Manchester United: Solskjaer names his eight-man shortlist for January

Manchester United want to seriously revamp their squad in the new year…

With the festivities right around the corner, football fans will have their eyes on one thing and one thing only; the January transfer window. Manchester United, in particular, are in dire need of a good transfer window since they currently reside in seventh place of the league table.

Their season has been hindered by a number of factors. Firstly, the injuries to their star strikers didn’t help. Secondly, they’ve been involved in a managerial conundrum with many supporters wanting Solskjaer fired. And lastly, the persistent abuse to their best player Paul Pogba has only exacerbated matters.

According to The Mirror, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has submitted his eight-man shortlist for the January transfer window. It’s thought that the attack is a focal point of concern, however, the Norwegian boss also wants to strengthen his midfield. The shortlist goes as follows:

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• Jadon Sancho
• Erling Haaland
• Moussa Dembele
• Callum Wilson
• Jack Grealish
• Declan Rice
• James Maddison
• John McGinn

There seems to be a very British core to this list of players. Young players like James Maddison and Jack Grealish have been standout performers in the Premier League this season with their creativity winning all the deserved plaudits. Scotland international John McGinn has also been performing excellently in midfield for Aston Villa this season while Declan Rice and Callum Wilson are always solid.

Erling Haaland is the youngster in form in Europe this season. For Red bull Salzburg, he has been scoring goals for fun. The 19-year-old has scored 26 goals already for his club while also scoring an astonishing nine goals in three appearances at the U20 World Cup. That said, you can see why Solskjaer is dying to work with his countryman. After all, Haaland could learn a lot from him.

Manchester United fans will be familiar with the exceptional talent Jadon Sancho following his performances for England. He was also a player for Manchester City at one point so this would be another win for fans. He is a wideman with plenty of talent to beat his opposing number, he also has the ability to cut inside and take on the shot himself.

Moussa Dembele has been in good form in Ligue 1 this season. Playing as the main striker for Lyon, he has scored an impressive nine league goals. He is often criticised for not tracking back but this could easily be resolved by Solskjaer. Overall, he is a good and affordable addition to this list.

It’s not likely that Manchester United will sign all eight players due to squad space and, let’s face it, money issues. So if you were to choose one player that’s perfect for Manchester United, who would it be and why?