Manchester United need three players to challenge for the title

Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville believes Manchester United only need to sign three players this summer in order to challenge for the Premier League title next season.

United are unlikely to make a late season push for the league’s top spot since the Reds currently trail first place Chelsea by eight points with six games remaining.

However, the club is on the verge of Champions League qualification and have exceeded their preseason target of a fourth-place finish in the Premier League.

United are currently in third place – four points ahead of Manchester City – and only trail second place Arsenal by a single point.

For the better part of the season, fans and football experts have pointed towards another summer of big money signings for the club. With most believing United would need to duplicate the £150 million it spent on new additions last summer.

However, former team captain Gary Neville feels United only need to sign three players in order to push for the Premier League title next season.

Neville has identified three areas his former club should address over the summer, if they are to once again challenge for league supremacy.

“If you asked me three months ago, I would have said [United] were a long way behind,” Neville said.

“Two or three months ago, they would have been thinking Chelsea are a long way in front of us. Now the recruitment battle that will happen in the summer becomes critical. If they get that right, United will feel confident they can challenge Chelsea for the title next season.

“I don’t think this summer is a case of United rebuilding or total restructure of the squad. They need to continue to improve in two or three positions: a central defender, a midfielder and a winger.

“It is a case of trading well, rather than wholesale buying. I don’t expect another £150 million spend. I don’t think this is required.”

Last month, Daily Mail reporter Mike Keegan tweeted that club sources had told him United had already agreed to three deals for the summer.

While the names of the three players were not revealed, speculation is the deals in place are for: Southampton right-back Nathaniel Clyne, PSV Eindhoven winger Memphis Depay and Athletic Bilbao centre-back Aymeric Laporte.

Also, after the news of Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp stepping down from his position at the end of the season, United officials are gaining more confidence they will be able to pry Mats Hummels away from the German side.

Hummels recently revealed he was considering a future away from the Bundesliga club, with most believing the defender is eyeing up a move to Old Trafford.