When it comes to disappointments, Manchester United fans know all about it. In the last five seasons, they have won zero trophies, while Manchester City and Liverpool won five Premier League titles and potentially two Champions League titles. Even bringing Cristiano Ronaldo back did not turn around their fortunes, as Manchester United are even in danger of losing a Europa League spot.

Next season, they need to finally show why they are one of the best clubs in the world and come back strong. Here are three moves Manchester United must make in the 2022 summer transfer window.

Moves Manchester United must make in 2022 summer transfer window

Get a defensive midfielder 

Nemanja Matic is leaving the club after five years at the club. Maybe that will be the wake-up call for the Manchester United board to invest in a defensive midfielder, after spending hundreds of millions of pounds purchasing offensive players. This is a position that is incredibly important in world football, especially in the English Premier League. Players like Fabinho, Rodri, and even Declan Rice are all reasons why their teams can be so stable and can play such great football.

Right now, without Matic, Manchester United have Fred, and while he has redeemed himself somewhat in the second half of the season, he is not the quality for Manchester United. There are options on the market to get stronger in this position for the Red Devils.

The premiere option is Aurelien Tchouameni, a 22-year-old from Monaco. He is incredibly stable, strong, and a very tall defensive midfielder who can provide much-needed cover for the offensive runs of Bruno Fernandes. He will be pricey, as reports indicate that Monaco will be seeking around €80 million for a transfer. Also, there will be competition, as Real Madrid are very interested to bring him in as the Casemiro replacement. Yet, Manchester United have such a gaping hole in this position that even the €80 million cannot be a problem. Getting Tchouameni should be priority number one.

Get a center back 

Manchester United center backs have fallen off quite a bit since their successful years under Sir Alex Ferguson. From the duo of Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, Man United fans are forced to look at Harry Maguire play as captain week in, week out. His partner was supposed to be Raphael Varane, a €40 million signing from Real Madrid, but just 20 games played for the Frenchman is incredibly bad.

Other options include Victor Lindelof, Eric Bailly, and even Phil Jones made five appearances for the club over the course of the season. This rotation of center backs is the primary reason why Manchester United are in the position they are. Thus, priority two, after defensive midfielder, should be center back.

Buying a French center back from Spain might cause some traumas to come up from last summer for Manchester United fans, but Jules Kounde is much different from Varane. He is young, strong, and he has the pace and physicality to stand his ground against most Premier League strikers. Additionally, he is a major target for Chelsea, so stealing a player sorely needed from a rival would be a bonus. An €80 million price tag might be enough to get some clubs around Europe worried, but due to the incredibly deep pockets of Manchester United owners, this should be of no problem for them. Kounde is too good to pass, so they should bring him in.

Resign Edinson Cavani or bring in another rotational striker 

Now, the striker role in Manchester United is spoken for, and it will be Cristiano Ronaldo who takes it until he leaves the club. However, he is getting up there in age and needs a replacement. Marcus Rashford is too inconsistent to really be a viable option, and he is sorely needed as a player who provides width, rather than plays centrally.

Thus, the focus should be on resigning Edinson Cavani. The Uruguayan has had some injury issues this year, appearing in just 19 games and bagging two goals, but he will have a whole summer to get fit and be that spark off the bench. He is experienced and could continue to be a great voice in the locker room, together with Ronaldo.

If Cavani does not resign, the best option on the market would be Jonathan David. He is a fairly young striker whose stats in club play might look somewhat poor, as he has only scored 32 goals in 95 appearances for Lille. However, there is some important context to consider. David was mostly playing behind striker Burak Yilmaz, and if we look at his record for Canada, where he bagged 20 in 30 appearances, he could be the striker for Manchester United at this moment in time.

Another option would be Luis Suarez, but given his ties with Liverpool, where he played for three years, it would be a very controversial move for the Uruguayan.