Gary Neville believes Manchester United must sign four or five players in the summer transfer window or risk falling further to behind to rivals Manchester City and Liverpool.
As reported by BBC Sport, United are close to announcing their first signing of the summer with the deal for Ajax midfielder Donny Van de Beek set to be finalised in the coming days.
Van de Beek, 23, represents a very astute signing given his versatility, potential and reported price tag of just £40m.
The Dutch midfielder played a key role in Ajax’s incredible run to the Champions League semi-final in the 2018/19 season and has continued to impress in the Eredivisie.
But the solitary signing of Van de Beek would take United backwards this summer as there are still areas that need strengthening before the first game of the season which kicks off in under three weeks.
United great Neville has outlined the positions Solskjaer should focus on improving ahead of the new campaign.
“The Manchester United squad, as it stands today, cannot challenge for the Premier League title this season,” Neville told Sky Sports.
“The squad needed four or five improvements and it still needs four or five improvements. I’ve been saying that for a year and I’ve even nominated the positions I feel they need to improve.
“They have to sign a world-class centre-back. For me, another midfield player. I also think a right-winger, a centre-forward and you have to look at left-back because of Luke Shaw’s injuries and the fact he has obviously been in and out of the team in the last two or three years.
“So, I think there are definitely four or five players required and to not get three I think it would be a problem because of what the other clubs are doing. If Liverpool get Thiago, if Manchester City do what they are looking like they are going to do and with Chelsea doing what they’ve done, they are your competitors and they all look like they are improving and moving forward.
“So, United have to do business but I do believe more in the strategy of what’s happening, they just have to get the deals over the line. That’s not always easy but they have to try and do it quickly to give Ole the time to build to get this team moulded for the start of the season.”
As Neville acknowledges, the addition of five players will be difficult, particularly in this uncertain market.
But Solskjaer is keen to accelerate his rebuild at Old Trafford this summer and that can only happen if he is backed by the board with a number of key signings.
🗣"Manchester United need 4 or 5 signings"@GNev2 on Manchester United's transfer business pic.twitter.com/pcG9YnGxnz
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) September 1, 2020
READ MORE: Video: TalkSPORT pundit contradicts himself with Donny Van de Beek prediction
