Ralf Rangnick offered three transfer suggestions for Manchester United in January, but the board declined the opportunity to strengthen the squad at thee midway point this season.
In hindsight, I am sure that Rangnick will argue that this contributed to United failing to qualify for the Champions League, but he will still be disappointed with his results since becoming interim manager.
Soon it will be over to Erik ten Hag to turn things around at Old Trafford. He will need the club’s full backing in the transfer market and it sounds like Rangnick knows that will be a challenge for the Dutchman.
However in January, United lost Anthony Martial on loan to Sevilla and Mason Greenwood due to being suspended by the club. This double curveball left the team short in the attacking department.
Rangnick says he attempted to bring in an attacker in the January transfer window, but the board said no.
“The answer at the time was no there was no player on the market that could really help us – there were a few, Diaz who is now at Liverpool, Alvarez who will be at Manchester City in the summer, Vlahovic who at the time still was with Fiorentina. Those are just three of them that came across my mind now,” said Rangnick, as quoted by Sky Sports.
It beggars belief that two of the players suggested by Rangnick signed for our rivals — Liverpool and Man City — who are competing for the biggest honours every year.
Luis Diaz has been an incredible signing for Liverpool, while Julian Alvarez is expected to join his Manchester City team-mates in the summer.
The board has a track record for marginalising recent managers but fans will hope that can change now that Ed Woodward has left the club. I honestly wouldn’t hold my breath because Richard Arnold is from the very same branch.
A lot of emphasis has been put on John Murtough this summer, so he will be the one that faces the public backlash if United struggle to back Ten Hag in the transfer market.
By signing a striker in the summer, United could have boosted their chances of qualifying for the Champions League, but now they will need to settle for the Europa League.
“I spoke to the board and said shouldn’t we at least speak and try and analyse if we could get a player either on loan or as a permanent deal but in the end the answer was no,” he added.
I really appreciate Rangnick’s brutal honesty in the media.
