Manchester United secured a top four finish at the end of the 2019/2020 season.
While United's final position was undoubtedly a team effort, there's no denying that one thing served as an important catalyst for it - the arrival of Bruno Fernandes.
When the Portuguese playmaker arrived at Old Trafford in January 2020, United transformed into a completely different outfit.
Fernandes led United to Champions League qualification, making fans hopeful for an even better finish ahead of the 2020/21 Premier League campaign.
In a bid to facilitate a solid 2020/2021 league campaign for United, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer dove into the summer transfer market and acquired the services of Donny van de Beek, Alex Telles, and Edinson Cavani. Solskjaer also brought in youngsters Amad Diallo and Facundo Pellestri.
With these purposeful signings and a motivated bunch of current players, Manchester United started their season off with a clear goal in mind - securing another top four finish.
At the time of writing, Manchester United are on track to achieve that goal as they currently sit in 3rd place with 26 points from 13 games, a measly 5 points adrift of the summit of the league table. This is a massive indication that United could accomplish their primary goal and maybe with a little bit of luck, exceed those expectations.
United began their season with 3-1 loss to Crystal Place at Old Trafford. This was a poor performance from the Red Devils but they quickly made up for it by clinching a win from Brighton in their next game. Roughly 8 days later, United were on the receiving end of a Spurs attacking masterclass. They lost 6-1 against Mourinho's men, which was quite embarrassing to say the least.
After getting only one win in their first three games, United turned their form around and came away with seven wins in their next 10 games.
United's stellar campaign so far is in no way a testament to their home form, seeing as they have won only two of the seven league games they've played at Old Trafford this season.
Away form on the other hand has been incredible as they have won 100% of their away games this season, due in large part to the efforts of their new signings.
How New Signings Have Helped United…
The most talked about signing United made in the summer window is the Edinson Cavani transfer from PSG.
The Uruguayan striker came to England to ply his trade after the Parisians contract ran out.
The transfer was met with a lot of excitement by United fans and that excitement has been justified. Cavani has made 7 appearances in the Premier League and has amassed four goal contributions [three goals, one assist]. Two out of those three goals helped United launch a comeback and secure a 3-2 win against Southampton in late November.
If Cavani continues producing the goods, United are almost certain to remain within the top four for the rest of the season.
Alongside Cavani, United also brought in Donny van de Beek and Alex Telles last summer, but neither of them are yet to make their presence felt at Manchester United.
Both players have struggled to find their feet in the league due to a lack of consistent playing time - Van de Beek has only made one Premier League start this season, while Telles has only made four.
Who Should United Sign In January?
Manchester United would do well to sign a new centre-back in January. Victor Lindelof has looked shaky on multiple occasions this season and considering United's lack of depth in defence, a new centre-back could help to further solidify their place in the top four.
On that note, one centre-back United should consider signing is Villarreal's Pau Torres. Standing at 6'2, Torres boasts a huge frame that allows him to win aerial duels and score headers.
Beyond his height, Torres is an amazing defender. He's very composed and has a knack for timing his tackles incredibly well. He'd be an excellent addition to United's first team set-up, and who knows, he might just be able to drive United towards a title push in the second half of the season.
Despite being 23, Torres is believed to be one of the best centre-backs in La Liga. hence United been shaky at the back this season with both being caught out of position on multiple occasions. Solskjaer getting another centre-back will surely make the current ones up their game so they can keep their starting spots.
Review
Top Goalscorer - Bruno Fernandes [9]
Most Assists - Bruno Fernandes [5]
Most Tackles - Aaron Wan-Bissaka [37]
Best Performance - Manchester United 6-2 Leeds United
Worst Performance - Manchester United 1-6 Tottenham Hotspurs
