The Manchester United board have shown their commitment to new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by backing him heavily in the 2019/20 summer transfer window.
As it stands, United have shelled out £143m on new players and in doing so, sent a clear message to their rivals that they are doing everything in their power to change the narrative that they are a spent force.The recent arrival of Harry Maguire for £85m from Leicester has got many tongues wagging as the man known as ‘Slab-Head’, became the world’s most expensive defender.
It’s quite obvious United are playing for keeps and sparing no expense as they look to bolster their squad in the hopes that they can rein in their nearest rivals.
Looking forward to the next chapter of my career @ManUtd 🔴
The journey continues… ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/SaoJi9oaOS
— Harry Maguire (@HarryMaguire93) August 5, 2019
So which of their summer signings is likely to help United to do that and make the biggest impact at Old Trafford?
Despite only costing £15m from Swansea City, Daniel James is a player that ticks all the boxes and will thrill United fans the world over. The Old Trafford faithful have a historic connection to Welsh wingers who charge up and down the touchline and James will do just that as he looks to establish himself as a first-team regular.
Along with his electric pace, the 21-year-old has an old head on young shoulders which will be key to his success. Wingers who come flying out the blocks in their careers often fizzle out if their decision making is incredibly poor. It’s not enough these days to just sprint by the opposition, players who want to make it at a club like Manchester United need to be able to back it up by proving world-class service as well.
James’ final ball is extremely good and well thought through, he will find the best-placed attacker and give him very good goalscoring opportunities no matter how much pressure he is under. Really, James is the type of player United have not been recruiting over recent seasons, but now they have, the whole ethos of the club could begin to change, and how desperately United need that to happen.
In some cases, United’s English Premier League winner odds are as far out as 49/1 and when you consider the force they were under Sir Alex Ferguson, it’s quite amazing to see them start the league so far off the pace. Indeed, they need the likes of Daniel James to bring about change at the same speed he runs up and down the wing.
Overwhelmed by all the messages the last 24 hours. Thank you so much for the amazing welcome. 👍🏼🔴 @ManUtd #MUFC pic.twitter.com/FbGIsrsz71
— Daniel James (@Daniel_James_97) June 13, 2019
It’s often hard for these things to change overnight, especially after years of underachieving but given how low the level of expectation is currently at Old Trafford, there is reason to believe fans could be pleasantly surprised this season.
Apart from new signings, Manchester United are planning to bring back the traditional British rail seating on a trial basis at the fag end of this season, to help bring back the old “Theatre of Dreams” atmosphere. If successfully done, Manchester United would be the first team in the Premier League to try this.
Solskjaer has bought well and it’s easy to see what type of individual he wants to bring back to Old Trafford. Having been part of United’s most successful ever team, the Norweigan is well placed to know what type of player can make this club great again and the addition of Daniel James suggests United aren’t far off challenging for titles again.