SANCHO’S arrival is exciting but Solskjaer needs more if he’s to compete.
Manchester United have had an interest in Jadon Sancho for at least a year, and over the next few weeks, are expected to finally complete his transfer from Borussia Dortmund.
A fee of around £73million (€85m) is close to being agreed between United and the German side, with only the final structure of the deal and instalments left to finalise.
It has been a frustrating Euro 2020 tournament for Sancho, 21, who has not started a single match despite recording 17 goals and 15 assists for Dortmund last season.
This has forced many pundits in Germany to question why he has not featured more during the tournament for his country.
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Sancho will be added to a list of attacking players that could really cause some damage in the Premier League next season.
Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood are all waiting to play alongside Sancho.
And it provides United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with an array of attacking talent we have not seen since Sir Alex Ferguson’s glory days at the club.
Sancho provides natural width, pace, but more importantly assists, and an eye for goal.
He is the typical wide forward who will be expected to take United onto another level and close the gap on Manchester City.
Such are United’s shortcomings in other positions, the fear amongst some fans is that Sancho’s arrival will be a great and welcome addition.
However, if a central defender or central midfielder is not added as well, then Solskjaer’s United might struggle once again to win a trophy or mount a serious title challenge.
The central defensive area is one United should be looking at with equal urgency.
The team’s defence was sloppy and caught out on with increasing regularity last campaign – and the opposition knew they could easily cause United’s brittle back four problems.
Raphaël Varane’s long-term future is clouded in uncertainty, and his experience would be a welcome addition next to Harry Maguire.
The Frenchman was on Ferguson’s transfer list of defenders in 2011 but opted for Real Madrid instead of a move to the North-West of England.
Varane’s French teammate Jules Koundé has also been linked, but is the favourite to replace Varane should he leave the Spanish giants.
The other name heavily linked is Villarreal’s central defender Pau Torres, who capped a fine season with a victory against United in the Europa League final.
If Varane is out of reach, the young Spaniard could be the one United turn to.
In front of the back four, Fred and Scott McTominay have been Solskjaer’s “go to” men but neither have the necessary quality whilst in possession.
Rennes Eduardo Camavinga is being chased by United and Paris Saint-Germain.
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And if United could get a deal over the line for the youngster alongside Sancho and Varane or Torres, then United might have a fighting chance next season.
If it’s Sancho and very little else arrives, you’d expect United to fall further behind City and an improving Chelsea team under Thomas Tuchel.
We wait and see if the Glazer family are truly serious about making United great again on the pitch.
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