For anyone associated with Manchester United, the noose around their necks, namely the Glazer family, has vanished and optimism has returned following Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s completion of a deal that sees his INEOS conglomerate own a 27.7% stake in the club and take control of football operations in the process. Finally, top United-themed podcasts no longer have to rant about the unscrupulous Glazer mob, while protests before and after matches can come to end as the club aims to progress as a unified behemoth once again.
Make no mistake about it, Manchester United are still one of the biggest clubs in the world and Ratcliffe has clear plans to make sure that’s evident on the pitch. Right now, though, the Red Devils are still some way behind their rivals and lack the quality required to win a major trophy. As such, another summer of recruitment is on the cards, although hopefully there is a more solid plan given the people now overseeing matters at Old Trafford.
Even Sir Jim Ratcliffe himself has shared his views on a potential transfer strategy for the club after warning Real Madrid not to invest in Kylian Mbappe, while also highlighting his preferred approach now he’s in charge of his beloved Manchester United. The INEOS boss, who is Britain’s second richest man, said: “I’d rather try to sign the next Kylian Mbappe rather than spend a fortune trying to buy success. It’s not that smart to buy Mbappe. Anyone can realise that it’s much harder to find the next Mbappe, Bellingham or Roy Keane.”
Young talent appears to be the focus
A refreshing stance for many United fans, investing in young and hungry players is something that has worked for numerous clubs before. While the likes of Casemiro and Raphaël Varane have played their part at times, bringing in players near the end of their careers appears to be a thing of the past for Manchester United.
After all, alongside notable injury issues and a potential lack of hunger, given what more senior players have achieved elsewhere, focusing solely on experience isn’t necessarily something that will work in the long term. Ratcliffe is therefore avoiding quick fixes, instead aiming to build a lasting legacy that sees United return to the glory days of developing their own talent, such as Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, all while investing in any emerging talent that is turning it on in some of Europe’s most competitive competitions.
Sure, this approach might take time to pay off, and the United faithful will undoubtedly have to wait a few years before the club reaps the rewards from it, but purchasing more Rasmus Højlund’s instead of focusing on players like Marcel Sabitzer, a 30-year-old arguably on the way down, is a wise move and the type of strategy that the club has been crying out for. What came before appeared to be a scattergun approach to transfers that have ultimately contributed to limited progress in recent years and a necessity to invest yet again in the summer.
Jarrad Branthwaite has been heavily linked
Should Sir Jim Ratcliffe stick to his potential plan and avoid the opportunity to sign some more senior professionals who undoubtedly become available come the end of the season, then snapping up a defender with bags of potential in the shape of Jarrad Branthwaite makes a lot of sense. After all, United are short back there, and the likes of Jonny Evans and the aforementioned Varane could be part of a big cull in the summer. A move for the Everton centre-back, therefore, makes a lot of sense, although it would be easier to pull off should the Toffees drop out of the league, with Everton currently priced at 6/1 for the drop when assessing Premier League betting odds. A defender who is strong in the tackle and comfortable with both feet, the 21-year-old clearly has a big future in the game and would clearly fit the bill.
Evan Ferguson could leave Brighton
Despite having a stop-start season with Brighton, Even Ferguson is still widely regarded as one of the biggest prospects in English football right now. With Manchester United needing to bolster their front line, the Ireland International, who is just 19 years old, could be on the agenda. Although the former Bohemians striker signed a new deal with the Seagulls fairly recently, both the club and the player would surely struggle to fend off any interest from the Red Devils. Ferguson is far from the finished article, though, but he has the ingredients needed to become a world-class forward in the future.
Joao Neves is another potential acquisition
As reported by numerous news outlets in recent times, Benfica’s Joao Neves is another bright spark who could be on United’s radar. Aged just 19, Neves was linked with a move to Old Trafford in January, although agreeing a deal for the defensive midfielder failed to materialise. Now, though, with the new ownership in place and a more organised approach to transfer dealings coming with it, snapping up someone like Neves feels like a more realistic possibility. The defensive midfielder is capable of dictating the play from what is a vital area of the pitch; he has featured in the Champions League on numerous occasions, while he has also been compared to Marco Verratti numerous times, given his never-ending engine and his ability to pick a pass. Should the likes of Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay depart the club when the current campaign is over, then investing in Joao Neves would be a wise move.
Other bright prospects Manchester United could target in the summer include Antonio Silva (Benfica), Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace), Leny Yoro (Lille), Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Tiago Santos (Lille), Gonçalo Inacio (Sporting CP), Assane Diao (Real Betis), Estevao Willian (Palmeiras), and Mason Melia (St Patrick’s Athletic).
