We've heard from the likes of Keane, Schmikes and all the so called expert that we need 5-6 players this summer but has anyone specified which positions?
For me we need 1 CB, as i can see Rio leave too.
1 LB, to replace Evra.
2 CM's, with Ando gone this is an area we need a min. of 1 DM and 1 AM.
2 wingers, i can see Young, Valencia and possibly Zaha, if not all leave in the summer.
1 striker, not as important but if RVP and Hernandez leave then another area we need to look at.
That is a total of 7 player....that is some job for Moyes.
Well it all depends on alot of things that are currently uncertain. We know alot of players will leave and be replaced but don't know exactly which players.
We know Vidic is certain to leave and Anderson won't come back
Evra, Rio and Nani are likely to leave
RVP, Hernandez and Kagawa might leave but they also might stay
Valencia, Büttner, Young and Cleverley alot of us want to leave but probably won't happen
Which means we'll probably be looking for players for a lot of different positions and I'am convinced we'll sign around 5 or 6 players in the summer. But who and for what positions really depends who will leave, how much money will have to spend, which players we'll able to get without CL football, which other teams will be in the market for our targets. If we can't attract our targets for the money we wish to spend we might look to alternative solutions like promoting from within and than it depends on which players are ready to step for the first team. On top of that we don't even know what system Moyes will want to convert to, is it a modern 4-4-2, a 4-3-3 a 4-2-3-1, the system might depend on the players that will stay and on the players that we'll be able to get in and in turn the players that will stay and we'll try to bring in might depend on the system we want to play. In short it is very diffuclt to say which players/postions we'll be getting exactly as there are many uncertain influential factors.
I think it is fair to say we might have to solve the following issues:
Improve the quality in the midfield
Replace Evra with a new leftback
Solve the issue of a lack of decent cover for the fullback positions
Replace Vidic and potentially also Ferdinand, which we can do by playing Smalling and Jones as CB but than we definitley have to make certain that we don't need them anymore on other positions (RB and Midfield)
If Nani and or Kagawa leave we'll need to look into a new winger
If RVP and Hernandez leave we'll need to bring in a new striker
Worst case scenario is we'll need around 7 new players: Striker, Winger, 2 Midfielders, CB, LB, RB
Striker however is very uncertain as we don't need to bring one in if RVP or Hernandez will still be here next season (you don't need more than 3 strikers). We might even only let them go if we have a good replacement ligned up. For example Moyes might only let RVP go if he has gotten Cavani for example.
For the winger, I think it is likely we'll get one. I don't think Moyes is happy with Valencia, Nani and Young, I can see Valencia and Young staying but hopefully only as squad players. For the rest it depends on the tactics if he wants to play with wingers that cut inside he might be happy with Mata, Januzaj and kagawa, so alot will depend on what role he sees for Kagawa and how happy he is with him, I guess the last couple of matches this season we'll teach us more on that respect. Might also depend on if there are any players available that prove to be an upgrade on what we have. However I think it is likely we'll get one, Griezmann, Lucas, Gaitan, perhaps Turan, Di Maria or Xhaqiri. However I don't think we'll be able to get Reus from Dortmund.
Midfielders we'll definitley get one (defensive controlling midfielder) and we'll be looking to bring in two but only if we find the right player. I think we'll only go for a second midfielder if we find a real playmaker in the mould of Scholes like Kroos or Rakitic for example. If we don't find the right player I think we might just settle for a defensive midfielder and convert to a 4-2-3-1 with Mata or Kagawa as the nr10 to provide the nesc creativity from the center (the defensive midfielder can partner Carrick or Fellaini).
CB I think we'll only spend big on one if the right player is available like Benatia or Mangala, if they prove to be unachievable than I think we'll solve the departure of Vidic in another way. Smalling and Jones will definitely need to become fulltime CB (which is also the reason why we definitley need to sign a def midfielder and provide a new cover for the RB). We may just sign a CB purly as a cover option if he won't cost too much money, I can't see us spending alot of money on players that won't provide anything extra on what we don't currently already have with Smalling, Jones and Evans. If we don't find any suitable player to sign up we might just chose to take up Keane as a coverup player and decide to spend our money on other positions.
For the fullback postions we'll definitley sign a new leftback be it Coentrao, Baines, Shaw or somebody else like Moreno, Sandro or Luis. We'll also need players to cover for Rafael and whoever we sign as first choice lefttback (we can't play Smalling anymore on RB and I'am also not sure we are really happy with Büttner). If we settle for Büttner we might just sign a player for the rightback, if we don't settle for Büttner we might also sign two players one for leftback and one for right back, we might also not sign another rightback at all but promote Varela for that position or we might solve both positions at once by signing a versatile fullback like Santon or De Sciglio who can play both as leftback or rightback.