Manchester United might already know their transfer priority for next year

The alarm bells should always be ringing whenever a side is active on transfer deadline day.

In some circumstances, there is genuine mitigation due to injuries or the need to find a late replacement for a player who has been sold. It’s hard to be so forgiving for the extent of the business Manchester United ended up doing.

Sergio Reguilon was an emergency addition after a flurry of defensive setbacks, so he can be excused given the lateness of the deal. Altay Bayindir was an easy one to line up when it was obvious Dean Henderson would leave, though it begs the question why it took so long for those transfers to be completed.

Sofyan Amrabat brings much-needed cover in midfield, though he was the best of the rest available after elite options Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, and Moises Caicedo had moved for much larger fees.

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United deserve credit for their strong start to the summer, though it will most likely be remembered for their late dash to add extra bodies to a side that has still failed to move on high-value reserve options.

What is also worrying is that United end the summer with some other areas for obvious improvement. They are still light in attack, with a huge amount of pressure on Rasmus Hojlund to perform, and most worryingly, they don’t appear to have much depth in defence.

Raphael Varane has been an outstanding defender during his career, but he is visibly on the decline and quite simply can’t be relied upon consistently. He will miss the trip to Arsenal tomorrow, the eighth separate injury or illness setback since he joined the club two years ago.

Lisandro Martinez was superb during his debut season, and Victor Lindelof enjoyed