It was not the desired result Manchester United fans had hoped for after they lost the Europa League final to Villarreal on penalties in Gdansk.

After a tumultuous season that certainly had its ups and downs, the Red Devils were expected to lift their first trophy won under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and kickstart the attempt to close Manchester City.

That did not happen, and more questions appeared from the game than answers given – especially surround their performances in the ‘bigger’ matches this season. For the most part, it has been underwhelming to say the least and results have usually gone against them.

And so, looking ahead to what will be a busy summer of transfers, Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer simply must get it right if they are to apply the pressure on their across-town rivals.

There will be several outgoings, starting with right back Diogo Dalot, who is expected to join AC Milan on a permanent transfer of around £18 million. Other teams might well swoop in to get the young Portuguese full back, but Milan are perfectly happy with his performances this season.

Jesse Lingard is the next to follow Dalot out the door, with a sizeable fee being commanded for him. With Manchester United’s significant interest in West Ham United’s Declan Rice, the club will attempt to include Lingard to help reduce the initial outlay for the English holding midfielder.

It is of paramount importance that the Red Devils sign a defensive midfielder – one who can sit in front of the defence and is agile enough to cover and prevent counter attacks being made. Rice has shown he has the capabilities to perform this, while Manchester United have been susceptible to these attacks all year long.

Potentially the most controversial outgoing transfer that could arise this summer is David de Gea, who had unfortunately missed his crucial penalty against Unai Emery’s side which enabled the Yellow Submarines to clinch the victory.

There is no doubt that the Spaniard has been a stalwart over such turbulent years, but there are calls to cash in on him and remove his sizeable £350,000 per-week income off the wage bill. AS Roma, now led by ex-manager Jose Mourinho, is said to be interested if a deal can be done.

On the incoming side of things, Solskjaer needs talented players who are ready to step up from the get-go. Rice is one of those, alongside Jadon Sancho, who has been coveted for the past 18 months at Borussia Dortmund.

Manchester United have yearned for a right-sided winger for many years, with Sancho being the favourite to plug the gap in the club’s attack.

For the final position that needs reinforcement – outside of any goalkeeper activity – central defence is an area that will be looked at. Villarreal’s own Pau Torres has been heavily scouted this season and performed at a very high level in the final which Man United’s officials would have noted.

These three players are not going to be bought on a discount, but it is the cost of closing the gap to the Premier League’s PINC best and simply must be done.