It’s going to be awhile, a long while, before we have a match to make a starting XI prediction for again, but hey, at least we have plenty of transfer talk. The thing about transfer rumors is that they can get rather, I guess “tedious” is the word, pretty quickly.
So we figured why not combine the elements of both and make a team of just players who are rumored to be going or leaving Manchester United. Below the formation presentation, we’ll touch a bit more on each guy. Click each footballer’s name where highlighted for more on the transfer narrative.
(Also, check out our optimal MUFC Starting XI, with transfer targets added, team at this link)
Manchester United All-Transfer Rumor Starting XI
Werner
Gomes Rodriguez Sancho
Brooks Pogba
Rojo Koulibaly De Ligt Meunier
Henderson
Let’s dive right in with German international Timo Werner, who has been linked with several big clubs. We took him over long time target Edinson Cavani, who just isn’t coming at this point in his career, or Harry Kane, who, c’mon you know that was never going to happen.
In the attacking midfield, contract extension talks with wunderkid Angel Gomes could be starting up again soon, but if no deal is reached, then Chelsea may be waiting to pound. James Rodriguez is a Real Madrid outcast who could be headed for the door, and it’s possible that he’d be part of a deal that would see Paul Pogba headed the other way.
Pogba transfer speculation? Yeah, stop us if you heard that before. On the right flank is of course Jadon Sancho, the man who tops United’s wish list.
He’s sought after by a lot of big money, brand name clubs.
David Brooks is the kind of midfielder who often pushes forward, more than hanging back, but we had to put the Bournemouth star slightly out of position as there just isn’t a lot of transfer chatter with United and holding midfielders right now.
Heading to the back, Marcos Rojo is out on loan with his former club Estudiantes, who want to keep him there longer. In central defense, Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly is a long time target, but who knows if this will finally be the right time or now.
His partner Matthijs De Ligt is staying at Juventus, he’s not leaving, so the tabloids need to give up on that. United almost certainly will not buy a right back this season, but if they did, apparently it would be Paris Saint-Germain man Thomas Meunier.
In between the sticks, Dean Henderson has impressed while on loan with Sheffield United, and that’s prompted discussion of where his future lay, because it’s likely not in unseating David de Gea. And yes, there are plenty of names we left off here, including Chris Smalling, Jack Grealish, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham.
All Transfer Rumor Starting XI Series
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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