RAPHAEL VARANE is expected to fly to England in the next couple of days to put the finishing touches to his move to Manchester United.
Due to quarantine rules, it may be next week before his drawn-out transfer from Real Madrid – worth an initial £34.2million – is finally rubber-stamped.
Yet the arrival of the French World Cup winner this summer, along with £73m winger Jadon Sancho, means there are no more excuses for boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Norwegian must mount a serious Premier League title challenge after signing his bumper new three-year contract.
An initial outlay of £107m – to add to the £290.4m spent in the last two years – should considerably strengthen a squad that finished second in the Premier League last term.
Yet as United return to Old Trafford for a friendly with Brentford tonight, the big question Red Devils fans will ask is will the transfer business be enough to win a first Prem crown since 2013?
Can United claw back neighbours Manchester City and hold off the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea when the big prizes are handed out next spring?
By that time it will be five years since they last lifted a trophy and that just is not good enough for a club the size and stature of United – so the pressure will be greater than ever this term.
The club’s spend since 2018 under Solskjaer will be an eye-watering £397.4m when Varane, 28, signs.
Yet major frontline issues still need to be addressed – and top of the list is the future of their £89m club-record signing Paul Pogba, who is wanted by Ligue 1 giants Paris-Saint Germain.
That is not just because of the hole he would leave in the centre of the park if he does leave the Red Devils for a second time.
But also, the boss' hopes of further strengthening his squad will partly hinge on what money comes in for the French ace, 28, who would command more than £40m even though he has only one year left on his contract.
In an ideal world, Ole would like to add a couple more players to his squad before the end of next month.
OLE'S SHOPPING LIST
A new midfielder is on his shopping list, with Rennes ace Eduardo Camavinga, 18, one possibility.
More experienced stars such as 26-year-old Saul Niguez of Atletico Madrid and Wolves’ Ruben Neves, 24, have also been linked.
And United are believed to be monitoring 26-year-old Leon Goretzka’s contract stand-off with Bayern Munich.
Jesse Lingard, 28, is another who could raise some cash but United seem in no rush to sell.
So any other significant new faces are currently up in the air.
A move for England defender Kieran Trippier, currently at Atletico Madrid, remains possible as he could provide full-back cover on both sides.
The Bury-born former City trainee, 30, is keen to return to England and would welcome a move.
But LaLiga champions Atletico are in no rush to sell and will play hardball over the fee for the former Tottenham man.
Some fans believe Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s shortcomings as an attacking full-back make him the weak link in what will be a new-look defence.
Another issue for Solskjaer is who will be the man behind that back four next season?
The manager admitted in the last campaign that having two No 1s in Dean Henderson and David De Gea was not sustainable going forward.
DE GEA vs HENDERSON
Spaniard De Gea, 30, played 36 times last season – compared to 25 by his former understudy – and both view themselves as first-choice now.
Henderson, 24, is the first back to training and is expected to start against Leeds in the Premier League opener next month.
Yet De Gea is the club’s highest paid player and earns a reported £375,000 per week.
United will struggle to shift him given the financial struggles many clubs are having and it makes no sense to pay that kind of money to a reserve.
And what about Tom Heaton? The ex-England man, 35, has returned to the club where it all started for him and does not look like a man just there to make up the numbers.
That end of the pitch is one dilemma for Solskjaer but some supporters will be worried about the other end too, despite the arrival of wideman Sancho.
Champions City are trying to sign 28-year-old Spurs skipper Harry Kane, while Chelsea have made enquiries for Erling Haaland, 21, of Borussia Dortmund.
Both strikers are valued at upwards of £150m by their clubs.
Barring a huge change of plan, Solskjaer will stick with what he has in terms of striking options for the season ahead.
With Sancho arriving and Marcus Rashford injured, 19-year-old Mason Greenwood will play more central this year, sharing duties with Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial.
Greenwood, Cavani and Martial only managed 21 goals in the Premier League between them last term… United will need more from all three this time around.
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They struggled last season when teams sat deep against them – notably at the Theatre of Dreams where the Red Devils failed to win TEN of their 19 matches.
Solskjaer knows better than anyone that a predatory striker can make all the difference in the tightest games.
He will hope he does not live to regret spending his money elsewhere this summer.
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