Manchester United: 5 Moves They Should Consider Before Transfer Deadline Day

Round 1 of the 2012/2013 Premier League season is now confined to the history books, and Manchester United's pursuit of a 20th League title is officially underway.

A disappointing 1-0 defeat away to Everton has highlighted a few of the issues that face Sir Alex Ferguson in the coming season.

There are, of course, 37 games left to play, so there isn't much cause for concern.

But the squad has a few outstanding issues that I think they should address before the transfer window slams shut.

1. Spend Big on a Central Midfielder

It is clear that we have issues in central midfield. While their may not be value in the market, sometimes you have to overpay in order to get your man.

Javi Martinez would be the obvious option given his ability to cover CB. We would need to act fast given Bayern Munich are rumoured to be nearing a deal for his signature.

Another option would be Joao Moutinho. He is a player in the Paul Scholes mold. Great in possession but not afraid to put a foot in.

Either player would add stability to midfield for years to come.

A short-term option would be bringing in the much-coveted Nuri Sahin, who would be available on a year-long loan.

2. Sign Defensive Cover

If we missed out on Javi Martinez, then signing defensive cover would be important.

I for one welcomed the news this morning that United were considering a move for the experienced Frenchman Phillipe Mexes.

Fergie is not one to dive into the transfer market on a whim, but our current injury crisis adds further weight to the opinion that we are lacking in defensive cover.

Rio Ferdinand's career is winding down and he has been dogged with back issues. Nemanja Vidic is only just back from a serious knee injury.

Both Phil Jones and Chris Smalling have been somewhat injury prone since their arrival, so a cheap backup plan could be a wise move.

We also lack cover at right-back, with numerous players covering that role in recent times. Signing a right-back who can also play centre-back might be our best move.

Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa would be my preferred option given his age and ability to play right across the defence.

Montpellier won't want to sell him, but he has said himself that some offers are too good to refuse.

3. Sign Mathieu Debuchy

Signing Javi Martinez would negate the need to sign cover in central defence. In that case, signing a right-back would be the next logical move.

I highlighted Debuchy as a potential target a few weeks back and I am here to reiterate the need to sign him.

Antonio Valencia did a fine job filling in at right-back on Monday, but playing him out of position is not in our best interests.

The fact Ferguson left Rafael on the bench would indicate he is not fully sure Rafael is ready for the job of being our starting right-back.

Debuchy would provide competition and cover and free up Smalling and Jones to focus on learning their trade at centre-back.

He wants out of Lille, so with a bit of a push, we could get our man for less than £10 million.

4. Sell Nani for the Best Possible Price

I've been advocating his sale for months, and last night's inept performance has added further fuel to the fire.

He is a player who thrives when the team is in form but goes missing when the going gets tough. That might explain why he has played a combined 40 minutes in our three recent Champions League Finals.

With contract talks stalling and in the wake of rumoured interest from both Real Madrid and Zenit St. Petersburg, it could be time to call in our chips.

With our plethora of attacking options, we could use any funds raised to address our issues in central midfield.

There may even be enough left to offer and sign a talented young winger to develop.

5. Cut Our Losses with Dimitar Berbatov

The enigmatic Bulgarian is seen here training for the role he will occupy this coming season unless we find a buyer.

That's right—unless we shift the £30 million man and his £100,000-a-week contract, he won't do much more than sit on the bench.

With the multitude of attacking options, he is not needed and we would be best served cutting our losses and taking whatever we can get for him.

He will, after all, walk away for free next summer, so unless we move him, we will waste over £4 million as he sits twiddling his thumbs.