Manchester United’s projected starting 11 for 2016/17

With the recent news that Louis van Gaal will be the Manchester United manager, the question becomes who will make up next year’s starting 11 at Old Trafford

The recent reports that state Louis van Gaal will stay on as manager at Manchester United next season give us a much better opportunity to predict what next year’s starting 11 will look like at the club. The expected infusion of significant transfer capital this summer makes the job a little more difficult, but certainly not impossible.

Van Gaal will head into the transfer market with several clear targets. First and foremost, he must find an answer to the club’s striker problem. Wayne Rooney simply cannot be counted on to lead the United line for an entire season, and Anthony Martial functions better out wide at this point in his career.

Expect to see a big-name striker arrive at Old Trafford this summer. The club will also likely add an additional centre-back to pair with Chris Smalling. Daley Blind has done well covering the role this summer, but he too, is better when deployed at a different position.

Finally, look for Ed Woodward and company to try to get significantly younger in the defensive midfield. Morgan Schneiderlin is a safe bet to start as one defensive midfielder, but the club could use another dynamic option to fill the other pivot.

Of course, United are always looking for more options in attack so there’s a good chance they’ll be a big spend in the attacking midfield as well. Read on to discover who’s headed to Old Trafford next season and how they will factor into the club’s 2016/17 starting 11.

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