Man Utd will sell FOUR players this summer but they need SIX signings - Sky Sports pundit
Posted Saturday, February 23, 2019 by Express.co.uk
Charlie Nicholas thinks Bailly, Lukaku and Rojo could all leave Man Utd this summer (Image: GETTY)
MANCHESTER UNITED will have a particularly busy summer transfer window if one particular Sky Sports pundit’s prediction is to go by.
The Red Devils face Liverpool this Sunday (2.05pm) in a game that will be used as a measuring stick for the progress made under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Since Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho in mid-December after a 3-1 loss to Liverpool, United have won 11 of 13 matches across all competitions.
Against high-level opposition, United were outclassed by Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie but they came out on top of Tottenham, in the Premier League, and Arsenal and Chelsea both in the FA Cup.
Liverpool - however - are firmly in the league title race as they seek a first title since 1990 and will represent the best test yet of United’s credentials as they seek a win at Old Trafford to go three points clear of Manchester City.
The two teams were separated by 19 points after their last meeting at Anfield before Christmas and the performance and result of that showdown was used to suggest that United have plenty of progress to make to catch up to their bitter rivals.
Yet Charlie Nicholas thinks the two clubs are closer together already - though thinks United need to oversee several high-profile outgoings and as many as six incomings this summer to further bridge the gap to title hopefuls Liverpool.
And Nicholas believes Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez are among the big names who could be sacrificed by United.
“The gap has been closed since Solskjaer came in. Some people talk about finance but also numbers of players,” he told Sky Sports as he previewed this weekend’s showdown.
“Manchester United have the best goalkeeper in the world [in David de Gea]. Liverpool have a very good goalkeeper [in Alisson Becker] who they spent a lot of money on.
“Liverpool have one of the best centre-backs in the world. Manchester United's defence is way behind Liverpool's defence.
“Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren are average but the full-backs, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are excellent, and Joe Gomez will be a star. So they have the foundations of the defence and Matip and Lovren to cover.
“The only weakness for Liverpool is that the midfield is a bit too similar. Georginio Wijnaldum is slightly different. He is efficient, can nick the odd goal and also runs without the ball.
“So Liverpool only need a tweak to midfield whereas Manchester United probably have a bigger and better squad by reputation.
“But I don't think Romelu Lukaku will be there next season and I don't see futures for Eric Bailly, Marcos Rojo and maybe Alexis Sanchez.
“I think they need three key defenders, maybe one midfielder and then probably a replacement for Sanchez, who they might think about moving on from.
“Liverpool probably need a couple of players to keep the power going whereas Manchester United need six.”
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