Manchester United could reportedly be well-placed to take full advantage of the coronavirus shutdown when the transfer window reopens this summer.
The Red Devils, like every other club in world football, have felt the pinch financially from the global pandemic, but they are still expected to be one of only a handful of teams capable of spending significant money this summer.
As well as having a relative lack of competitors for some of their top targets, they could also benefit from other clubs needing to sell players in order to make up for lost revenue.
Two players United have been heavily linked with are Saul Niguez and Jadon Sancho, with reports suggesting that a deal for the former is 'practically done' whereas the latter remains their number one priority.
The pair could now be available for a combined fee of £130m - a saving of more than £100m compared to what the 20-time champions were initially quoted - and here Sports Mole looks at how United could line up should both signings go through.
The general consensus is that United need three or four world-class signings to bridge what is currently a 37-point gap to Liverpool, although the arrivals of Saul and Sancho would certainly move them significantly closer.
Indeed, the above XI would be among the strongest in the Premier League, with Saul slotting in alongside Paul Pogba in midfield and Sancho adding to an exciting quartet which has begun to really take shape under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Saul is also capable of playing as a left-midfielder should Solskjaer want to use Marcus Rashford through the middle, although the Atletico Madrid man's most impressive work in recent seasons has been defensively, where he tops the average tackles and interceptions per game stats from Diego Simeone's first-team regulars.
The 25-year-old would therefore appear to be an ideal holding player alongside Pogba, although that also relies on the Frenchman both staying at the club amid interest from Juventus and Real Madrid as well as staying fit following an injury-plagued 2019-20 campaign.
The addition of Saul would further increase the strength in depth at Solskjaer's disposal in midfield, though, with Nemanja Matic, Fred and Scott McTominay all impressing this season.
Saul's discipline would enable Pogba, Rashford and January arrival Bruno Fernandes to have a bit more attacking freedom, with the latter having already established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.
While the Portuguese has certainly added to United's attacking quality, Sancho would bring them an X-factor which would immediately catapult them into having one of the best forward units in the league.
The 20-year-old has scored 31 goals and created 43 more since breaking into the Dortmund first team - incredible numbers which comfortably surpass the best United figures from the same time frame.
A new striker could also be on the summer shopping list, but for now Anthony Martial appears to be the first choice leading the line, while at the back Solskjaer seems to have settled on his preferred unit - although there is competition at left-back between Luke Shaw and Brandon Williams.
Barney Corkhill
