There’s just over a month to go until the 2021-22 Premier League season gets underway, and excitement will soon start to build ahead of what promises to be a hugely exciting campaign. It’s hard to predict which team is going to lift the Premier League trophy, with the football betting at Betfair suggesting that a number of teams are going to push defending champions Manchester City close this season.
One of those teams hoping to close the gap is Manchester United, who finished second last season, but still some 12 points behind City. Ole Gunnar Solskjær has already splashed the cash to bring Jadon Sancho to the club, and if rumours are to be believed, there could be further additions to come as United seek to plug the gaps in their team. Read on, as we look at a few of the players linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer.
Raphaël Varane
One of the most widely reported transfer targets for Manchester United is Raphaël Varane, who is likely to leave Real Madrid this summer. It’s unclear how much cash United would have to part with to secure the signature of Varane, but he is the kind of big-ticket signing that would really excite supporters ahead of the new campaign.
Varane’s defensive quality goes without saying, although it must be noted that he struggled at times in France’s disappointing Euro 2020 campaign. Having never played in England before, there would need to be a bedding-in period for the Frenchman, and patience would be required from United’s staff and supporters were he to make the move from the Spanish capital. He’s been a stellar performer for Real Madrid for many years now, and there’s no doubt that he would be a quality acquisition for the Old Trafford club.
Eduardo Camavinga
There has been speculation over Paul Pogba’s future at Manchester United this summer, with Paris Saint-Germain apparently preparing to make a bid. If Pogba were to leave the club, then Stade Rennais youngster Eduardo Camavinga could be a perfect replacement.
The Frenchman has the world at his fingertips, with plenty of big clubs circling around the 18-year-old in the hopes of landing his signature. He’s a talented midfielder and has really made his mark on Ligue 1 since breaking into the team. Pogba has been a divisive figure at Old Trafford, and his potential departure could beckon in a new starlet to the red half of Manchester.
Joachim Andersen
Should United fail in their pursuit of Varane, Joachim Andersen is another centre-half who has been linked with a move to the club. Having impressed at Fulham last season, albeit in a campaign which ended with relegation to the Championship, Andersen has courted a lot of interest from Premier League clubs this summer.
At 25 years of age, the Danish defender still has his best years ahead of him, and Solskjær’s Scandinavian links could play an important role in attracting him to Manchester United. While Andersen is not quite of the same calibre of Varane, he would be a suitable alternative should United miss out on the Frenchman’s signature.