues this season but for me, watching them, I see them as a different team when Fabinho is there. He changes how the team plays.

For the other positions, RW would come next but I question how good that right side can be in attack when AWB (who is a great defender) is the fullback. I feel like the improvement would be marginal compared to the difference a proper CDM with good ball distribution.

ST would be nice if we can get a world class one. I find most of the names bandied around here laughable. Anyone other than a handful of strikers won’t be an improvement on what we have, and everyone is after those! Martial has struggled this season but so has Mason at times and even Rashford. They’re all good players who would do better if we can pull teams out and switch the tempo quickly (something that is less likely to happen with McFred seeing a lot of the ball).

Not too concerned with CBs. Our defence is very good already and if we get better at ball retention + have a better CDM, that will affect our defence positively as well.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

It's crazy how that XI is the same XI as last season. It shows the board slowed down the progress and the process by not giving us the player to upgrade our XI.

RW will be the one I will pay the big fee. We are lacking assist provider or creative player in the squad to provide the final ball. Get rid Bruno & Pogba, who do we have? Daniel James? At least despite of Rashford, Bruno, Martial, Greenwood are not lethal striker, they are still providing us more options as goal scorer in our squad, two of them injured and we still have the other two. We could hold the striker position for another season.

 

[Marcus]

I feel a CB is the most important position we need to fill, having someone who is quick across the ground and good in 1v1 situations will ensure we can play Pogba in midfield with Bruno ahead of him. With those two in the lineup more often than not, we can have Scott or Fred or even Matic, we do need an upgrade there, but it stops becoming a pressing need.
ST and RW now, even though we need both equally, I'd say ST if we're getting Halaand, otherwise either one can be prioritized.
So, in order of priority.
CB
ST RW
DM.

This.

 

[Marcus]

It's crazy how that XI is the same XI as last season. It shows the board slowed down the progress and the process by not giving us the player to upgrade our XI.

RW will be the one I will pay the big fee. We are lacking assist provider or creative player in the squad to provide the final ball. Get rid Bruno & Pogba, who do we have? Daniel James? At least despite of Rashford, Bruno, Martial, Greenwood are not lethal striker, they are still providing us more options as goal scorer in our squad, two of them injured and we still have the other two. We could hold the striker position for another season.

We bought two young promising right wingers already. I doubt we are going to invest in this position anymore unless we know for a fact that they can't hack it.

 

[Drz]

A CDM for me, been begging for this since Hargreaves got injured.

 

[OmarUnited4ever]

I am surprised to see that 36% of the voters want a DM, then what about the ever elusive RW position?

I mean it's been so long that we didn't have any "established" senior player who specialises in RW, we have Rashford who is specialist in LW, and Martial who is at very least competent/capable, and both are established senior players, we have Martial & Cavani as the established senior players who play the CF position, but we do not have anyone established in the right side, Greenwood is young player in his second season and primarily a CF, James is better at LW and can do a job at RW but he is squad option at best and does not possess the quality to be a regular, Diallo & Pallistri are too young and for the future.

I understand the need for DM and I wont mind us getting one before someone in RW, but I'd rather we have RW position filled with someone who can share the creativity burden with Bruno (Martial, Rashford, Greenwood and Cavani are attackers more than they are creators).

 

[Godfather]

RW, CF and CDM are all top priority. Hard to pick just one

 

[Kostov]

For striker we have Martial and more importantly Greenwood, who I want to see regularly start there. At RW we can hope for Diallo and Pellistri, and for CB I think Lindelof might do for now, couple with Tuanzebe and Bailly. CDM however is a must imo.

 

[arthurka]

CDM
Hate to play two deep lying CM v all teams all the time. Someone who can pass would be ideal.

 

[Zlatattack]

1. ST, RW
2. CDM
3. CB

A club with our financial resources ought to be able to manage all 4.

 

[DWelbz19]

Either a striker who can consistently put the ball in the back of the onion bag, or a winger who can dribble with the ball and consistently create chances out on the right hand side.

