Five potential signings to kick off the David Moyes era at Manchester United

Old Trafford will see a new man in charge for the first time since November 1986 when David Moyes leads Manchester United out when the Premier League kicks off in August.

The appointment of the Scotsman has been hailed by a large section of the United faithful and although he is not scheduled to take charge before the 1^st of July, a whole host of names have already been linked with the club as the former Everton boss plots new signings to add to what is already a burgeoning pool of talent at the club.

Many fans think the club will not win the Premier League in his first season, which means the UEFA Champions League is out of question too. But to be fair to Moyes, it is too early to judge him without his players having kicked a ball in anger.

Considering the big name players that have already been linked to the club, Moyes can create a stronger side than the one that won the club’s record 20^th English league title and build a dynasty to succeed the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson. It is difficult o say whether the retirement of the Sir Alex takes any star attraction from the club, but I have my doubts that could be the case.

Since his appointment as the new manager at the club, the 50 year old Scot has been linked with a whole host of players, and even if he manages to pull off a couple of them, it will mark a huge signal of intent on his part.

Let’s take a look at the five players Manchester United could sign in the summer transfer window:

Fabio Coentrao: Manchester United has long been linked with Leighton Baines as cover for Patrice Evra and almost pulled off the signing of the England international before the start of last season. Many people with David Moyes in charge, he could bring in the 28 year old with him but for many, Fabio Coentrao is the man more suited to the role than Baines.

At 25 years of age, the Portuguese international is three years younger than the Everton man and with Real Madrid seemingly not interested in his services anymore; United could also have him on the cheap. The former Benfica player has gone on record to state he never felt wanted at the Bernabeu and United could use this opportunity to swoop for a player they extensively scouted before he moved to Spain.

Robert Lewandowski: The Polish hitman was one of the stars of Borussia Dortmund’s run to the final of the UEFA Champions League and has been linked with several major European clubs, including United for the past two years. With just a year left on his current deal at the Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund might just well sell the player this season and not risk losing him for free next season.

But things are a lot complicated now with his agent claiming he has agreed a move to Bayern Munich already while manager Jurgen Klopp believes he will stay at the club this season as well. But an offer of around £ 25 million could tempt the Germans to part with their star striker, allowing Moyes to reunite him with Shinji Kagawa, a partnership that truly ripped apart defenses in their successive title winning campaigns.

Kevin Strootman: Another player who has been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford, the Dutchman is already being seen as the heir to the throne left vacant by Roy Keane all those years back. Reports in The Netherlands suggest United have already submitted a bid of £ 17 million for the player with negotiations in the final phases. The PSV Eindhoven starlet is the youngest ever player to captain the Dutch national team and is the box to box midfielder to answer United’s problems of a leader at the middle of the park. If United do pull this signing off, he has all the talent and determination to star alongside Michael Carrick in the United midfield.

Gareth Bale: One of the most in form players in the world today, the Welshman singlehandedly led the charge for Tottenham Hotspur as they contended for a UEFA Champions League spot. Real Madrid have already made him their top target for the summer and with top level European football missing from White Hart Lane, the winger might just ponder an exit.

It has been reported that he would prefer to stay in England if he does decide to leave the club, opening the door for a move to The Theatre of Dreams. His signing would be the marquee signing to kick off the new Ed Woodward – David Moyes era at the club and with the club making huge strides in the commercial sector, his transfer fee of £ 60 million is not too much either.

Cristiano Ronaldo: The one signing that would make David Moyes the most loved man in the Stretford End is that of the Portuguese wizard. It was reported that outgoing CEO David Gill had flown to Spain to thrash out a deal with Jorge Mendes, the super agent who represents Ronaldo, with growing speculation about his refusal to sign a contract extension at the Bernabeu.

Even though his “footballing father” Sir Alex Ferguson will not be in charge, Ronaldo will still be inclined to return to the club where the fans still sing his name after five years since his move. Big spending Paris Saint-Germain are also monitoring his situation but if the Portuguese captain does move, it would preferably be to the club where he won the Ballon d’Or.

If the club does miss out on Bale, they could turn their attention to their former starlet, however, it could also be the other way round. 


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Posted by Subham Mitra on behalf of FootballWorld.