Former Manchester United forward Andy Ritchie has spoken about his desire to see more transfer business at Old Trafford this summer.
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The former Huddersfield Town coach has also expressed his excitement heading into the end-of-season market, even though it represents another period of transition for United.
Louis van Gaal has already splashed the cash this summer—signing Memphis Depay from PSV Eindhoven, but more arrivals are expected.
“There’s definitely room for one, maybe two [new strikers] depending on the situation,” Ritchie began, speaking to the club’s official website.
“Memphis Depay is coming in and I’m excited about him. Primarily he’s left-sided but maybe he could do a job down the middle as well, given the circumstances,” he added.
“There’s going to be a need for defensive ins as well. It’s going to be a really busy summer, I think, and a very exciting one.”
The Red Devils have also seen Radamel Falcao leave the club following the end of his season-long loan deal, with van Gaal opting not to use the £43m-option to sign him permanently at the end of a miserable four-goal campaign, according to the Daily Star.
There are expected to be other departures.
Robin van Persie—another who endured a troubled campaign—has admitted that his situation at Old Trafford is strange and difficult [via The Guardian], and has been linked with a move to Italy, according to the Mirror.
Similarly, Angel Di Maria’s future remains far from certain; despite contributing 10 assists during his maiden campaign, the winger was criticised by the coach for a series of underwhelming displays, according to the Independent.
Both Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with the player [the Mirror, via Eurosport], who won the Champions League with Real Madrid in 2014.
Finally, and perhaps the most pressing of all van Gaal’s imminent summer concerns, is the imminent need for a new goalkeeper.
David De Gea has been heavily linked to the exit door at Old Trafford [via the Mirror], and with van Gaal even admitting that it would be difficult to keep him in light of interest from Spain [via Sky Sports], a move to Real Madrid would not come as a surprise.
One player who is unlikely to be leaving the club permanently is young striker James Wilson. The 19-year-old made a few promising contributions to United’s mixed campaign—including a goal against Queens Park Rangers in the league—and has been handed some advice by Ritchie.
“I think he’s got to work on his body as well because he’s very lean,” the 54-year-old continued.
“I was a little bit bulkier than him at his age, I had a bit more meat on me. So he probably needs to get a little bit of bulk and be a bit stronger.”