Manchester United have struggled to get inside the top four during the 2018/19 Premier League season.
At the time of writing, it appears they are not going to qualify for the Champions League next season and that is a big blow.
Much has been made about their choice of manager since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson. David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and now Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have all tried to make Manchester United a force in the Premier League but have struggled.
Perhaps the one thing they all have in common, other than Solskjaer, is mistakes in the transfer market.
Marouane Fellaini, Angel Di Maria, Marcos Rojo, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Memphis Depay, Morgan Schneiderlin, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Alexis Sanchez and Fred have all arrived with large transfer fees but failed to deliver.
Not only have they proved to be a waste of money, they have also been a waste of time in the sense they have been involved at Manchester United but brought nothing to the team. Solskjaer knows he cannot afford to get another transfer window wrong or Manchester United will never reach the heights they once enjoyed.
Some players need to leave the club and that is part of the transfer process. Paul Pogba has been linked with a move to Real Madrid, Ander Herrera could head to Paris Saint-Germain and Romelu Lukaku is rumoured to be interested in a move to Italy.
However, there are players including Alexis Sanchez, Marco Rojo, Ashley Young and Matteo Darmian who must be moved on in the summer. Fred has failed to impress this season but he deserves one more chance to prove his worth.
In terms of players coming and going, this could be the most active Manchester United have been in a single transfer window for some time but who should they bring in?
Central defence is clearly a problem, at both centre back and right back. In terms of the right side of the defence, Aaron Wan-Bissaka looks a great player and must be considered the number one target in that position. Looking at central defence, Kalidou Koulibaly continues to be linked but would cost a lot of money and immediately be placed under increased scrutiny because of his fee.
Samuel Umtiti on the other hand will cost less and having been left out of the Barcelona first choice XI towards the end of this season, could be interested. The French World Cup winner has plenty of experience and is still only 25 years old. Other options include Matthijs de Ligt of Ajax and Joachim Andersen of Sampdoria, with the former the preferable option.
Fresh legs are required in midfield and looking away from the big names, Wilfred Ndidi could be a shock option. He is proven in the Premier League over the past two years and ranks highly this season for interceptions, tackles, aerial battles won, number of touches and total passes. The Nigerian is just 22 years old and still has his best years ahead of him.
Ndidi may not be the first name on everyone’s lips at Old Trafford but there is no doubt he would improve the team. If Pogba is sold for big money, Ndidi could come in at a fraction of the cost and free up funds for the defensive areas which need improvement.