But if United are to return to their former level and compete for major silverware once more within the next couple of years, the squad will still need further strengthening in that attacking midfield role ahead of the 2020/21 season.
This is about giving manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer enough quality options to build squad depth, both in the short-term and planning for the longer term as well.
Here’s a look at five ‘number 10’ options United could realistically target…
Jack Grealish
90min reported earlier this month that it has become apparent that Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish is one of United’s three primary summer targets along with wide forward Jadon Sancho and central midfield prodigy Jude Bellingham.
The club has seen first hand what Grealish is capable of this season after the 24-year-old scored a fine goal at Old Trafford in December, while his 17 combined goals and assists in all competitions make him far and away Villa’s best and most important player.
Grealish has matured significantly since his early days in the Premier League, moulding himself into a leader in the Championship and since promotion back to the top flight – an ill-advised outing to a friend’s house during the coronavirus lockdown may also serve as a timely personal reminder to the player about his off-field responsibilities if he is to make it to the top of the game.
Assuming United have not been put off, Grealish would be a more affordable and more attainable option than the similarly aged James Maddison – more on whom shortly – especially if Villa are to be relegated from the Premier League as predicted.
Potential price: £50m - £70m
James Maddison
As the possibility of a summer move for Grealish has increased, the talk of United pursuing Leicester star James Maddison has lessened. However, it has been reported as recently as February that Maddison himself wants to move to Old Trafford.
At 23, he has the benefit of being younger than Grealish and is performing a key role at a team much higher in the league table, with Leicester on course to qualify for the Champions League.
The issue with Maddison would be regarding price. United already know how dogged the Foxes are, having had to pay £80m to sign Harry Maguire last summer, and there is nothing to suggest that a pursuit of Maddison in the coming months would be any different.
Leicester are also trying to tie the player to a new long-term contract, which would only strengthen their position to command an enormous transfer fee.
Potential price: £80m - £100m
Kai Havertz
A player that would likely cost a similar fee to Maddison but is based slightly further afield is 20-year-old Bayer Leverkusen starlet Kai Havertz, who has contributed a combined total of 45 goals and assists in all competitions since the start of last season.
Liverpool are thought to have baulked at the minimum £80m valuation of Havertz. But if United are in the market for a player like Grealish or Maddison anyway, it may be in the same ballpark.
Havertz is younger than both Premier League options, born since United won the treble in 1999, and certainly has enormous long-term potential given what he has achieved in his career so far.
Potential price: £80m - £100m
Donny van de Beek
Ajax star Donny van de Beek, who rose to prominence during the Dutch club’s run to the Champions League semi-finals last season, is a player with whom United have been linked on and off over the last few months – most recently in gossip from Spain only last week.
The 22-year-old has been more heavily linked with Real Madrid and his future could well be dictated by whether Los Blancos are successful in prising Paul Pogba away from Old Trafford, having long been billed as an alternative to the Frenchman in the Spanish capital.
As with any rising Dutch star, there is an inevitability that Van de Beek will leave the Eredivisie for one of Europe’s big five leagues sooner rather than later. He is also likely to be cheaper to buy than any of the potential ‘number 10’ options mentioned so far.
Potential price: £50m - £60m
Todd Cantwell
Turning 22 last month, Todd Cantwell has enjoyed a breakout campaign at Norwich and will surely join another Premier League club when the Canaries are relegated at the end of the season.
Cantwell, who has been most heavily linked with Liverpool – probably a good sign in these times when the Merseysiders are seen as England’s smartest recruiters - would be more of a developmental proposition for United. But his lower price tag reflects that.
Cantwell has six Premier League goals and two assists to his name in 29 appearances this season, which is more games than he played in the Championship last season. And while he has primarily operated from the left flank, playing in field as a ‘number 10’ could be where his long-term future lies.
Potential price: £20m - £30m
‘Number 10’ featured in 90min’s list of ‘5 Positions Man Utd Need to Strengthen – Summer 2020’ – click to take a look at the other positions discussed and who the club could sign in each.
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Source : 90min