Best and Worst Scenarios for Manchester United in the Rest of Transfer Window

Manchester United have enjoyed the hinterland between the Premier League season's start and the transfer window's closure.

Often a period of uncertainty, manager Jose Mourinho has benefited from what he described in his pre-match press conference ahead of the season opener against West Ham United as "75 per cent" of his intended business being done already.

And with both that opener and the subsequent trip to Swansea City resulting in 4-0 wins for the Red Devils, it would appear all is well in the camp.

No one should be getting carried away by the start, superb as it has been. West Ham looked undercooked at Old Trafford, and Swansea did cause the Red Devils some problems. It was not until United slammed on the accelerator as the Swans opened up when chasing a 2-0 deficit that the scoreline became definitive. In just over three glorious minutes, it went from a tight 1-0 affair to a blow out in United's favour.

So even with the strong start, there could perhaps be merit in a little additional business.

The actual best-case scenario would be seeing Cristiano Ronaldo finally realise the M60 is the best of all motorways and that he cannot live without it another day and simply has to move back to Manchester. Or perhaps it would be having Lionel Messi become so dispirited with whatever it is that is going on at Barcelona that somehow he decides it was all Pep Guardiola's fault for leaving in the first place and consequently opts to join forces with Mourinho to exact his revenge.

Andres Kudacki/Associated Press

But neither of those is particularly likely. We have stuck here to at least partly plausible best- and worst-case scenarios. And in the old tradition of starting with the bad news, let's get the worst-case scenario out of the way.

Worst-Case Scenario

United's squad looks pretty well covered in all areas with a good first XI and decent depth. But there are a few issues.

Goalkeeper is not one of them, with David De Gea ably deputised by Sergio Romero and Joel Pereira.

The working assumption is Luke Shaw will be back and able to fulfil Mourinho's left-back requirements.

In July, Jamie Jackson of the Guardian wrote: "Luke Shaw will be given the chance to establish himself as Manchester United’s first-choice left-back, with Jose Mourinho impressed by the defender’s attitude and determination to take on board his demands."

Assuming that is the case, then Shaw will be first choice on that flank with Daley Blind and Matteo Darmian able to cover. Antonio Valencia is the starter on the right, also covered by Darmian and a few emergency options like Ashley Young. Centre-back is well stocked, and there is no shortage of attacking midfielders and forwards who can play through the middle or out wide.

The first-choice central-midfield pairing of Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba is backed up by Ander Herrera, Andreas Pereira and Marouane Fellaini, which given Pereira's inexperience at Premier League level and Fellaini's limitations might be the area most in need of further investment in summers ahead. But it is tricky given the first-team places are taken.

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

Therefore, in spite of a couple of slightly threadbare areas of the squad, there are no serious issues.

The worst-case scenarios thus concern potential outgoings rather than a lack of potential incomings.

The De Gea-to-Real Madrid saga is in a quiet phase, but it has been a longstanding issue. Two summers ago, it went to the wire, with a deal agreed at the last minute, only to fall through because of administrative problems. It would be a disaster if it manifested itself again.

While Romero is a great second-choice 'keeper to have and acquitted himself superbly in the UEFA Europa League last term, De Gea might just be the best in the game. If United are to get back to the top—particularly if they have aspirations to compete with clubs like Madrid in the UEFA Champions League—holding on to their super stopper is a must.

The true worst-case option, fortunately, appears less likely than would perhaps have been feared before the start of the season. On Sunday, Nick Miller of the Guardian wrote:

"The summer saw speculation that Martial would be on his way, with talk that Internazionale wanted him in exchange for Ivan Perisic, or that a fresh start at Tottenham [Hotspur] might be more beneficial. But while he has not started either of United's two Premier League games this season, things are already looking more hopeful."

Assessing the precise ceiling on Martial's potential is a tough task, but whatever the dimensions, it is high. His cameo performances in the opening weeks of the season have been remarkable.

He arrived as a late substitute against West Ham, scored a goal that needed an incredible first touch to pull off and then set up another for Pogba. Against Swansea, his goal was executed with the deftest of finishes, a mid-range side-footed effort swept past the goalkeeper as if he were not a concern.

On the ball, Martial is a poet.

After the Europa League final, Mourinho told BT Sport (h/t Ryan Kelly of Goal): "There are lots of poets in football, but poets, they don't win many titles."

But even the most functional teams need an artist or two. If Martial were somehow persuaded to leave, that would be the worst-case scenario.

Best-Case Scenario

Keeping their best players is obviously vital to the best-case scenario. As is allowing them access to as much game time as possible. Bringing in a surprise superstar like Gareth Bale or Antoine Griezmann at the last minute would be huge fun, but it seems pretty unlikely to happen given the lack of chatter and because that is not what United most need.

One of the best possible moves would be an upgrade on some of the squad players. Selling Fellaini and bringing in alternative cover in central midfield would be an excellent move, particularly if Zlatan Ibrahimovic re-signs and can serve the "bring on a big man up front for the last 20 minutes" function with a good deal more aplomb than the Belgian.

Another option would be to bring in full-back cover for Valencia. Darmian did fairly well from a defensive standpoint last season. However, Juan Mata has played the first two Premier League games of the season on the right wing and drifts inside at every possible opportunity.

This works with Valencia behind him because the Ecuadorian is capable of covering the entire flank in a way Darmian can not. Valencia's history as a winger means his attacking contributions, while not exactly consistent, are at least decent. So another right-back who can attack would be a fine addition to the squad.

Dave Thompson/Associated Press

But the best-case scenario here is not related to transfers. It is about Mourinho continuing to allow United to play with the handbrake off. The 4-2-3-1 system he has used should be favoured in games against teams United expect to beat because the personnel are clearly there to make it work.

When teams sit back in numbers, United can make the breakthrough via set pieces. Then when opponents open up, the devastating counter-attacking force they have become can be unleashed.

The best-case scenario for United's season is Mourinho keeps the squad happy, keeping their confidence high and ingraining into them the notion they can live up to the billing of glorious United teams past. The squad is basically ready. It is time for them to execute.