Manchester United will not be able to compete in the Premier League if they fail to sign good players – Pundit

Manchester United will be in “serious difficulty” if they do not make top acquisitions, but one pundit claims that Liverpool and Manchester City are not making matters easy for Erik ten Hag.

The Red Devils know they need to make an immediate impression in the latest transfer window. The onus is on Old Trafford chiefs to help new manager Ten Hag after a turbulent 2021-2022 season.

Their arch-rivals Liverpool and City, on the other hand, have made a strong start this summer.

Darwin Nunez of Benfica has joined Liverpool, with Manchester United intrigued but hesitant to enter a bidding war. In the same vein, City have bolstered their offense with the addition of Erling Haaland. In 2019, United attempted but failed to sign the Norwegian striker.

The fact Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, is the brightest light up front, means that United desperately need to buy a prolific striker this summer.

As a result, Luke Chadwick, a former Manchester United player, has warned of increased pressure on the Red Devils to perform in the coming season.

“For United, there’s no one that stands out who’s likely to be available,” Chadwick told Caught Offside.

“The best goal-scorers have gone to Man City and Liverpool, unfortunately, so it’s certainly a time for the recruitment team to pull out the stops to find these players.

“I can understand United fans are going to get a bit more edgy the longer it takes to get deals done.

“It’ll be interesting to see what the scouts and others in the recruitment team can come up with, because as it stands it’s been a good start to the window by Liverpool and City, but United really need three or four quality players to add to the excitement of the new manager coming in.”

Chadwick’s transfer warning to Ten Hag

Chadwick has warned that if United and Ten Hag do not provide top new acquisitions, they could be in “serious difficulty.”

“I think if the squad is quite similar to last season the mood’s going to be a bit flat,” the pundit added.

“It is concerning. Obviously it’s still early in the summer, but it is concerning that no business has been done yet, and that not much progress seems to be being made on any particular players.

“You sort of get the feeling that if the recruitment can’t get this transfer window right, then the club’s going to be in real trouble. You don’t want to be leaving things to the last minute.”

United can’t avoid repeating strikers

When it appeared that Manchester City would sign Ronaldo last summer, United unexpectedly turned up and signed the 37-year-old Portuguese forward from Juventus.

After failing to sign Jadon Sancho, they brought in Edinson Cavani in October 2020 and still went back to Sancho the following summer to sign the English youngster.

Odion Ighalo was the Red Devils’ previous striker signing before the Uruguayan. After Marcus Rashford’s shoulder injury, the Nigerian arrived in late January 2020 on loan.

United must change tactics and cannot afford to buy another short-term player.

Nunez would have been an excellent addition to the club’s offense in the future. However, he is now Liverpool’s future.

United need to close a deal, and it’s uncertain who – if anyone – they’ll be able to bring in this summer.