Man Utd's Transfer Countdown: Which Missing Pieces Must Red Devils Secure Before Window Slams Shut?

Manchester United's recruitment strategy has concentrated almost entirely on strengthening their previously weak attacking department.

Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Šeško have been brought in to address persistent finishing problems, and although the Red Devils have yet to find the net in Premier League action, there have been encouraging moments.

Nevertheless, United's offensive additions have limited the budget available for other positions in Ruben Amorim's team. They would still gain from strengthening their squad in multiple key areas and have minimal time to make moves as the transfer window approaches its end.

Here is what United needs to accomplish in the window's final week.

Sign Another Goalkeeper

United's goalkeeper problems were exposed during the loss to Arsenal. Altay Bayındır's error proved to be the crucial moment in a tight contest, with the Turkish keeper doing himself no favors on an infrequent appearance. With André Onana and Tom Heaton as the remaining choices available, United's choice not to recruit a new goalkeeper appears increasingly questionable.

Thankfully, they still have opportunity to fix this issue, with multiple options available to pursue. Naturally, Paris Saint-Germain's Ginaluigi Donnarumma represents an obtainable target following his public dispute with the European champions, though Manchester City seem to be frontrunners for the Italian's services.

Porto's Diogo Costa recently attracted a bid from Galatasaray and continues to be associated with Old Trafford, while 23-year-old Royal Antwerp keeper Senne Lammens is allegedly among the club's potential signings.

Any new arrival would be appreciated by Amorim as he seeks stability in goal.

Reinforce Midfield

United have demonstrated their keenness to bolster the midfield by expressing substantial interest in Brighton & Hove Albion's Carlos Baleba. Although the 21-year-old's enormous valuation has deterred the Red Devils, it highlights Amorim's wish to bring depth and quality to a midfield lacking in both areas.

Whether United possess the resources to invest heavily in a new midfielder depends mainly on player sales, but they will definitely be assessing all available options—particularly considering how vulnerable their midfield appeared last campaign.

Morten Hjulmand, one of Amorim's preferred players at Sporting CP, has allegedly caught United's attention, while Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton represents a target but one that will most likely exceed their financial limits.

Amorim seeks an athletic and dynamic player to complement Bruno Fernandes in his two-man midfield setup, but time is running short for him to identify the suitable candidate.

Offload Exiled Players

United have succeeded in moving only one of the five players who requested departures back in early July, with Marcus Rashford joining Barcelona on loan for this season. Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia all stay at the club despite being sidelined.

To enable any new signings, United must sell at least some of the unwanted quartet before the window closes, with all of them ideally finding new clubs. Garnacho appears most likely to depart amid strong interest from Chelsea, with the player eager to move to Stamford Bridge after turning down Bayern Munich.

Jadon Sancho also seemed close to leaving but has been unable to reach personal terms with Roma, with the Italian club also considering Malacia alongside interest from Beşiktaş in the left-back. Antony is anxious to return to Real Betis, where he excelled during his loan spell, but an agreement remains far from completion.

Rasmus Højlund is also set to depart. He had wanted to remain and compete for his position at Old Trafford but now appears likely to join Milan or Napoli following Šeško's signing.

If United can dispose of their surplus players quickly, they should be able to reinvest before the deadline.