By Daily Sports Nigeria on April 6, 2022

Manchester United are gearing up for a summer of substantial change both on and off the pitch.

With interim manager Ralf Rangnick set to move into a consultancy role, the Premier League side are in hot pursuit of a new boss with Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino among the frontrunners to take the top job on a permanent basis.

Whoever is in the dugout next term is likely to oversee a notable overhaul of the first team squad with two star players in particular facing huge scrutiny over their futures.

Paul Pogba is one man who looks increasingly likely to leave the club this summer, which is something former striker Wayne Rooney said should happen.

The France midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season, and with no extension agreed and Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Barcelona said to be keen, it means a replacement could be needed.

Cristiano Ronaldo is another who could be set for a busy few months.

The Portuguese star has enjoyed a strong season for United, but with the Red Devils currently on track to miss out on a spot in the Champions League next term, speculation has been building over Ronaldo’s plans as he looks to squeeze every ounce of potential out of the remaining years of his career.

That means that changes could be afoot in two key areas of the team.

With two key areas likely to be the priority, United could see a largely similar side to this term.

Goalkeeper David de Gea, along with defenders Diogo Dalot, Harry Maguire, Raphael Varane and Alex Telles have seemingly been the club’s most popular choice in recent weeks, meaning they’ll be in contention to start to the season.

With Pogba likely to move on, supporters could see a new face playing in central midfield alongside Scott McTominay or Fred.

Rangnick has already identified the type of player needed as he sees a lack of physicality the problem.

“Whenever there was body contact, we were too often we were second best,” he said after the 1-1 draw with Leicester. “This is something we have to get better at for the rest of this season but even more so for the next season.”

West Ham talisman Declan Rice has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford, however a potential fee of £150million could make a move difficult to pull off.

Kalvin Phillips of Leeds United and Monaco’s Aurélien Tchouaméni have also been linked, with both players potentially more cost-effective solutions in the middle of the park.

Bruno Fernandes has signed a new contract and looks set to be a vital player next term, while Jadon Sancho and Anthony Elanga are starting to find their feet and look like players who could be  long-term options for the club in wide attacking areas.

In attack, things get a little bit interesting.

Should Ronaldo leave the club, United will need to bring in a marquee addition to lead the line.

Harry Kane has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, with The Athletic claiming the attacker would be open to the move with a reported asking price of around £100million.

Patrik Schick, Darwin Nunez and Alexander Isak have also been linked with a move, something that could be pursued given that Edinson Cavani also looks set to leave Old Trafford.

Source FlashSport

Posted April 6, 2022

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