Manchester United have been linked with England winger Jadon Sancho and France defender Raphael Varane for a number of transfer windows but the club have finally got their targets.
In order to release Sancho from Dortmund, United paid £72.9 million for his services. Varane, who has spent 10 years in Madrid, arrived in a £43 million deal.
United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be hoping Sancho and Varane can help them close the gap on rivals Manchester City and put them in contention for the title this season. They were 12 points behind the champions in the 2020/21 campaign so they will need to take another big step forward this year.
Despite the transfer, United are fourth favourites in the Premier League betting behind cross-city rivals and current champions Manchester City, who are the current favourites to retain their crown. Chelsea and Liverpool are all ahead of United in the title odds.
Sancho Will Add Goals and Assists
Sancho has been fantastic for Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga since his transfer from Manchester City in 2017. He scored 38 Bundesliga goals for the club and helped them to success in the DFB-Pokal and DFL-Supercup during his time in Germany.
Last season, Sancho scored eight goals and provided 11 assists in just 26 Bundesliga appearances. He was a key part of their attack from their right-wing. If he can replicate those sorts of numbers in the Premier League, United are going to have a real asset.
At the age of 21, the England international should continue to develop so United have an exciting talent whose best football looks ahead of him. He is likely to compliment the talent that is already at the club such as Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba.
United have has some fantastic wingers over the years. Hopefully, Sancho can go on to join that illustrious list, having the same impact as the likes of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo had.
Varane Is Rated as One of Best Defenders in Europe
The arrival of Varane from Real Madrid is a big boost to United’s defence. The Frenchman has played at the highest level in Europe for the last decade and is admired by many leading figures in the sport.
A new challenge in the Premier League could be exactly what the 28-year-old needs at this stage of his career. He is likely to pair with Harry Maguire as the first-choice centre backs this season and given the qualities those two players have, it has the potential to be a very successful partnership.
United have been lacking a strong centre-back pairing since the days of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. If Varane settles into English football well, this could be the early days of a similar relationship on the pitch.
The World Cup winner has a lot of pace, is good in the air and is comfortable with the ball at his feet. He was also linked with a move to Chelsea and PSG so it is a real coup for United.
It has been eight long years now since United last won the title. These latest additions give United fans a lot of hope that it could be their season again.
