Pundit tells Man Utd to sell duo, buy £260m trio in order to win Prem

Manchester United have been told they are only three players short of becoming genuine Premier League title contenders again – and pundit Danny Murphy knows exactly who they should try and buy.

United take on Manchester City on Sunday in a vital game for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side as the race for Champions League places hots up.

But Murphy thinks next season could see United back challenging for the Premier League title again if the club enjoys a productive summer on the transfer front – and the pundit has three names in mind.

Writing in his column for the Daily Mail, Murphy has urged United to go all out to sign Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho and Declan Rice, despite the enormous costs likely to be involved.

“It’s going to be a crucial summer for Manchester United,” he wrote in his Daily Mail column. “Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has impressed me in the manner he’s steadied a rocky ship, now the club need to take a forward step to challenge Liverpool and Manchester City.

“That doesn’t mean a radical overhaul because they already have good players at Old Trafford.

“Three top-quality signings in key positions could make all the difference moving them to the next level.

“Imagine if Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho and Declan Rice were at United? They’d be in good shape to compete for any trophy.”

Murphy, however, believes United may need to consider offloading a couple of star men first and suggests the unsettled Paul Pogba, as well as goalkeeper David De Gea, could be sacrificed to make room for the new wave.

The latter has once again been linked with Real Madrid, with a report on Saturday claiming United had set a price for the Spanish keeper.

 

 

“I understand those three, even if they were desperate to join United, would cost at least £260million. But sacrifices could be made to help raise the funds,” Murphy continued.

“I think Paul Pogba wants to leave so selling him could work for all parties. David de Gea is a top goalkeeper but United have a ready-made replacement in Dean Henderson, who was lauded by Watford’s Ben Foster when I spoke to him last week.”

Links to Kane, Rice and Sancho are nothing new and it would come as no surprise to see United target moves for any of them this summer.

The subject of Kane has reared its head again this week after the striker was reported to be considering a move away from Spurs in the wake of their struggles this season.

A report on Thursday listed two reasons why the England striker fancied a switch to Old Trafford.

Borussia Dortmund winger Sancho, meanwhile, is enjoying an excellent season with Dortmund, having scored 17 times and created 17 more – but the winger is expected to cost around £100m, a fee that would see a new transfer record for United.

Reports last month claimed his only option if leaving BVB this summer would be United.

Links with West Ham midfielder Rice, meanwhile, stretch back to last summer, and he would cost in the region of £60m were United to launch a move.

However, United have also been mentioned as possible suitors for a Serie A star in Sunday’s Paper Talk, while Kalvin Phillips has also been mentioned, though one pundit gave a brilliant response when questioned about the possibility of the England hopeful quitting Leeds for Old Trafford.