Manchester United have had a good first half to the season after their £220 million spending spree. They are currently three points behind fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League standings with a game in hand and are outsiders in sports betting with Betway and other bookmakers to finish in the top four. The club have also qualified for the next phase of the Europa League and Carabao Cup.
Despite the impressive progress, betting on United has been harder than usual – the club’s performances remain erratic ad unpredictable with the squad still needing surgery.
The club’s hierarchy must spend during the January transfer window to ensure that the Red Devils qualify for next season’s Champions League as well as end their trophy drought which has now extended for a sixth year.
A versatile forward should be the prime priority after Cristiano Ronaldo’s exit. PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo has been constantly linked with the club since the summer. The Red Devils may finally get their hands on the 23-year-old, who has been a revelation for club and country this term.
The Dutchman has bagged 13 goals and 17 assists from just 24 outings for PSV this campaign. For the Netherlands, he has been their stand-out player at the ongoing World Cup with three goals thus far. United could prise him away from PSV for around £50 million.
Gakpo has generally played on the left wing at club level while operating in the number 10 or second striker roles for his country. However, the 23-year-old is keen on playing as a striker for United. He could make the position his own if he can deliver immediate results.
Aside from an attacker, United could prioritise a new right-back with Aaron Wan-Bissaka having failed to impress manager Erik ten Hag. The 25-year-old’s lack of offensive threat has limited him to just four minutes of competitive footballing action this season.
If he were to leave the club in January, the focus could be on landing the highly-rated Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen. The 21-year-old has eight goal contributions in 21 outings this term and would be a strong candidate to compete with Diogo Dalot.
A creative central midfielder could be another target for United. Christian Eriksen has been fabulous since his arrival on a free transfer. The Dane has bagged one goal and six assists in 20 outings, but Ten Hag may still want another quality signing for regular rotation.
Leicester City’s Youri Tielemans could be a tempting option for January. The Foxes were holding out for £40m earlier in the summer but could accept a knockdown fee this winter. The Midlands outfit would not want to lose the Belgian for nothing when his contract expires in June.
In our view, United should pursue a versatile forward, a right-back and a central midfielder next month. The acquisition of three quality signings in January would significantly boost their chances of finishing in the top four as well as end their prolonged wait for major silverware.
Stats from Transfermarkt.com
