Man United have secured a Champions League spot for the upcoming season and if things do not break down over the next two matches then they should also be able to finish second on the Premier League table, behind Manchester City.
Second spot will be good enough for this Man United team but the reality is that they are nowhere close to competing with their local rivals, domestically or in Europe.
Manchester City are currently leaps and bounds ahead of Manchester United and the cracks in the United team were visible once again as they lost to Leicester City and then Liverpool in the very same weak.
The absence of Harry Maguire has opened up a gaping hole in defence and according to Rio Ferdinand, his former club should make signing a centre-back their priority in the summer.
BT Sport recently, as quoted: “I think Manchester United’s prime position for them to strengthen, to really improve and become a team who can compete, is centre-back.
“To get a partner for Harry Maguire who you go ‘actually every week he produces, he’s there’. At the moment there’s too many players, especially centre-forwards, who probably are looking when they get in the tunnel and are thinking, ‘I’ve got a chance here. I think I can smell a chance.’
“Whereas the teams who do really well, [Ruben] Dias and [John] Stones at the back at the moment in the past four or five months, teams are looking at them and thinking it’s going to be very difficult for me today.
“I don’t think they get that feeling right now when they play against the centre-backs at Manchester United.”
Man United have been linked with a few central defenders over the past couple of months but Mark Lawrenson believes the Old Trafford outfit needs not one but three more world-class players to make it click next season.
He said, as reported: “You’re not going to win the league that way (coming from behind all the time). But I think it just, it shows that the best part of Manchester United’s team is from midfield going forward, and they’ve got so many talented players in both departments.
“And, you know, even though defensively they have improved, I’m still not convinced about Lindelof. I think the jury’s out a little bit on the goalkeeper, as well, because he’s not the come under any real immense pressure.
“So, I think they probably need three players Manchester United, we all sit here and go, ‘Oh they need this, and they need that’ but I think they probably need three players. And I think you know, then they’ve got a really, really good chance (of winning the league).”
Fred has been really poor in central midfield so Man United will need to bring in a proper long-term replacement for the Brazilian and they are also out in the market scouting for a top-class centre-forward.
The names of Harry Kane and Erling Haaland have popped up many times but the problem for Ole is that even Manchester City have eyes on these strikers and at this point in time, it’s hard for any player to reject a chance to play for Pep Guardiola.
