One similarity this summer has to thew last, is that the majority of players being linked with moves away from their respective clubs are being bandied around once again.
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Manchester United were heavy spenders last year, splashing out on a whopping £150m of new talent, and are rumoured to be prepared to do it again this time around.
However, could Louis Van Gaal have spent more wisely last summer? With Daley Blind looking to be the only immediate success of his new stars, others will surely be given the time to grow into their roles.
One area that needed immediate attention was the defence, and many argue that it still does. Van Gaal sought to rectify the problem by splashing out £16m on Marcos Rojo. Sure, the Argentine made it to the World Cup final, but it was almost through default as he is a centre-back that can operate on the left side.
Rojo’s performances haven’t been up to the United standard. That’s not to say he’s a bad player at all, but he was about as far away from what they needed.
With that in mind, we have listed four players below that the club should have signed last summer.
Mateo Musacchio – Villarreal
The Argentine defender has developed into a real powerhouse in Spain over the past five years, and his strength and tackling would have made him a real asset alongside the less stylistically inclined Phil Jones. Sadly, a broken leg earlier this year means he won’t be going anywhere this summer.
Raphael Varane – Real Madrid
The writing was on the wall for the young Frenchman last term. He began falling behind in the pecking order behind Sergio Ramos and Pepe, and that has continued into this campaign, where he has made just 30 appearances all season. A move for him would have guaranteed that United could have got one over on Jose Mourinho.
Martin Caceres – Juventus
The Uruguayan has been tipped for big things for a long time, but injury and a combination of experienced old heads have kept him on the sidelines. With a regular run of games with a manager that cares about him there is still time to turn him into the player that many believed he should be.
Stefan de Vrij – Lazio
The Dutchman was at Feyenoord this time last season, and a whole host of Premier League sides that looked at him missed out on his signature last summer when Lazio swooped in. Since then he has proved himself to be a truly top class centre-back, making 27 appearances as the club continue to hunt down a spot in next year’s Champions League.
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