Potential Man Utd line-up under Ten Hag with De Jong and three more signings

Manchester United fans are already desperate for the Erik ten Hag era to begin.

The Dutchman has quite the job ahead of him, with United in dire need of a major overhaul after what has been a wretched season. With plenty of players set to exit in the summer, a number of new signings will no doubt be brought in to replace them.

Among them could be Frenkie de Jong, with the Manchester Evening News understanding United have contacted Barcelona about the midfielder’s availability. With that in mind, we’ve taken a look at how United could line up next season with De Jong in their ranks, plus some more potential signings as Ten Hag gets down to work in the transfer window.

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Goalkeeper – David de Gea

While Ten Hag is a fan of Dean Henderson, having tried to sign him on loan at Ajax, the academy graduate could be on his way out of Old Trafford. De Gea would, therefore, hold on to the number one spot, although Ten Hag could have other ideas once he gets through the door.

Defence – Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Jurrien Timber, Luke Shaw

United are in need of defensive reinforcements, but how many they bring in could be determined by what business they do elsewhere. With plenty of other areas to attend to, and with a decent amount of defenders likely to still be at the club from the current season, defensive additions may well take a back seat during the transfer window.

With that in mind, Ten Hag may well look to bring in a player who can cover multiple positions, with Jurrien Timber looking like an ideal solution. The 20-year-old clearly has the backing of the incoming United boss, having been awarded Ajax’s ‘Talent of the Year’ award by Ten Hag.

His primary role is as a centre-back, so he would line up alongside Raphael Varane, with Diogo Dalot and Luke Shaw continuing as the two full-backs. But don’t be surprised to see United target a new right-back.

Midfield – Kalvin Phillips, Frenkie de Jong, Bruno Fernandes

While Ralf Rangnick has spoken a lot about the need to bring in new forward options, it’s in midfield where we could see the biggest changes. After all, we already know United have made efforts with two targets in that area.

As well as De Jong, United are also working on a deal to sign Kalvin Phillips. The 26-year-old will almost certainly be a much cheaper alternative to Declan Rice, especially with Leeds in serious danger of relegation.

Bruno Fernandes is the one midfielder from the current United side retaining his place. The Portuguese star will have to improve on his showings this campaign if he’s to prove it was merely an off-season for him.

Attack – Antony, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho

Cristiano Ronaldo’s future is likely to dominate the headlines this summer as much as any new signings. He’s been a rare bright spark for United this season, but will he choose to stay for the final year of his contract?

Assuming he does, he would surely retain his spot up front, while Jadon Sancho would line up on the left of the front three. That leaves just one position on the right, which has proven to be a headache throughout the campaign.

Marcus Rashford looks so shot of confidence that there will be serious questions over his future, while Anthony Elanga has probably played more than anyone would have planned for him this season. Therefore, a new addition would seem to make the most sense, and the tried-and-tested method could work for Ten Hag again should Antony choose to follow him from Ajax.

United line-up: De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Timber, Shaw; Phillips, De Jong, Fernandes; Antony, Ronaldo, Sancho.

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