Priority targets and Ronaldo - the issues Manchester United have to address before the transfer window closes

Discard the dead wood

United have not negotiated a significant sale all summer (Andreas Pereira spent the last two years on loan in Italy and Brazil). Figures at the club expect more activity with outgoings as deadline day looms and Alex Telles is expected to join Sevilla on a season-long loan.

That United haven't sold the redundant Telles and Liverpool can bank £17million for fellow full-back Neco Williams highlights the yawning chasm between England's two biggest clubs and how they operate. Nobody would have guessed Liverpool had changed sporting directors prior to the summer and their major business was concluded before July.

Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe, Brandon Williams, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Tahith Chong are all available for transfer. There has not been anywhere near enough noise around any of them even though it was established months ago all were deemed surplus.

Also read: If United are ambitious, then they will show it in the next four weeks

Jones has started two games in two-and-a-half years and has wilfully missed the entirety of pre-season to follow a curated training programme as he manages his knee injury. That is no good to United and Jones is sixth-choice centre-back - at best. If he is serious about prolonging his career then he will accept a hit to his wages and play elsewhere.

Secure the priority targets

The United squad against Brighton could read: De Gea, Heaton, Dalot, Maguire, Lindelof, Malacia, Varane, Martinez, Shaw, McTominay, Fred, Van de Beek, Fernandes, Eriksen, Rashford, Sancho, Martial, Garnacho, Elanga, Ronaldo. That does not scream top four, never mind squad rebuild after the club's worst season in decades.

United's antiquated approach of targeting players selected solely by