The two players Man Utd must sign this summer named by Hargreaves

Robin Bairner

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 3 min read

Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has said that the Old Trafford side must seek to strengthen their spine during the summer transfer window.

Under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Man Utd have established themselves firmly in the Premier League’s top four but were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage and are presently a distant second to Manchester City.

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If they are to take another leap forward, Hargreaves argues, they have to make a couple of additions to their ranks. The ex-England international says these changes have to primarily be defensive.

Man Utd have been regularly linked to West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, a player Hargreaves is a big fan of.

“I think Rice’s upside is off the charts. He has the potential to be anything and a lot better. I think he plays within himself at West Ham,” he told Premier League Productions.

“Declan Rice doesn’t have to dictate the game for Manchester United, he can pass to the players who can make the difference and be good defensively.”

‘He’s a Ferrari’

Meanwhile, he sees Leicester centre-back Wesley Fofana as an ideal addition to strengthen the heart of the defence.

“I’d love to see Manchester United get Fofana,” he said.

“He’s a Ferrari, honestly. I’d throw whatever they’ve got left in the bank to get him. He’s a fabulous player.”

Fofana arrived at Leicester in the summer from Saint-Etienne and paid a reported £36.5 million for the 20-year-old centre-back, who had played only 20 top-flight games before making the leap.

There has been much speculation over what areas of the team Man Utd need to strengthen, with Solskjaer unable to get the right winger he wanted last term. Meanwhile, Edinson Cavani’s uncertain future means that they may need a centre-forward.

Centre-back has been a long-standing area of concern for Man Utd, although there have been fewer calls for a defensive midfielder since Paul Pogba’s return to form.