Every summer feels important at Manchester United. Yet this one genuinely could be defining, with key decisions signed off not by the Glazer family, who remain United’s majority owners, but by the club’s new, INEOS-led regime.
Whereas in the past Erik ten Hag and his predecessors have at times had to fill the vacuum left by a dysfunctional structure, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Sir Dave Brailsford and their INEOS counterparts have sought to put the foundations in place since the confirmation of its $1.3billion ($1.6bn) minority investment in February.
Though the decision over Ten Hag’s future as manager and possible search for a replacement could dominate the early part of the summer, there is much work to be done in the transfer market.
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What positions are they looking at this summer?
There are three priority positions: centre-back, central midfield and centre-forward.
Departures are expected to leave holes in each area of the squad, although they are not the only parts of it in need of attention.
Left-back could also be reinforced after Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia’s injury-ravaged seasons led to United playing without a recognised left-back in 32 of their 52 games.
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Which players are they looking at?
Jarrad Branthwaite is a player of interest but Everton are expected to demand a considerable fee for the left-sided centre-half, rating the 21-year-old in the same bracket as fellow central defenders Harry Maguire, Wesley Fofana and Josko Gvardiol, all of whom were sold in recent summers for fees over £75million ($95m at today’s exchange rate).
The feasibility of a move for Branthwaite could depend on whether Everton find themselves in a position where they need to sell before June 30 to comply with the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
Following Lisandro Martinez’s return from injury and Raphael Varane’s free-agent departure, a right-sided centre-back is thought to be of a higher priority to United.
Jean-Clair Todibo of INEOS-owned Nice is a candidate on that side of the defence and has been on United’s radar since last summer, when he was closely tracked as a potential replacement for Maguire. Fulham centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo was also of interest, although is now closing in on a free-agent move to Chelsea.
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Up front, Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig has been watched closely by United since he was a youngster and remains on the radar, although stiff competition is expected from Arsenal.
What moves have they made already?
Benfica have triggered their €6million clause to sign Alvaro Fernandez permanently, in a deal that could rise to €9million (£7.7m; $9.8m) including add-ons, tying the 21-year-old left-back down after his 16 appearances on loan.
Varane and Anthony Martial have both announced their Old Trafford careers will come to an end this summer when their contracts expire. Charlie McNeill has also announced he will leave on a free transfer. The 20-year-old forward was the first academy graduate to make his senior debut under Ten Hag in September 2022.
United’s first signing of the summer may be James Overy — a 16-year-old full-back they hope will accept a scholarship deal. Overy has left A-League side Perth Glory following his family’s relocation from Australia.
Who will they be looking to sell?
Only a handful of players are believed to be entirely off-limits. That does not mean United are actively looking to sell most of their squad, however. They would consider a sale of Marcus Rashford, for example, if a substantial offer arrived and he told them he wanted to leave, although the club’s desire is to help the England forward bounce back from a disappointing campaign.
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Casemiro’s departure is considered likelier and links with the Saudi Pro League persist, although no deal for the 32-year-old is currently in place.
Securing a permanent sale for Mason Greenwood remains United’s preference. But if no prospective buyer meets the asking price, another loan would also be considered (he spent the 2023-24 season with La Liga side Getafe). A return to United has not been ruled out if a deal cannot be struck.
Senior sources at Getafe — who asked to remain anonymous to protect relationships — believe Greenwood wants to play Champions League football next season. He has already attracted significant interest from suitors across Europe and was recently the subject of an enquiry from Italy’s Napoli.
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There is hope Jadon Sancho’s run to the Champions League final on loan back to previous club Borussia Dortmund will help attract interest in their £73million England winger. A reintegration under Ten Hag is unlikely for as long as the pair’s falling out remains unresolved.
Who will make the key decisions this summer?
United’s planning is hampered by various new appointments not yet having started in their roles.
Dan Ashworth, the sporting director-elect, is yet to take up his position, for example, while negotiations with Newcastle United regarding compensation continue, and Omar Berrada, United’s new chief executive, will only officially begin work on July 13.
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However, Jason Wilcox is in place as the new technical director and, alongside director of football negotiations Matt Hargreaves, will take up many of the duties previously carried out by former football director John Murtough.
Ten Hag’s say in transfer dealings is complicated by the uncertainty over his future.
Which players’ contracts are expiring? Who is expected to renew?
Sofyan Amrabat’s future is up in the air, with United having the option of signing him on a permanent basis for €25million as part of last season’s season-long loan from Fiorentina in Italy.
Despite breaking into Ten Hag’s starting line-up over the campaign’s final weeks and impressing, Amrabat’s future will be decided as part of the end-of-season review, which will also assess Ten Hag’s suitability to continue as manager.
Young winger Omari Forson has entered the final month of his contract with an expectation that he will leave the club. Negotiations for his renewal began during the first half of the season but did not reach a satisfactory conclusion, with the sense currently that he will depart this summer.
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Time is also ticking on Jonny Evans’ and Tom Heaton’s deals, but talks over their futures continue and there is hope both could extend their stay into next season.
Brandon Williams is set to leave as a free agent when his deal expires this month after United decided against triggering their one-year extension.
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What is their PSR position?
United cited PSR as the reason why they could not invest in the January transfer window. “I looked but there is no space,” Ten Hag said, at a time when he was eager to add reinforcements up front.
But despite ending a disappointing campaign by failing to qualify for the Champions League, United should have greater PSR headroom this summer after June 30, due to their mammoth £150million pre-tax loss during the 2021-22 season falling outside of next season’s three-year monitoring period.
From July, a new PSR cycle will begin, focused on 2022-23, 2023-24 and 2024-25. United’s combined losses for that period currently stand at £38million, well below the maximum £105m limit allowed even before applying deductions for acceptable spending.
What do they have to do before June 30?
As of United’s most recent set of financial accounts up to late December, their combined pre-tax loss for this season’s three-year monitoring period — taking in 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24 — stood at £188million.
That significant pre-tax loss may well have increased over the past few months due to the lack of European football in the second half of last season. United’s third quarter financial results are expected to be released this summer and give us a picture up until the end of March.
But whatever that loss currently stands at, significant deductions will be made to it as part of the PSR process, including £40million in Covid-19 relief for the 2021-22 season alone. Those deductions should help bring United below the £105m threshold.
What sort of budget do they have?
Despite the prospect of PSR sanctions appearing unlikely, United will be operating on a tighter budget in comparison with recent summers.
After spending net sums of approximately £125million and £188m each season since Ten Hag’s first window in charge in the 2022 off-season, this summer’s business is to be conducted with a net spend of just £50m.
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The last time United spent that little was the summer of 2018, when they signed only three players — Diogo Dalot, Fred and veteran goalkeeper Lee Grant — and the corresponding exits of Daley Blind and Sam Johnstone recouped roughly £20million.
United have traditionally struggled to sell well, and balancing the books through departures will be critical to keeping their net spend low.
This tightening of belts comes as INEOS has wasted no time in cutting costs across the club’s operations, inviting non-football staff to resign last week and previously asking employees to pay £20 to travel to the FA Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley Stadium in London.
Additional reporting: Laurie Whitwell, Adam Crafton and David Ornstein
(Top photo: Gareth Copley/Getty Images)