A central midfielder who is better than Fred/McTominay - I.E. can pass on the ball and play under pressure a bit - would be great, but I’m much more of the opinion we should fix from the front and then start moving down the side.

Maguire isn’t going anywhere, and I’m not keen on signing another 19-23 year old CB still learning his trade to come in and not comprehensively be better than Lindelof/Bailly and for us to be in the same state of flux in that position as we have been in for years. Unless we can get a proven CB like say Varane, I’m not super interested.

 

[UNITED ACADEMY]

We bought two young promising right wingers already. I doubt we are going to invest in this position anymore unless we know for a fact that they can't hack it.

Diallo and Pellistri are just in there to slot Mata's spot, it still doesn't change the fact we need one more for the regular XI.

And also those two investment are for different project. I think the investment we are talking about this summer is about players who are ready for first team XI to lead us challenging the league next season. By the time Diallo and pellistri might be ready to play in our first team XI, Bruno would have been in his 30 already and that will make the signing of Bruno as waste of investment.

 

[Drz]

Not many votes on this. Odd.

 

[Bastian]

For the balance of the team I'd probably prioritise it thus: defensively sound deeper midfielder with a passing range (a Carrick) - right sided forward - centre back who loves defending, has pace and physicality, technically sound - and then striker. But if that striker is Haaland then that's the priority.

 

[BaillyBaillyBailly]

I would CDM is the most important position to fill this summer. Our reliance on McFred is a joke and massively impacts our ability to break down packed defences as neither is willing (particularly Fred) to play balls in behind. Having a competent CDM will free up Pogba (VdB if Pogba leaves) to link with Bruno and stretch teams who pack their defence against us. It will also allow us to push up the pitch further giving Pogba and Bruno more shooting opportunities.

HAVING SAID ALL THAT: if Haaland is available and we can get him, we have to go for that. Haaland looks to genuinely be a generational talent who could lead our attach for 10+ years. Missing out on Haaland could cost us years of trying to bring in a world class forward. Making do in midfield and RW for another season is tolerable if we can bring in someone who shows all the signs he will be one of the top 2/3 players in the world for the next 10 years. There are cheaper alternatives for CDM that will be available this summer, or potentially loan options. With Mason, Diallo, Rashford/Martial and James options for RW should we sign Haaland it seems like a no brainer.

I don't for one minute think getting Haaland is straight forward or something that is necessarily likely. But if we were in with a shout we should go all in for him

 

[Lappen]

We bought two young promising right wingers already. I doubt we are going to invest in this position anymore unless we know for a fact that they can't hack it.

Good point. Do you think Sancho who playes both right and left could be an option this year?

When I think about rumors and what can happens I see Cavani go, and questions is out there about Martial as well. Both his willingness to play for us and the worries about him not scoring, from the club.
For me Sancho is a good idea this year, but also a luxurious player to buy when there is other positions we need to force up first.

 

[Drz]

For the balance of the team I'd probably prioritise it thus: defensively sound deeper midfielder with a passing range (a Carrick) - right sided forward - centre back who loves defending, has pace and physicality, technically sound - and then striker. But if that striker is Haaland then that's the priority.

Me, CDM with passing intelligence like you say, then i'm ok offloading Martial for Haaland or moving Martial to the bench and getting someone like Andre Silva or R. Jimenez.
For CB: gamble on one of Mengi, Tuanzebe and Bailly to take over from Lindelof for a year.

 

[bosnian_red]

RW for me.

• Striker - we have a mix of decent options or huge potential in Greenwood. Problem area, but there is a chance it works out
• RW - nobody there is any good in that position. James the most natural to suit the other attackers we have but is best as a squad player. Amad has big potential but is far away from being ready (a couple of years behind Greenwood I'd say, plus not necessarily same level of prospect) so RW is more pressing than ST
• CDM - Matic only natural. If playing Pogba we need probably both Fred and McTom. Overloaded with numbers right now so need to sell to buy, but our current midfield is at least a solid level and good enough to function for a Europa League level. But definite problem.
• CB - Lindelof/Bailly are probably just at Europa League level as well. Not as big a problem as CDM, because CDM knits the defensive unit and attack unit together and would provide a bigger benefit IMO.

