Man Utd told of two transfer musts to secure top-four spot

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Manchester United have been told they must make one key signing this month and ensure they retain the services of star man Paul Pogba until the summer if they are to succeed in claiming a top-four finish.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer heads into 2020 and a meeting with Arsenal in their best form of the season and with their manager confidently predicting good things for the year ahead.

With the transfer window now officially open for business, former Liverpool defender Steve Nicol has assessed their needs in January – but doesn’t think Solskjaer needs to make too many changes in order to ensure a successful end to the season.

Despite missing out on striker Erling Haaland – something Solskjaer himself claimed he wasn’t too concerned about – Nicol does think they’ll need to add to their squad.

In addition, much has been said about the future of Pogba and while his agent Mino Raiola has appeared to rule out a January exit, Nicol thinks he should be employed in ad advanced midfield role for United over the remainder of the season in order to finish fourth.

“It’s definitely a fight between them, Chelsea and Tottenham for me for that fourth spot,” Nicol told ESPN.

“But, right now, you can’t rely on them. And we’re talking about if.

“If they bring Paul Pogba back in, he has to be the one that is sitting off the centre-forward.

“You put two defensive guys behind him, then you might start breaking down teams that you’re supposed to that they haven’t been able to do.

“But right now, I’m not putting money on them.”

 

United manager Solskjaer insists money is there to strengthen the squad if the right player came up, saying: “If the right ones become available we do have the resources.

“There’s no point suddenly bringing someone else in now for the sake of three or four months if that can disrupt any good feeling or chemistry in the group, because the chemistry in the group is really good.

“It has to be the right type and it has to be a good investment for the long term as well.”

One United star, meanwhile, is reportedly back in his homeland preparing for a move away from the club after slipping out of Solskjaer’s thinking.