(Football news) Manchester United have lost 5 players from their squad and are likely to lose a few more. The Red Devils have been linked to a few players but none of the reports have been concrete. There is obviously going to be a rebuild at the club under new manager Erik ten Hag and they will be needing quite a few signings in this window to get back to the top. One of the major targets named by Ten Hag is Ajax center back Jurrien Timber.

The 20 year old has played under Ten Hag at Ajax for the past two seasons. Timber is on the radar of many top European clubs but the deal will be very complicated. Manchester United's failure to secure Champions League football is going to be one of the problems. Perhaps the biggest problem is that Timber may struggle to get game time in his first season. By the looks of it United have no intentions of selling Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire or Victor Lindelof which means that there is a high chance that Timber isn't going to be first choice. The Dutchman is currently a part of the Netherlands squad and if he goes to Manchester United and doesn't get enough game time then he might miss the World Cup.

Making a move in the transfer window before the World Cup is the risky one, especially for a youngster who isn't a marquee player. Aurélien Tchouaméni looks to have taken that risk by going to Real Madrid from Monaco. The Timber deal will rely on Ten Hag's conversation with the player. He will certainly need a few guarantees from the club and the manager before making a move. Pau Torres is another centre back who has been linked with Manchester United.

One thing is pretty clear that Manchester United needs a central defender. The Red Devils had a goal difference of 0 last season, having conceded 57 goals which was more than the relegated Burnley. Manchester United will be hoping that Raphael Varane stays fit for the whole of next season and settles into the team. Last season was the worst possible one for Harry Maguire and he will have to answer a lot of questions in the next season. Whether he will remain captain next season is still unclear and it might be best if he isn't. United with one or maybe even two new defenders will definitely improve from last season's disaster.

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