I'd rank it:

1. RW
2. CDM
3. ST
4. CB

And then variations depending on player options like:

1. Haaland
2. Sancho
3. Realistic quality CDM with reliable technique
4. Other realistic RW
5. Other realistic ST
6. Any realistic CB

 

[Gordon S]

Midfield without a shadow of a doubt.
Shaw, Maguire, Lindelöf, AWB are all decent options for defence even if we could improve on he latter two. Telles, Tuanzebe Bailly and Williams are decent backups as well.
Fernandes , Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, Diallo, Donny and James gives us good options for our attack. I would like to add Pogba to that list as he is better in an more advanced role but he might be gone in the summer.

But our midfield options are Matic, Fred and Scott. That is paper thin for any club, never mind a club of our size.
And to make it worse, Matic legs are gone and both Fred and Scott are workhorses that are fairly average at everything but running. Players like Galbraith, Garner and Hannibal are still a few years away from being ready.
A quality cm is an absolute must have imo.

 

[lex talionis]

A top CF, no question about it. But if a top CF cannot be procured due to financial limitations, then BOTH a DM and a CB, not one or the other.

After Haaland, I don’t see a top CF who’s a realistic target for us this summer.

If Haaland is not in the cards, we’ll give it a go with Greenwood and Martial at CF and hopefully keep more clean sheets with a proper DM and CB.

 

[croadyman]

RW 1st
CDM 2nd
CB 3rd
ST 4th

If the objective is to have a balanced squad.

We don’t have any quality on the Right. CDM is only Matic who doesn’t play. We then have an imbalance in our centre back partnership which probably could just be fixed with a better commanding keeper.

Our striking options. Well Cavani leaving will mean we are low on numbers. But having a Haaland or Mbappe is just a cherry on top bonus. Martial, Rashford, Greenwood and Bruno have all proved than can score a shed load of goals. We just need to change our style of play.

That would be the right order for me as well but clearly the club see it more like ST, CB, RW & DM which is nuts

 

[Mark Pawelek]

Assume the following will leave:
Eric Bailly, Paul Pogba (Contracts expire in 2022)
Edinson Cavani, Juan Mata (Contracts expire in 2021)

I would also sell or loan out Fred and Matic. I never want to see either at DM again. In addition: RW is weak or inexperienced. That's 6 positions, in this order: DM ×2, BtB, CB, CF, RW, AM. Up to 7 players. Most likely the last 2 (RW & AM) are filled by returning loanees. So 5 players are absolutely needed: DM ×2, BtB, CB, CF. I'd want to fill 2 of the positions with loanees (Saul and Rabiot). I choose that order because the spine of the team is crucial. We should get about £80m for Pogba, Lingard, and Bailly & a few others. Add on another £60m. leaving a transfer budget of £140m. More than likely United will need to bring in several loanees with options to buy. Players like Rabiot and Saul. BTW Bayern had 3 loaness in their core squad of 20 last season when they won the Champions League.

DM:
João Palhinha, Sporting ~ £15m. Only 1 year on contract remaining.
AND/OR Aurelien Tchouameni (Monaco). ~ £25m. These 2 Palhinha + Tchouameni are energetic and good defensively but their passing may be a concern.
OR Rabiot, Juventus, £7m loan with option to buy.
Camavinga (Rennes), Zakaria (Mönchengladbach) both have contracts expiring in 2022.
BtB:
Saul Niguez, Atletico, ~ £7m loan, with option to buy.
CB:
Jules Koundé, Sevilla ~ £51m
CF:
Andre Silva, Frankfurt, £35m. Good record for goals & MotM. Slight injury concern. Much better injury record than Cavani.
RW:
Romain Faivre, Brest. £20m ?
AND/OR Amad,
Pellistri + Chong (back from loans)
AM:
Hakan Çalhanoğlu, AC Milan. FREE (Bosman)
AND/OR Andreas Pereira (back from loan)

