Manchester United signed a huge new striker in FIFA 21 and Marcus Rashford saw his ratings take another leap this year. While the club received just 4.5 stars out of 5 for quality, United made signings to improve all three levels of the pitch. New players like Edinson Cavanni, Donny van de Beek and Alex Telles will improve the squad, but they provide a completely different style of play compared to last season.

Manchester United has been a counter-attacking team during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's time at the wheel. This translates well to FIFA, where players like Bruno, Rashford and Dan James can rush past slower defenders to score. The side's creative player is Paul Pogba, who could be deployed at CDM in FIFA. Harry Maguire is the captain of the team and the best option at CB. This team needs a second option at center back to pair with Maguire.

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Pogba remains the biggest mystery for United. His FIFA avatar went from 88 OVR last year to 86 in FIFA 21. It seems like he's locked up in a midfield that can't use him to his highest potential. To 'Unlock' Paul Pogba, simply play him as a defensive midfielder behind Bruno and van de Beek. With Pogba's high dribbling and passing stats, he should receive the first pass a defender makes after winning the ball back for United.

Bruno is the highest-rated player on United, so make sure to keep him in the team. Move the third midfielder (usually van de Beek) up to be level with Bruno to give more passing options. The only reason to have two defensive midfielders like Pogba and Fred would come against superior attacking teams like Bayern Munich.

As for attack, use Cavanni instead of Martial. While Martial has pace, a team with Rashford and James already has plenty of speedy legs. Cavanni is a clinical striker who won't move away from the goal too much.  He's got higher shooting ratings than Martial, which is the most important stat for strikers.

Managing Manchester United on Manager career mode is an exciting prospect. Many of the club's main players are young enough that they'll be worth hanging on to. Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, Wan-Bissaka, and Bruno all have the potential to become 88 or greater OVR, so build the squad around them. Backup GK Dean Henderson can also be developed into a world-class keeper.

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This team is a mess at CB. Make sure to sell players like Rojo and Smalling in the first available window to clear the deadwood at this club. In fact, managers could even cash in on guys like Lingard, McTominay, and Williams to make room for new signings. The most important position to get new players into is Center Back. It would be easy to decide that Martial isn't good enough either, and buy a new Striker such as Joao Felix (but not Lukaku).

FIFA 21 Felix
Joao Felix could be a perfect transfer target for Manchester United on FIFA 21's Manager career mode.

Some good options for Manchester United to pick up after a year goes by in Manager career mode are mostly young defenders. Guys like Upamecano from RB Leipzig or Laporte from Man City could be the best options. Upamecano is only rated 79 OVR, but comes with the ridiculous 90 potential OVR. He's going to be the best defender in FIFA 21 after three years of simulation. Laporte is a Rolls Royce defender with the passing to play in midfield. He comes with an 87 OVR and also has the potential to be 90 OVR. Laporte is already one of the top-5 CB's in the world and obtaining him for Man United comes with the extra bonus of kneecapping cross-town rival Manchester City.

Overall, Manchester United is a strong team in FIFA 21. They're probably the fourth-best in England's Premier League. There's speedy wingers and top midfielders at the club already, which are more powerful in FIFA 21. Just a few reinforcements should turn them into a FIFA juggernaut.

Next: How FIFA 21 Gameplay Compares To FIFA 20

FIFA 21 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch.