Patrice Evra's Vision for Manchester United: Striker and Defensive Changes
Patrice Evra has never been shy about what Manchester United should look like. In his eyes, the picture is clear: if the club want to move with authority again, they need a ruthless No.9 – and they should be prepared to pay big to get him.
Evra’s call: “Osimhen is the best”
Victor Osimhen, now thriving in Turkey, sits right at the top of Evra’s wishlist. The Nigerian striker tore Serie A apart at Napoli, firing them to the title and scoring 76 goals across four seasons. He has carried that same edge to Istanbul, where he has hit 59 goals in just 74 games for Galatasaray.
Those numbers don’t come cheap. Osimhen is under contract until 2029, so any move would demand a huge bid. Evra’s argument is simple: United should not be scared of that.
With Benjamin Sesko the only natural centre-forward in Michael Carrick’s squad, Evra told GOAL, in association with Stake, exactly what he feels is missing before the window shuts: “A striker, someone who scores a goal. I think that's what I'm looking at. That's why for me, Osimhen is the best. He’s a perfect example.”
The message cuts through. United have attacking talent, but not that cold-blooded finisher who lives between the posts.
Backing the midfield and reshaping the defence
Evra accepts that United will feel the absence of Casemiro, yet he sees promise in the next wave. He namechecks Andrey Santos as a player who impressed him in pre-season and one capable of stepping into that void.
“We're going to miss Casemiro, but I believe in [Andrey] Santos and what I saw in pre-season, he can do something good over there. And Bruno [Fernandes], he’s still Bruno. [Patrick] Dorgu and [Bryan] Mbeumo are playing, we’ve got Amad Diallo. So we have got something offensively.”
So, in Evra’s mind, the front half of the pitch is not bare. It just needs a spearhead.
At the back, the former left-back turns into a squad builder. He sees gaps and names the positions without fuss: “Defensively, they may need to find a good alternative left-back. Maybe another centre-back. Harry Maguire, for me, is doing his job and you know, he’s criticised a lot, but he shows you the resilience. I think maybe we need to find a good right-back, a good attacking and defensive right-back.”
Maguire, often the lightning rod for criticism, gets firm backing. The full-back areas, though, are flagged as urgent work.
Rashford’s reset at Old Trafford
Away from transfers, Evra points to a player who has been at United almost his entire life but now feels like a fresh signing.
Marcus Rashford, on the club’s books since the age of seven, is being folded back into the squad after loan spells at Aston Villa and Barcelona. At 28, he had looked for a permanent move, yet his record – 426 appearances and 138 goals for United – means his story at Old Trafford is not easily closed.
Evra, a Premier League and Champions League winner with the club, believes the slate can be wiped clean for Rashford in Manchester.
“I think United fans, they forgive. They forgive. But after, you know, there's all the pressure on social media and stuff like that, I think [Matheus] Cunha is doing very well.
“It's up to Marcus to accept that maybe he’s not the first choice. I'm not the first choice, but I'm going to prove to you guys that when I'm going to be on that pitch, I will bleed and die for Man United.
“So he just needs to be honest with himself. But the fans forgive. Some of them, yes, on social media, they're going to make some noise, but the real United fans, they really want Marcus Rashford to succeed at United.”
That is the challenge laid down: accept the fight, embrace the role, win the crowd again.
A squad on the brink of change
Evra’s vision for United is blunt but layered. A marquee striker like Osimhen to finish chances. Defensive surgery at full-back. Trust in emerging midfielders. And a demand that Rashford, and others in similar positions, respond with pride and steel.
United have options. What they decide in the coming weeks will say everything about how serious they are about climbing back to the top.
