5 players Man Utd could sign this summer to make us top 4 again

Manchester United are on course to miss out on next season’s Champions League as we are down in sixth place with two games to go and three points outside of the top four.

Missing out on Europe’s elite club cup competition next season will be a huge disaster for us in terms of finance and attracting some of the top footballers in the world to sign at Old Trafford this summer.

It’s true that the squad needs another massive overhaul with a lot of dead weight currently in the squad. Here are five realistic signings Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the board could make this summer to transform us into a top four team next summer:

Toby Alderweireld

Tottenham Hotspur may be on course for a third-place finish and are in the Champions League semi-finals, but Toby Alderweireld hasn’t put pen to paper over a new deal in North London. The 30-year-old has a clause in his contract that allows him to leave on the cheap this summer too.

He’s been one of the most consistent centre-backs in the Premier League over the past three years and only 12 months ago did we show strong interest in bringing the Belgian international to Old Trafford. I wouldn’t say it’s out of the question that we could sign Alderweireld over the summer. He’d automatically be an upgrade on every defender we currently have.

Ibrahim Sangare

The 20-year-old continues to make a name for himself in France’s Ligue 1 with Toulouse and it’s just a matter of time before Ibrahim Sangare gets his big break. With Nemanja Matic turning 31 over the summer and looking far short of the player he used to be, we simply have to upgrade and get fresher legs in at holding midfield this  summer.

It’s difficult to predict who’s going to be the next N’Golo Kante, but all of our top four competitors have an excellent player in this position. Sangare has the attributes to be just that – he’s tall, powerful and energetic in front of the back four. Hopefully Ole will have a look at him before a major European club snaps him up either this summer or next.

Nicolas Pepe

The 20-goal right winger is having an excellent season with Lille but is widely-expected to leave this summer. As well as his goals, Nicolas Pepe also has 11 assists in his 34 Ligue 1 appearances this season. And with no realistic chance of winning the French top flight at his current club, a big money move could happen for the 23-year-old this summer.

We’ve tried Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and other players down the right wing but nothing has stuck for us over the past couple of seasons. It’s time we threw some money at it. Pepe is one of the most exciting players in France right now and brings pace and a goal threat down the wing – something we are lacking in this area.

Kai Havertz

Germany have a wealth of talent coming through their ranks currently and Bayer 04 Leverkusen central midfielder Kai Havertz is one of those. The 19-year-old is having a sensational season at the Bundesliga outfit, scoring 14 goals and assisting three more in his 31 league appearances.

It’s just a matter of time before Bayern Munich get their hands on him unless a club like Manchester United make a move for him over the next couple of months. With Paul Pogba not delivering the goods, could Ole Gunnar Solskjaer take a risk a make a move for the teenage sensation who could become a regular German international for years to come?

Djibril Sidibe

Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia are both 33 years old. The former is a winger by trade, but has been a regular starting full-back for us for the past two seasons, the latter has been injured for the most of this season. Diogo Dalot was signed last summer but neither Jose Mourinho nor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have given him much of a chance.

If the manager wants an established right-back then he only has to look to AS Monaco’s Djibril Sidibe. With the 2017 Ligue 1 champions narrowly above the relegation zone it won’t be too difficult to sign any of their players this summer. At 26 years of age, Sidibe has many years left in the game and this summer may be the best time to buy him.