Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now the permanent Manchester United manager, and it means that he has some big decisions ahead.
As Man United showed in 2016, the club can attract some of the world’s biggest stars whether it is in the UEFA Champions League or not. That season, Paul Pogba signed with the Red Devils despite them competing in the Europa League.
[READ: Can Ole succeed long term?]
Regardless of whether Man United finish in the top four of the Premier League or not, they’re going to have to spend smartly in the summer to add depth and upgrade at certain positions, including centerback.
“Of course, we’ve been discussing how to move the club forward,” Solskjaer said at a press conference. “That doesn’t mean we’ve said x amount of money or x amount of players. We’ve sat down and discussed, but now it’s easier to be clear about what we need to do because we will do some business this summer.”
He later added: "...there are so many players or players’ agents that have been in touch with our administration [to say] that they want to come here. I’m sure when we decide what we have to do, hopefully, we’ll get them by pre-season.”
In recent weeks, Man United has been linked with the likes of Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane and Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho. It’s unclear whether either will be available for Man United this summer, but it shows the ambition that the team may have in prospective signings.
Outside of Romelu Lukaku, who could still develop into a top-quality center forward, and goalkeeper David de Gea, Solskjaer can upgrade all throughout the spine of the team. There are holes in central defense and central midfield, especially with Nemanja Matic starting to look his age. With the World Cup now one year gone in the rear-view mirror, more players may be willing to jump to another club, knowing there’s plenty of time before they have to be at top form for the next big tournament. .
