Man Utd's summer transfer budget has been revealed
By Ross Jackson
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be handed £150m in transfer funds this summer as the club look to bridge the gap between themselves and Manchester City.
The Red Devils have made significant progress over the last few years, though their second place finish in the Premier League this season didn't tell the whole story with champions City finishing a significant 12 points ahead of them.
Solskjaer's squad has a number of areas which will need addressing if they're to mount a genuine title challenge next season with a striker, winger, defensive midfielder, centre-back and right-back all on their summer wish list.
A whole host of big names have already been linked with a move to Old Trafford including Harry Kane, Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho, Declan Rice and Raphael Varane.
However, Solskjaer will need to be creative in the transfer market given the eye-watering sums of money all of the aforementioned players would cost, with ESPN reporting he will only be given £150m to spend (only?).
While the club hope to strengthen five areas of the squad, the United boss has been told the minimum requirement this summer is that he signs three first-team players.
Solskjaer will therefore need to prioritise his shortlist of potential arrivals, though more money is expected to be made available to him once a number of outgoings have been sanctioned.
Diogo Dalot, Andreas Pereira and Jesse Lingard could all be heading for the Old Trafford exit door this summer, meaning additional funds are likely to be added to Solskjaer's transfer warchest.
Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and football director John Murtough are aiming for a net spend of between £100-£150m as they look to tighten the purse strings given the club's loss of income throughout the coronavirus pandemic.
It's believed Sancho will be top of the agenda this summer with Borussia Dortmund lowering the demands they set when United attempted to sign him last year.