Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Talks Manchester United Summer Transfer Plans

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said he will be looking for players with a "certain kind of attitude" when he enters the transfer market to rebuild the Manchester United squad this summer.

He acknowledged that United fans "want to see exciting players," and added the club are assessing the transfer market to find targets who will fit well at the club.

United finished sixth in the Premier League in 2018-19. Other than a superb period of form in the two months after Solskjaer succeeded Jose Mourinho as manager in December, they were largely awful, and a major rebuild is clearly needed if the Red Devils are to become title challengers once again.

In recent years, the Manchester club's transfer policy has seemed erratic, with a number of big-money signings made without any real consideration given to where they will fit in the system.

Solskjaer recently said United will no longer necessarily be looking for "ready-made stars," and he has now told MUTV's Helen Evans what kind of players he will be seeking out:

"We’ve touched upon it [before]. We've tried to educate our players and our kids to be proper people. In my years, the best players have always been the best people. You have to have that value system—do you say that? A certain kind of attitude about you to make a Manchester United player.

"You have got to have qualities and our fans want to see exciting players. We want to get up from our seats. You see defenders who defend, like that’s their life, that’s the most important thing. When we go to press with Jesse [Lingard] and Marcus [Rashford], in the games against Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Chelsea, when we start these games, our fans clap a striker making a tackle.

"That’s the way it’s been and in our culture. You have to have that work ethic and we’re scouting the market trying to find the right ones."

There are a number of areas in which United need to improve for next season.

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They need a new right-back, as Antonio Valencia is set to leave the club this summer and Ashley Young is 33 and an increasingly inconsistent performer.

A new centre-back or two would also be helpful as Victor Lindelof needs a permanent partner with the likes of Eric Bailly, Phil Jones and Chris Smalling continuing to disappoint.

Meanwhile, some added potency in attack would be beneficial as Alexis Sanchez has failed to make his mark since moving to Old Trafford from Arsenal.

To that end, the Red Devils have been linked with Daniel James, Swansea City's young attacker who impressed in the Championship in 2018-19:

Solskjaer is unlikely to be able to solve all United's problems in a single transfer window. But if he can introduce a coherent recruitment plan, the club will have a chance of eventually rejoining the top table of English and European football.