A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.
It might be a tad philosophical to coin a Greek proverb, but Manchester United and their immediate 'clout' in the transfer market could be shaped by Erik ten Hag favourites who might, ultimately, see themselves replaced on the back of their own success. But each man owes Ten Hag and the club in that respect.
Football has virtually no room for sentiment and, whenever David de Gea does leave Old Trafford, the gratitude he is shown on social media and from the stands will not be replicated between the posts. United will waste no time in reassigning the number one shirt to the next in line.
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Of course, that is not a decision to be taken lightly. De Gea returned to form last season and, while Ten Hag clearly wants a goalkeeper who is equally adept at starting up attacks with his feet as he is at saving, De Gea has shown at least some improvement in that area since the Dutchman was brought in from Amsterdam this summer.
Ten Hag confirmed last week that United intend to trigger one-year options with De Gea and four other players in the final months of their contracts. For some, that is to guarantee their place at Old Trafford next season but, when looking at others, it is merely to protect financial investment.
When it comes to De Gea, the motive rests somewhere in between the two. While he has been here for more than a decade, the 32-year-old effectively finds himself on trial as Ten Hag continues to run the rule over those would-be successors for the gloves - including an internal one in Dean Henderson.
Now that might seem a tad harsh on De Gea given the distinction in which he has served, but the final decision will come down to several factors, including wages and his performances upon the restart of the campaign. Ironically, it all could bare stark resemblance to turkey's voting for Christmas as festivities draw closer.
De Gea shining and winning points for Ten Hag will be fundamental if United are to return to the Champions League next season. In turn, though, contributing to that achievement would, seemingly, open up the options for United to replace their devoted and dedicated stopper.
Several names have been mooted as would-be successors and the rumour mill will continue to throw up countless more. Crucially, though, the quality will depend on where United find themselves in Europe next season and so, too, De Gea himself as a subsequent knock-on effect.
With the Is to dot and Ts to cross in that respect, that is one for Ten Hag to address further down the road, but the other potentially unsolvable 'problem' - created by Anthony Martial - could well be mapped out next month as well when the market reopens. It is no secret that United need another forward.
That was the case even before Cristiano Ronaldo and the club parted ways, for reasons best consigned to the past, while Martial finds himself in a tricky position due to injury setbacks and a hit-and-miss past at the club. However, it also goes without saying that Ten Hag is a huge admirer.
Martial found himself at a crossroads between 12 and eight months ago before the United manager backed him so publicly during pre-season and several moments thereafter. When fit and available, the rejuvenated Frenchman has justified that support with four goals and three assists in seven matches either side of three different injuries.
Similarly to De Gea at the other end, Martial and his output between now and the summer will have a huge impact on what United can attract in two key positions moving forward. However, unlike the Spanish goalkeeper, Martial is indispensable enough for Ten Hag to have already sacrificed his relationship with Ronaldo.
No doubt other hurdles will follow, but Martial might be able to coast past them with comparative ease given how he has usurped five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo in attacking quarters.
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