Unfortunately, Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure was not the only thing Manchester United had to deal with during the past couple of seasons. Aside from the manager’s departure, the Devils also needed to deal with a change in generations, a change that kind of took the club by surprise. Starting a rebuild is difficult especially when the expectations are as high as they are at Old Trafford. Players like Rooney or Carrick were not as influential as the teammates needed them to be thus the lack of leadership often observed during important moments. Bonds were broken and new connections are just starting to show. The thing is that some of the transfers made right after Ferguson’s departure were not the most calculated of moves. Because of that, United is still looking to build a strong backbone that will keep the team on top.

According to The Daily Express, Manchester United are planning the final assault on Europe’s best, an assault that should fill in the gaps and bring the club back where it belongs. Most statistics show that a team with a strong central axis is a lot harder to dominate or defeat. When you think of the teams that won the Champions League during the past couple of years, you can always name a defender, a midfielder and a striker. If rumors are true, there are 3 major targets Manchester are focusing right now, 5 targets who could become the team’s backbone.

Defenders: Mats Hummels (27); Raphael Varane (22) – Both are desperate for trophies and have a lot of experience. The German International would surely be in the same league as Ferdinand or Vidic while Varane would represent a new-age type of defender, a defender who is precise, aggressive, intuitive but also attack oriented.

Midfielders: Paul Pogba (23); Toni Kroos (26) – Although very different types of players, these two serve the same purpose. They are the kind of box-to-box players who can both destroy and create. They sometimes go by unnoticed while making a huge difference on the pitch. Their position is not that glamorous but it sure can influence the outcome of a game.

Strikers: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (26) – Brilliant striker in amazing form. Fast, efficient and one of the hardest working stars in the business. Hungry for trophies and ready to leave, this guy is an opportunity that should not be missed. Even if Manchester have Rashford and Martial, it would still be amazing to see Dortmund’s player move to Old Trafford. Just think of the competition.