'The time to get aggressive in the transfer market is now'
[BBC] [Getty Images] Saturday's drab draw at Sunderland served as a timely reminder that Manchester United cannot solely target starters in the summer transfer window. If United are to avoid another Champions League capitulation, they must vastly improve the squad as a whole. All confidence of a result at the Stadium of Light vanished when Casemiro and Benjamin Sesko's absences emerged.
It is fair to say that if the 0-0 stalemate was an audition for a role next season, their replacements would not be receiving callbacks. Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee join Altay Bayindir, Tyrell Malacia and Manuel Ugarte in being blatantly surplus to requirements. Worryingly, several other players who are regulars in matchday squads and starting line-ups cannot be considered untouchable either.
Ruthlessly speaking, among those who featured at Sunderland, that includes Lisandro Martinez and Amad Diallo. It is a time to be positive. And, realistically, United rotated in the North East because their job is all-but done.
Champions League is sealed, soon third place will be too. But we cannot pretend like seeing a startling drop-off when a few key players are missing is not something new. With one eye beyond the summer, that is a concern.
A busier schedule is on the agenda next season, thankfully. No-one is complaining about the Champions League anthem returning to Old Trafford. Yet, can United expect the likes of Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw and even Bryan Mbeumo, who has never played in European football, to start every match?