Manchester United Transfers: Who Should Be United's Highest Transfer Priority?

Hosting a dynamic blend of youth, experience and class, Manchester United's current squad is truly phenomenal and destined for unparalleled achievements.

Despite a fair share of injuries,  Sir Alex Ferguson has still managed to maintain an effective team able to crush any opposition. And he's meticulously assembled and developed a team capable of challenging the hegemony of Barcelona. 

United have two phenomenal keepers in David De Gea and Anders Lindegaard. In front of both, United have equally capable defenders. Next season, Nemanja Vidic will be free from injury, which by all accounts is the best "transfer" that United can hope for. 

This season, Jonny Evans has experienced an exponential growth in defensive solidity and will no doubt be keen to usher in the Evans-Vidic era—much like the Ferdinand-Vidic era of yesteryear.

Furthermore, there are bright prospects like Phil Jones, Chris Smalling, Rafael and seasoned veterans like Patrice Evra.

Moving onto the midfield, United have in the center position a host of options—Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick and Tom Cleverly.

The genius of Scholes has never been questioned, while Carrick, having been undermined by the faithful for years, has finally garnered the support and respect he truly deserves. This season, Carrick has been one of the essential pivots through which almost all play has been channeled.

His passing, vision and all around play is now universally admired, and he will be crucial to United's success for several years more. 

Also, one of the biggest and brightest up-and-coming talents is Tom Cleverley.

Why buy Wesley Sneijder when you already have a Sneijder in the making? People seem to forget how influential Cleverley was during the start of the high-flying United season. On account of his splendid performances, he even got an England call-up. 

For the price tag, wages and declining age of Sneijder, he seems to be an option not worth considering. I would imagine him to be a hindrance to the development of other players.

And don't forget next season United will have Anderson and Darren Fletcher at their disposition. 

After having the same level of criticism levelled against him, Darren Fletcher, like Carrick, has started to show his class. Anderson is also recuperating and is expected to be back by the end of the month. Anderson signifies one player who has made leaps and bounds in ability and is going to be a crucial player like Roy Keane.

In addition—with the likes of Ryan Giggs, Luis Nani, Ashely Young and United's player of the season, Antonio Valencia, operating on the flanks—it is scary how much width United players provide to the team. 

Upfront, Wayne Rooney leads the charge with two stupendous deputies in Javier "Chicarito" Hernandez and Danny Welbeck. All of these three players are equally capable of registering their name on the score-sheet, and their seemingly young age means they will only exhibit exponential growth. 

Nonetheless, having said all of this, a few marquee signings are a must if they do indeed intend to compete in Europe this year. That third, elusive Champions League trophy must be in the back of Fergie's mind, having come so close in 2009 and 2011. 

There are two areas that would need to be bolstered to give United that competitive edge over other heavyweights like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. 

One is the left-back position. Let's face it: once heralded as one of the greatest left backs in the world, Patrice Evra is not getting any younger. And despite having had a few good games under his belt in recent games, he can become a liability.

A world-class, young left-back will allow United an extra edge in the final third of the opponent's half, while also having ample energy to track back and defend.

If you've observed Rafael in the past few weeks, you must have noticed how much he contributes in attack, yet makes crucial tackles and interceptions. He supports Valencia with high efficiency, and when Valencia is man-marked frees himself and can collect the ball and put in incisive passes into the box.

While Evra was highly competent at doing this, I think there is only downhill from here for the Frenchman. Also Fabio, as recent reports have indicated, will be out on loan next season. 

Someone like Jordi Alba would fit the bill perfectly. 

A quality full-back is very difficult to come by, but securing such a service means there are no headaches for several years. If you look at Arsenal, until the recent return of Bacary Sagna, the full-back position was completely exploited by opposition. 

Given Tottenham Hotspur's recent struggles, perhaps Benoit Assou-Ekotto might be pried away from White Hart Lane. If Spurs fail to make the cut for the Champions League, a mass exodus might follow, given the fact that Harry Redknapp might take up the England job. 

In addition, an attacking-central midfielder would be a welcome addition. Sometimes, a certain level of panache goes missing from the United midfield, and any world-class addition would do wonders. 

If it were up to me, I would have my eye on Luka Modric. As aforementioned, they are having a pretty awful run of form currently. 

If Tottenham manage to slip further, and Chelsea or Newcastle United manage to close in and take hold of the lucrative Champions League spot, the Spurs dressing room will be in disarray. 

In such a scenario, it would be an opportune moment to bid for Luka Modric, the dynamic Croatian midfielder. 

Modric is at the prime of his career and would fit in perfectly with the United squad, settling in where Paul Scholes used to and still plays.

However, if Tottenham manage to regain some form and extend the rift, they will hold on to one of their star players at all costs.

In such a case, other viable options might be Eden Hazard, Nicolas Gaitan or Christian Eriksen. All these players are young, dynamic and have already demonstrated that they are another mold. 

In conclusion, I think that there is very little United need to do this summer, but it would be essential to buy players to fill these two positions. Other requirements will be deemed surplus and unnecessary. 

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