Manchester United are prepared to splash the cash this summer with new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe giving the green light for major squad investment.
As Mail Sport revealed on Thursday, the billionaire Ineos owner is willing to spend big on new signings so United can challenge for major silverware once again.
The club are no longer in danger of breaching the Premier League‘s Profit and Sustainability Rules [PSR], the main reason they didn’t move for anyone in January.
With United’s income rising considerably and a mass clear-out of players anticipated, all calculations suggest they’ll have a considerable PSR buffer zone for the summer.
The main areas of Erik ten Hag‘s squad to be strengthened are expected to be at centre-forward, in central midfield and at centre-back.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said there will be money for Man United to spend on new players
That will come as music to the ears of manager Erik ten Hag as he looks to improve United
Man United’s finances will be eased with Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane’s deals ending
Jadon Sancho is among the loanees Man United are seeking to cash in on during the summer
Marcus Rashford has attracted interest from PSG with Kylian Mbappe leaving the French side
Mason Greenwood could be sold despite Ratcliffe vowing to review his position in the summer
Striker Anthony Martial will leave on a a free transfer, saving £275,000-a-week on the wage bill, while £340,000-a-week defender Raphael Varane may also leave.
One of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof are likely to be made available for transfer in the summer, while midfielder Casemiro’s Old Trafford future is uncertain.
Another forward, Marcus Rashford, has also attracted interest from Paris Saint-Germain as a potential replacement for Kylian Mbappe, while Mason Greenwood may also be sold.
So who should United be targeting? We take a look at some of the candidates in the three positions.
CENTRE FORWARD
United broke the bank when they paid £72million to sign 21-year-old striker Rasmus Hojlund from Atalanta last summer.
It was a big gamble, even if the Dane is now starting to deliver the goods with goals in his last six Premier League outings.
The youngster can’t do it all, however, and Martial’s injury issues and inconsistent form means he isn’t really a suitable back-up striker.
United’s issue is that ideally they’d sign a forward with plenty of…