 

[red woppit]

For me we need to have a stability in the back four, so a CB with pace, awareness, ball winning capabilities and a decent pass is a must. Bailly fits most of those points, but he can occasionally switch off, as the Fulham goal showed, but the other big minus point is his fitness. I would love to see Tuanzebe get plenty of minutes, but Ole seems reluctant to give him a start. Mengi is probably 18 months away from getting some games. Lindelof is playing well, but I always worry when he's up against a tough, bullying type of striker, and I don't think he is the answer.
I can understand the reasoning behind the preferred vote for a CDM, but if we had a stable, solid back four, with pace, then we wouldn't need the McFred partnership so much (I think they've done well so far, especially last season, but they are not the long term answer).
It certainly looks like Ole really wants Haaland, but at well over £100 million, that may be a non starter, but we need someone up front to get into the box on a regular basis, as Martial doesn't appear to fit that bill.
Pellestri certainly looked good for Alaves against Atletico, and I'm sure will be given a chance in the pre season, Amad needs to get a lot of minutes on the pitch before the end of the season, then again the pre season could tell Ole a lot.
If Pogba goes, then we will need a new midfielder. Hannibal looks a cert for.me to make it, and I'm sure will get plenty of minutes next season, but probably not quite enough to step straight into Pogba's boots.

 

[edcunited1878]

Priority has to be starting XI. Regardless of manager, take that out of the equation for a moment.

The squad lacks individual quality and consistency across all layers of the pitch, which is kind of normal for all teams in CL positions. However United still woefully short at the forward line and central midfield. Part of it is team shape/tactics, but when just looking at the individual players, it's not good enough for United to make a step up to challenge a City/Chelsea/Liverpool next year, let alone win the league in years to come.

CB pairing is not balanced between Maguire and Lindelof. Even if Bailly sticks, there is no other recognized CB United can trust as Tuanzebe has been hit by injuries and has looked solid in only a few occasions this past season.

Need another pure central midfielder, doesn't matter if they are a DLP or CDM. A well-rounded, orthodox central midfielder who can push out a Fred or McTominay to pair with Pogba (if it's a double pivot) or just having a superior central midfielder paired with one of Fred or McTominay if Pogba is on the left of a diamond, left flank, or not at the club. Garner is too young, Matic is being phased out, Fred and McTominay are a very good option and very functional for the team, but their collective technical abilities and ability to pass throughout 90 minutes isn't good enough and limits the team going forward.

Which brings us to the forward line consisting of Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, and James. Amad is too young and totally unproven. Cannot rely on Greenwood to be consistent at a high quality yet, which is totally fine/fair, so Amad cannot have this pressure put on him either. Rashford has broken down the past two consecutive seasons and his backup is James. Martial and Greenwood can occupy the CF position, but who knows what to expect from Martial going into next season. Greenwood could take another step up, but he'll still need a viable backup whether it be Martial or someone else. So that leaves right wing/right forward a black hole. Preferably, United would need a supplier on the forward line to compliment Shaw, Bruno, and Pogba. A Saka type of player from the right would be fantastic for United. Allows for a natural service supplier on the highest level of the pitch (forward line) and one on the right side of the pitch as AWB, McTominay, and whoever the RF/RW isn't a genuine quality passer/creator (James or Greenwood - although both have improved a bit, moreso Greenwood).

Thing is, I can't trust United's recruitment team to identify and buy quality players without paying so far over the odds.

 

[joedirt87]

are there any old school wingers around these days or is everyone just an inverted winger. We need a major upgrade at the RW position but I don't see a modern winger working with AWB, he just doesn't offer enough in the attack. Someone who can occupy that space and draw defenses, take on defenders, whip in dangerous crosses would fit better IMO.

