Manchester United might be back for the first time in a decade, but that doesn’t mean the route to the top can’t be sped up.
It’s almost ten years since Sir Alex Ferguson announced his retirement from management, and his beloved side have been wandering without direction ever since.
Now, though, it appears that by finally landing a young and visionary manager, they may have finally stumbled on the solution, with Erik ten Hag transforming the club.
The Red Devils are well ahead of rivals Liverpool and Chelsea, which was unthinkable for much of their recent history, and even more shocking than that, they’re within touching distance of Manchester City.
Much of that has been down to Ten Hag’s ability to improve players such as Marcus Rashford, while his transfer market activity has been near-faultless, although their draw to Leeds suggests they’ve still got a long way to go.
It could soon get even better. The club’s owners, the Glazer family, are inviting bids from prospective buyers, and The Daily Mail reports that Qatari investors may be able to match the £6billion price tag and make ‘significant investment’ into the squad.
Their ties to Paris Saint-Germain’s owners from the same country will be put to the test if they make a winning bid, but spending on a scale similar to the French giants could be on the horizon.
That could be a dream come true for Ten Hag and United fans, with a number of problem areas in the squad needing fixing before they again challenge for Premier League and Champions League titles.
And that starts in goal, with Ten Hag having to scrap his career-long strategy of passing out from the back just two games into his tenure.
That was mainly due to a disastrous performance from David de Gea in a 4-0 defeat to Brentford, with the Spaniard showing his passing is nowhere near the level of his shot stopping.
There appears to be a very easy solution to that problem, though, with one of Europe’s top ball-playing goalkeepers, Jordan Pickford, potentially available on the cheap.
The England No.1 is set to enter the final year of his contract at Goodison Park in the summer, and with an extension not forthcoming, the Toffees may be forced to cash in now rather than losing him on the cheap.
Ahead of him, the defence is relatively set with the Old Trafford faithful already in love with Lisandro Martinez, and there’s no issue pairing him with the world class Raphael Varane.
At right back, though, it seems clear Ten Hag seems room for improvement with regular links to countryman and Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong.
The 22-year-old has been dominating the right side of the pitch going forward in the Bundesliga with five goals and two assists, and he would have plenty of licence to continue that considering what could be in front of him.
If £60million Casemiro isn’t enough of a shield for an already well-oiled defence, he could be joined by Declan Rice, with United long-time admirers of the West Ham captain.
It appears that this summer could finally be the time when Rice moves up a level to Champions League football, and United will likely be in the running to make a bid, if new ownership and funds are available.
And if you’ve got enough money for one £100million player, you’ve probably got enough for two, with Rice’s fellow England international Jude Bellingham also likely to move this summer.
The Borussia Dortmund youngster and generational talent is attracting interest from every club, with former frontrunners Liverpool likely to find a deal tough without Champions League football.
United are well on course to beating their rivals to the top four though, and with an influx of cash, getting involved in the Bellingham sweepstakes is a no-brainer for any top side.
In attack, academy graduate Rashford has made himself undroppable under Ten Hag (unless he oversleeps) but there’s room for improvement around him.
Like Rice, this could also be Harry Kane’s summer, with a contract situation up in the air.
Tottenham’s newly-crowned all-time top scorer has almost joined Manchester City in the past, and it’s hard to argue he wouldn’t be a perfect fit at Old Trafford.
And alongside him? Well it’s only a young French chap called Kylian Mbappe, who again, may be about to embark on a career-defining summer.
Mbappe spurned Real Madrid last summer to stay at Paris Saint-Germain, infuriating the Spanish giants who say the door is now shut on him.
However, with insiders claiming Mbappe’s two-year deal is in fact one year with the option of another, this summer could see him again be 12 months away from becoming a free agent.
With Madrid out of the picture as things stand, there’s few options for Mbappe to leave PSG and remain at the top level. But if United can afford him, they could make a signing to dominate the Premier League.
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