Best and Worst Moves Manchester United Could Make in the Transfer Window
Manchester United have not done a great deal of business in the January transfer window in recent seasons. Manager Jose Mourinho was in charge of the selling club, Chelsea, when United bought Juan Mata in January 2014, and since then it has all been pretty quiet.
Received wisdom is that business is better done in the summer, when it can be thoroughly planned and players can have full pre-seasons with their new clubs. But in truth, January provides opportunities as much as threats to a canny club.
Let's take a look at what United's best and worst options might be once Christmas has come and gone.
Best: Sign Antoine Griezmann
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Let's start the show with a show-stopper. United should bite the bullet and sign Antoine Griezmann in January. This is the exact kind of high-profile move that hardly happens in the winter transfer window, but now is the time to make a bold statement as an exception to the rule.
United's squad could be on the cusp of greatness. A side built around Paul Pogba with an impressive supporting cast is almost ready to be something special. But as games during Pogba's injury-enforced absence showed, there is still something not quite right. Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku have a great deal of potential as an attacking triumvirate, but the creativity around them has been limited.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan's form has swung so wildly since his arrival at United in the summer of 2016 that it seems hard to imagine relying on him. Juan Mata has had a fine career at the club, but the number of games in which he has been the key creative force since his arrival can be counted on one person's fingers and toes. Jesse Lingard is a great squad player and is capable of moments of magic, but Griezmann would be an upgrade on all of them.
He stayed at Atletico Madrid in the summer out of loyalty after the club's transfer ban was upheld, but his season has been something of a bust. There is no need to wait until the summer. United should activate his release clause—which the Daily Telegraph's James Ducker reports to be £87 million—in January.
Worst: Do Nothing
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Things are clearly going much better at United than they have done in a while. There have been three trophies in two seasons—not counting the FA Community Shield—and the side are second in the Premier League table. If they can hold on to that position, or even if they drop down one spot, it would be their best finish since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Under Mourinho's charge, the squad has considerably improved. But the work is clearly not done yet, and the transfer window system means there are limited opportunities to make improvements.
Barring a mathematically improbable disaster, United will still be in the UEFA Champions League come the turn of the year, may well still be in the Carabao Cup and will be ready for another run at the FA Cup. On top of that, they are in a position to capitalise should Pep Guardiola's incredible Manchester City side start to falter in the league.
There is dead weight to be shifted—more on that later—and there are positions in the squad that need improvement. Doing nothing would be a waste of opportunity. It would also be the worst mistake United could make in January.
Best: Seriously Investigate the Possibility of Signing Mesut Ozil
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Mesut Ozil has been seriously linked with a move to United, with Samuel Luckhurst of Manchester Evening News reporting the German is interested in joining the club.
It seems almost fanciful to imagine it could happen, particularly midseason, but if Ozil's contract situation is not resolved—his deal expires at the end of the campaign—Arsenal might decide to earn some money from his departure.
Ozil played the best football of his career under Mourinho at Real Madrid, and if—and it is a big if—the manager thinks he could work in his United setup, then this would be a gamble well worth taking. Nemanja Matic's performance since joining in the summer has been a testament to that line of thinking.
The received wisdom around Ozil seems to be that he has not been having a good season, though he has hit some form of late. Still, he is still averaging more key passes per 90 minutes than any Premier League player with at least three appearances to their name. It is a remarkable statistic and one that suggests Ozil might seriously contribute to an uptick in United's creativity were he to arrive in January.
Worst: Settle for Mediocre
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With apologies to Matteo Darmian for using him to illustrate this concept, between Ferguson's departure and Mourinho's arrival in May 2016, United have had a problem with signing players who are not quite up to the required standard.
Many have already come and gone—a past-his-prime Bastian Schweinsteiger, a not-ready-for-prime-time Memphis Depay, a stuttering Morgan Schneiderlin. The list goes on.
And some remain. Daley Blind is a useful squad player but not cut out for regular first-team football in a Mourinho side. Darmian struggles with anything in the opposition half. These are the kind of players who have hamstrung United's ability to compete at the highest level. Good enough is not good enough despite the pressure to take some action in the transfer market.
Best: Sign a Back-Up Right-Back
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Antonio Valencia needs more support. If he gets injured or needs a rest, then the choices to replace him are Darmian or an even-more-out-of-position Ashley Young. It is not a good look.
There are players who could be drafted into the position in an emergency, but signing a proper rotation option for Valencia should be a high priority in January.
Worst: Sleep on the Left-Back Situation
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On the other side of the pitch, the solution is less clear. But the problem is obvious. While Young may have played out of his skin against Watford on Tuesday evening, there is a need for a more permanent solution in the role.
Luke Shaw has hardly been seen all season. Blind has had his share of run-outs there. As has Darmian. But no one has consistently convinced. Young has been the best of an average bunch. He would be a great second choice, but United need a better go-to guy.
Should Mourinho sell a couple of his poor-quality options and bring someone in? Possibly. What is clear, though, is United's second half of the season will be hampered if the status quo, with its uncertainty and fundamental lack of quality, remains intact.
Shaw's rehabilitation might be the best possible option, but hoping for that feels like Charlie Brown hoping Lucy will let him kick the football. The worst-case scenario is they continue muddling along as things are.
Best: Recall Andreas Pereira
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If United do sign either Ozil or Griezmann, this one becomes a little redundant. But assuming those kind of high-profile moves are off the table, then the club could do a lot worse than recall Andreas Pereira from his loan at Valencia.
The 21-year-old has made five starts and six substitute appearances in La Liga this term. The 461 minutes of action he has had is probably a good deal more than he would have got at United. Mourinho was disappointed with the youngster's decision to spend his season in Spain rather than stay at the club, per Rob Dawson of ESPN FC, but it has probably been a smart move.
He has a goal and three assists, playing mostly out wide rather than in the central-midfield role he ended up playing during last season's loan spell at Granada. But he is an all-rounder, and United could do with his guile and skill in the second half of the campaign. He would probably get plenty of football given how many fronts United are fighting on—assuming Mourinho is in forgiving mood.
Worst: Ignore the Midfield
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This is the big one in terms of problem areas. Beyond Pogba and Matic, United's midfield options are a shambles.
Ander Herrera has been a shell of his former self this season. Marouane Fellaini is useful but should not be starting many games in the centre of the park. Michael Carrick's health problems mean he will presumably play a limited part, and Scott McTominay has been impressive under the circumstances but remains untested at the highest levels.
In November, we discussed the possibility of United signing Sevilla's Steven N'Zonzi, and he remains a good potential acquisition. Whether they sign someone or promote someone from the academy, United need to deepen their bench in the centre of the park.
Advanced data per WhoScored.com.
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