 

[P-Nut]

are there any old school wingers around these days or is everyone just an inverted winger. We need a major upgrade at the RW position but I don't see a modern winger working with AWB, he just doesn't offer enough in the attack. Someone who can occupy that space and draw defenses, take on defenders, whip in dangerous crosses would fit better IMO.

So Sancho then? I agree he's perfect for what we need.

 

[croadyman]

Priority has to be starting XI. Regardless of manager, take that out of the equation for a moment.

The squad lacks individual quality and consistency across all layers of the pitch, which is kind of normal for all teams in CL positions. However United still woefully short at the forward line and central midfield. Part of it is team shape/tactics, but when just looking at the individual players, it's not good enough for United to make a step up to challenge a City/Chelsea/Liverpool next year, let alone win the league in years to come.

CB pairing is not balanced between Maguire and Lindelof. Even if Bailly sticks, there is no other recognized CB United can trust as Tuanzebe has been hit by injuries and has looked solid in only a few occasions this past season.

Need another pure central midfielder, doesn't matter if they are a DLP or CDM. A well-rounded, orthodox central midfielder who can push out a Fred or McTominay to pair with Pogba (if it's a double pivot) or just having a superior central midfielder paired with one of Fred or McTominay if Pogba is on the left of a diamond, left flank, or not at the club. Garner is too young, Matic is being phased out, Fred and McTominay are a very good option and very functional for the team, but their collective technical abilities and ability to pass throughout 90 minutes isn't good enough and limits the team going forward.

Which brings us to the forward line consisting of Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, and James. Amad is too young and totally unproven. Cannot rely on Greenwood to be consistent at a high quality yet, which is totally fine/fair, so Amad cannot have this pressure put on him either. Rashford has broken down the past two consecutive seasons and his backup is James. Martial and Greenwood can occupy the CF position, but who knows what to expect from Martial going into next season. Greenwood could take another step up, but he'll still need a viable backup whether it be Martial or someone else. So that leaves right wing/right forward a black hole. Preferably, United would need a supplier on the forward line to compliment Shaw, Bruno, and Pogba. A Saka type of player from the right would be fantastic for United. Allows for a natural service supplier on the highest level of the pitch (forward line) and one on the right side of the pitch as AWB, McTominay, and whoever the RF/RW isn't a genuine quality passer/creator (James or Greenwood - although both have improved a bit, moreso Greenwood).

Thing is, I can't trust United's recruitment team to identify and buy quality players without paying so far over the odds.

The brutal truth is that a proper team looking to challenge would have both a CDM & DLP in their squad rather than just one of them, they would also not allow a key position such as RW to be neglected EIGHT years as think Nani was the last out and out one that we had, yes I know Valencia played there around that time but think he moved to RWB after 11/12. Finally a prolific number 9 would be in the priority list but certainly not above any of RW, CDM or CB but then the club see things very different to the fanbase so not surprised in the slightest.

 

[AneRu]

The brutal truth is that a proper team looking to challenge would have both a CDM & DLP in their squad rather than just one of them, they would also not allow a key position such as RW to be neglected EIGHT years as think Nani was the last out and out one that we had, yes I know Valencia played there around that time but think he moved to RWB after 11/12. Finally a prolific number 9 would be in the priority list but certainly not above any of RW, CDM or CB but then the club see things very different to the fanbase so not surprised in the slightest.

The thing with us is that we have far too much to do and so little time or more recently money committed to do it. Take last season, for example, had we signed Bruno in the summer along with AWB and Maguire we would have had a comfortable finish to the season enabling us to have fresh players for the semis that we lost.

Last summer we wasted 40m on VDB splashed another 30m on kids that we can't use. It's all good planning for the future but we all know the odds are stacked against Diallo and Pellistiri whilst Donny could possibly be sold or demand to leave. That's 80m for no direct benefit to the first team this season.

