It would seem that Shinji Kagawa is a signing that will happen sooner rather than later for Manchester United and the Japanese star will bring the ingenuity that was so sorely lacking from United’s midfield last campaign. However, the man from Dortmund must be the first signing but by no means the last this Summer.
United ended up trophyless last season but deserve a huge amount of credit for the way they performed in the Premier League. To finish second only on goal difference to Manchester City was a remarkable achievement considering the strength of the opposition, the incredible number of injuries that United suffered and also they were a young squad in transition. The 2011/12 season was by no means a disaster in the Premier League. There are clearly areas that are weak about the United squad though and these weaknesses were exposed horribly in the Champions League last season.
The midfield must be a big concern for Sir Alex Ferguson. Having failed to capture Wesley Sneijder last Summer, for the first 6 months of the season his midfield was totally devoid of flair and inspiration. Having started the season brilliantly, Tom Cleverley and Anderson were hit by season long injury issues and Darren Fletcher was also missing for the majority of the campaign with his illness. This left only Michael Carrick as an out and out central midfielder and the former Tottenham man had a fantastic season. The return of Paul Scholes in Janaury brought the passing and control back to Uniteds game and his signing for another year is great news for United.
What the midfield lacks however is real bite. There is no aggression in the tackle in the centre of midfield and this lets United down in the big games. The perfect solution to this problem for me is Kevin Strootman. The Dutch international from PSV Eindhoven has been linked with United and possesses the ability to tackle as well as pass and shoot. That is a rare quality. Whether Strootman is the man or not, the midfield at Old Trafford needs an aggressive edge that has been missing since the days of Keane.
Another key area of concern are the two full-back roles. Evra’s form has dipped in the last couple of years and needs competition at least in the left back role. Leighton Baines would appear to be the frontrunner in the thoughts of the Old Trafford hierarchy and would certainly represent a left back who can defend and attack in equal measure. Other names that have been mentioned in the press are Jordi Alba and Aly Cissokho. Both of these names are predominantly attack-minded full backs and this may not be suitable for the role at Old Trafford where someone with strong defensive skills would be preferred.
Right back is similarly problematic. Rafael is the only genuine right back in the squad and Ferguson resorted to using the likes of Antonio Valencia, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones out of position last season. The problem at right back is that there aren’t any outstanding candidates out there at the moment. Perhaps the best choice may be Gregory van der Wiel who has been linked with Chelsea. There are other options such as Mathieu Debuchy from Lille. However I would suggest that United could do worse that Jose Bosingwa on a free having been released by Chelsea. The Portuguese always looked frail defensively when he first arrived at Stamford Bridge but showed in the latter stages of this season that he is a very capable defender. So while United have a problem at Right back, the solution is far from clear cut.
While United have a number of players to play the Centre back role, now seems a good time to look to the future. Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic are now in their thirties and both have injury concerns. It is likely that Ferguson will want to get in a top class centre back as Jonny Evans and Chris Smalling may never be absolutely top drawer and Phil Jones continues to look like a fish out of water.
For Manchester United to reclaim top spot in the Premier League, more experience and the odd tweak to the squad here and there may well be enough to bring the crown back to Old Trafford. In Europe however United need to address the key areas in the defence, at full back and at centre back, as well as adding a central defensive midfielder to make them competitive in the Champions League once again.
