When asked about whether he’s pleased to see Man United wrap up their transfer business early this summer, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “I think, as I've said before, every manager would be happy the sooner and earlier the deals are done and this year we've managed to get it sorted.
“I think the two we've got in will make a huge difference for us, both this season short-term but also long-term.
“Raphael is into his prime as a centre-back. He's the same age as Harry (Maguire), a year older than Eric (Bailly) and a couple years older than Victor (Lindelof) so there I've got a fantastic group of centre-backs.
“With Jadon as well, with the young forwards we've got it's exciting. As a manager you can't ask for more backing when you've got these two in as early as we have.
“We've scrambled before towards the end of the window and now I think, I have to say, we're in a good position. Pre-season is always difficult, though, in a championship year, never mind in the pandemic with the quarantining and isolation.”
Because of the early transfers, Solskjaer should have both Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane ready to start in the Premier League opener against Leeds United on August 14.
Before that, however, he’d like to give them some playing time in the final pre-season friendly against Everton at Old Trafford on August 7 so that they get the feel of how to thrive at the Theatre of Dreams.