We are just not serious with recruitment and the lost chances will haunt us for a long time. This season already looks like a lost opportunity, if we had Sancho we could be fighting for the title but next season Liverpool will probably be back to their best and City will consolidate.

 

[Schmeichel's Cartwheel]

Why not all? I'd take a winger like Bowen from West Ham, make a similar signing to like City did with Ferran. He's better than Dan James and a better RW than Mason. Maybe take Pau Torres at CB, probably about £30m. Look at Zakaria from Gladbach, he's coming into the last year of his contract. We don't have to target massive names, we just need players who upgrade on what we have. We probably get those 3 for about a combined £100m, probably less if you do a Bowen/Lingard swap. Then look at the striker situation and weigh up wether making the massive Haaland bid. For me CB, DM and RW are musts. We can't blow our entire load on Sancho.

GK
AWB Maguire Torres Shaw
Zakaria
Bruno Pogba
Bowen Martial Rashford
​

No massive signings, but if that is our starting eleven on the opening day next season I'd be alright with it. The sight of "McFred" depresses me before games even begin these days. Obviously Bowen wouldn't be a nailed on starter, as Greenwood would still get games, and we could move Martial to the wing and play Cavani etc, and of course there's still Diallo to develop, but it gives us more options.

Obviously I'd love Varane, Ndidi, Sancho, Grealish and Haaland, but this aint Fifa career mode.

 

[croadyman]

Why not all? I'd take a winger like Bowen from West Ham, make a similar signing to like City did with Ferran. He's better than Dan James and a better RW than Mason. Maybe take Pau Torres at CB, probably about £30m. Look at Zakaria from Gladbach, he's coming into the last year of his contract. We don't have to target massive names, we just need players who upgrade on what we have. We probably get those 3 for about a combined £100m, probably less if you do a Bowen/Lingard swap. Then look at the striker situation and weigh up wether making the massive Haaland bid. For me CB, DM and RW are musts. We can't blow our entire load on Sancho.

GK
AWB Maguire Torres Shaw
Zakaria
Bruno Pogba
Bowen Martial Rashford
​

No massive signings, but if that is our starting eleven on the opening day next season I'd be alright with it. The sight of "McFred" depresses me before games even begin these days. Obviously Bowen wouldn't be a nailed on starter, as Greenwood would still get games, and we could move Martial to the wing and play Cavani etc, and of course there's still Diallo to develop, but it gives us more options.

Obviously I'd love Varane, Ndidi, Sancho, Grealish and Haaland, but this aint Fifa career mode.

Just the first three would be enough but like you say this is real life and not FM, surprised that it isn't a higher percentage for both CDM & RW on the poll because as many have said we need someone to provide the service to a CF

 

[theklr]

A proper RW will bring more balance and passing lanes to the team, which will indirectly also help our defensive shape.

 

[BrumTown87]

Assuming Pogba Stays:
Tier 1 (Must buy) - CDM & Striker/Attacker
Tier 2 - CB & Backup RB

If Pogba goes:
Tier 1- CDM, CM, Striker/Attacker
Tier 2- CB & Backup RB

Very realistic imo. 2 starters must be signed if we keep Pogba and 3 if we don't.

I really think CDM is very clearly much more important than CB right now.

My Ideal Somewhat Realistic summer:
In: Halaand & Rice
Approx 200 Mil

Out: Matic, Lingard, Andreas, Dalot, Jones, Mata
Approx: 40 mil

Net: 160mil

I'd sell De Gea to get this down if a good bid came in

We’re getting way more than 40 million for the out going players you listed.

To answer OP: A Striker or CB should be number one priority. Go and get Halaand.

 

[croadyman]

We’re getting way more than 40 million for the out going players you listed.

To answer OP: A Striker or CB should be number one priority. Go and get Halaand.

I agree we would get more but we won't sell all of those players anyway