Have Manchester United completed their summer spending?
A few months ago Sir Alex Ferguson claimed the side would be making two or three signings. They already seem to have completed three although one signing in particular could be determined as one for the future.
Phil Jones was the first, an undisclosed fee reported to be around the £16m mark. Sir Alex obviously realises that there is need for some more quality in defence and Jones should prove an excellent acquisition, certainly in the long term. Ashley Young was up next, a player who come on in bundles recently and worthy of a place in the Manchester United squad. He causes defenders problems and it will be exciting to seem on our side next season.
The one I am not so sure about is David De Gea. I have only seen him on the field about six times(once live). He certainly looks and acts the part but I do suffer from anxiety when we purchase a new goalkeeper. The situation after Peter Schmeichel very much turned into a farce with Sir Alex finally settling for Frenchman Barthez.
There will be huge pressure on this youngster, coming to Old Trafford is tough enough, filling Edwin van der Saar’s shoes even more difficult, and then everything he does will be watched microscopicly by the media. If it goes well, brilliant, if not, then Lindegaard will need to be ready. The one thing I have seen recently are those fans that already claim he is not good enough, I would suggest that those who have said this have probably never watched him play, possibly only using him on one occasion in a console game.
The major concern for me as we draw close to pre-season fixtures is central midfield. Sir Alex talks of challenging Barcelona for the highest honours but we will need investment in the midfield if that is to become a reality. Most talk is of Wesley Sneijder and possibly Luka Modric but I can clearly see the Dutchman in a red shirt at some point. He has what it takes to run things in that area and with the quality players we already have, as Scholesy so famously did, and I quote Sir Alex – “He knits things together.”
Sneijders quality of passing and his directness is something we do require but his value looks to be at least £30m. Worth paying for a shot at World domination? Definitely. Will the Glazers stump up the cash? Yes. They are not the most loved American’s on the planet but they know when a business needs investment and that time is now.
Whether we do any more business this season though is a big question, I would hope to see another two players walk through the door. Sneijder for me is a must. Another player who I would quite like to see at Old Trafford, which many of you will probably slate me for is Tottenham’s Tom Huddlestone.
The Englishman did well last season, but the reason I feel Huddlestone would fit in is for the second half when the game is already wrapped up. Last season we let in way too many late goals, putting Huddlestone in front of our back two will settle things, make it more difficult for the opposition, and whilst we already have players that can “sort of” do that role, we need someone who is adept at it.
