RANKED: Man Utd's Transfer Needs

Man Utd's squad is in need of reinforcement in the January transfer window.

Having moved just past the halfway mark in the Premier League season, Man Utd sit in 13th place in the table.

Their form under new head coach Ruben Amorim has not picked up in the way they would have liked, in part because of Amorim's system.

Ruben Amorim plays a 3-4-2-1 system and will not change that. Meanwhile the Man Utd squad is severely lacking a few key positions to be able to execute the system and shape to the highest possible level.

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Ergo Man Utd must enter the transfer market to try and bolster their squad, but as funds are limited they will need to prioritise.

But which positions are the most important? Which are the least? We've had a look:

1. Left wing-back

It may seem odd to say that Man Utd need a left wing-back when they have Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia on their books.

But you have to remember Luke Shaw's ligaments are made of soggy digestive biscuits and thanks to a year-long injury absence, Tyrell Malacia is about half the player he was when Man Utd signed him and needs a long run of games to get up to speed, during which time he will not be much any good.

So... Man Utd need a left wing-back.

Diogo Dalot has been filling in there and while the Portuguese is a willing worker, any competent defender is able to show him onto his right foot and almost completely neuter him.

More coaching (and more awful defenders like Trent Alexander-Arnold) will help him but ultimately Dalot is never going to be more than the ultimate back-up.

As a result, Man Utd have been linked with many left-backs and wing-backs. Chief among them seems to be Paris Saint-Germain's Nuno Mendes whose expiring contract and experience in Ruben Amorim's system makes him a seriously attractive option for the ambitious Red Devils.

Rayan Ait-Nouri is the fan's choice but doesn't seem a viable target in January. There's also Alvaro Fernandez, for whom Man Utd have a buy-back clause. Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez who has been impressing this season under Andoni Iraola, and 20 year-old Patrick Dorgu at Lecce, are also options under consideration.

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2. Striker

Here's some incredibly obvious advice: you can't win games if you can't score goals.

Man Utd have a problem scoring goals. They have just 23 this season. That's the same as 19th place Leicester City.

Part of the problem is Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee. Both are good strikers, but neither is a true goalscorer.

Zirkzee arrived overweight and looks a shadow of the player he was at Bologna and is likely to be sold just six months after arriving.

Meanwhile Rasmus Hojlund is 21 and plays very much like someone who is not going to really hit their stride until they are in their mid-20's.

Man Utd need someone to take chances that Ruben Amorim's system is going to create. And so it should surprise no one that they've been linked with Victor Osimhen.

The Nigerian striker is currently on loan at Galatasaray and would be a perfect signing could the Red Devils pull it off. He won Serie A as Capocannoniere (top scorer) and is a born goalscorer that would bring a terrifying goal power to the Red Devils.

Less spectacular but still effective would be procuring Dusan Vlahovic from Juventus, or bringing Viktor Gyokeres over from Ruben Amorim's old club Sporting.

3. Central midfielder

Man Utd's opening 33 minutes against Newcastle was the worst football of the Ruben Amorim era. Man Utd were terrible and it was a miracle they hadn't shipped five goals already.

Then Kobbie Mainoo came on and Man Utd matched Newcastle for the rest of the game.

A week later against Liverpool, Mainoo partnered with Manuel Ugarte and Man Utd played actual honest to goodness quality football.

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No one Mainoo and Ugarte are a solid pairing but the depth behind them is non-existent. Casemiro is finished and may even be sold this month. Christian Eriksen is quality in bursts but can't start games.

Man Utd's academy produced several hard-working box-to-box midfielders who could have filled in as back-ups here but Erik ten Hag sold them all.

Scott McTominay, Hannibal Mejbri, Charlie Savage, Zidane Iqbal... none of these were world-beaters, but the kind of cheap and hard-working youth products that give your squad the depth it needs at key positions (in this case the same position).

Now Man Utd need to go out and sign some depth. Could that be Douglas Luiz? The excellent Brazilian who has struggled since joining Juventus?

Or maybe his compatriot Ederson who is dominating at Atalanta? They'll face competition from Real Madrid for him, but his class is undeniable.

4. Right wing-back

Right wing-back is equally as important on the field as left wing-back in Ruben Amorim's system, but the reason it is lower in the transfer needs is because of Man Utd's squad.

The Red Devils simply have options to play the role already in the team. Noussair Mazraoui and the aforementioned Dalot would be a more defensive choice but could definitely fill in, meanwhile if they wanted to be more attacking then true wingers Amad Diallo or Antony could be deployed there.

Long-term, however, Man Utd could do with someone coming in to make the role their own. Perhaps someone like Geovany Quenda, who shone so bright under Ruben Amorim at Sporting.

Or maybe Man Utd could splash the cash and try to get the highly-rated Jeremie Frimpong, who has been lighting the Bundesliga up at wing-back for Bayer Leverkusen?