Manchester United: Predicting a Best XI to Win the 2020 Premier League

The future is nearly impossible to predict. How many people would have predicted two years ago that Manchester United's most consistent striker would be a then 21-year-old Mexican striker no one in Europe had ever heard of when both Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov were in the squad?

With annual personnel turnarounds and hundreds of millions of pounds spent each summer to keep up with the never-ending pace of success, this is an incredibly difficult proposition to consider.

We don't know how players will turn out, heck we don't even know who'll be manager in nine years time, but nevertheless here's my best guess as to what Manchester United's team will look like come the year 2020.

Goalkeeper

Current Situation: David De Gea has been handed the reins after the retirement of Edwin Van Der Sar but has been horrific in his first two appearances. Anders Lindegaard is the backup but is already 27.

Prediction: Despite his failings, you'd like to think a £15 million goalkeeper would mature into his role eventually. The Spaniard will be 29 in 2020, entering his prime.

Right Back

Current Situation: Rafael looks set to start for United once he returns from injury, with Chris Smalling deputising at the moment.

Prediciton: Rafael will be 30 by 2020 and should be an established leader of the team by that point.

Centre Back

Current Situation: Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand are the established partnership and have been for a number of years, Vidic being the best defender in the Premier League.

There's good depth at the position with Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Johnny Evans all biding their time.

Prediction: Both Vidic and Ferdinand will be retired by 2020. However, Sir Alex Ferguson has made this a pretty simple decision with Jones and Smalling set to take over as the first choices once the current two depart.

Left Back

Current Situation: Patrice Evra is one of the best left backs in Europe and has the other Da Silva brother, Fabio, playing currently with the Frenchman out through injury.

Prediciton: Evra just turned 30 and therefore won't be around come the end of the decade. Fabio was superb against West Brom in attack and come 2020 should be the all-round package.

Right Midfield

Current Situation: Nani is the most explosive threat at present but Antonio Valencia is a better all-round player and is often preferred for the big games.

Prediction: Nani relies on his explosiveness and speed but will be 33 in 2020; I have a hard time believing he'll still be in the conversation. Valencia is already 26 so he won't be at Old Trafford either.

A new signing is the best bet here.

Centre Midfield

Current Situation: Michael Carrick is as close to a regular as there is at the moment. Anderson has yet to fully impress and Ryan Giggs plays sparsely and is rested for the big games. Tom Cleverley has risen to prominence since his promotion to the first team.

Prediction: Cleverley is only 22 and should be an established veteran by 2020, Carrick will be retired, and Giggs may have died of old age. The Anderson experiment will likely have waned thin by that point.

I'd guess Cleverley's partner would come from outside the club at the moment.

Left Midfield

Current Situation: Ashley Young was scintillating against West Brom and Park Ji Sung is liked in big games for his temperament and work ethic.

Prediction: As great as Young has been, he'll be 35 in 2020 and it's hard to say he'll still be present when that time comes. Park will be long gone.

If not Young, then the solution will most likely come from outside.

Strikers

Current Situation: Wayne Rooney is United's talisman and Javier Hernandez has become his partner in goal-scoring crime. Danny Welbeck is a raw talent; meanwhile Dimitar Berbatov now has his own personalised seat on the bench.

Prediction: Berbatov will be gone and this is where it gets very interesting.

Rooney will be 34 and I'm gonna go out on a limb and say he's still there as captain and a legend in his final few years at the club.

Hernandez, however, is 23 and so will be 32 come 2020. For someone who relies so much on speed and acceleration as he does, it's hard to say he'll still be the same threat once he begins to age; just look at Michael Owen.

I'll predict that Hernandez will either have left on good terms to see out the twilight of his career elsewhere or will be a reliable substitute. Probably the former. If that's the case Rooney's partner would be a then-29-year-old Welbeck; however, he may have left by that point to play regular first-team football.

In that case the new signing would most likely come via a new signing.