The transfer window may have only been officially open for just a day, but Manchester United fans are already growing restless.
A new era at Old Trafford is underway, with Erik ten Hag taking charge after a disastrous season that left him little choice but to practically rip everything up and start again. So far, it’s been a case of out with the old, but not yet in with the new.
Five big name players have departed in Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata, Nemanja Matic and Edinson Cavani, and the likelihood is more will be following them before the window slams shut. Now the attention turns to bringing in those new faces that fans hope will turn their club’s fortunes around.
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There have been no shortage of names linked, and we know United are targeting two players already in Frenkie de Jong and Jurrien Timber. That covers two of the problem positions in the current squad, but there’s still the question of who comes in as a new attacking option.
Darwin Nunez appeared to fit the bill perfectly. He is seemingly gunning for a move this summer, his versatility across the front line would have suited United, and at just 22 he could have been an ideal long-term successor to Cristiano Ronaldo.
United though look as though they’re going to be beaten by their greatest rivals to the Uruguay international’s signature. With Sadio Mane looking as though he’s on his way out of Anfield, Liverpool have acted quickly to identify their man and – if reports are to be believed – get a deal done.
They’re not the only side who have been getting a head-start on the transfer front. Manchester City have of course already sewn up a deal for Erling Haaland, with the Norwegian adding the final piece to Pep Guardiola’s puzzle, and leaving United fans to look on in envy.
While a new era is being ushered in at Old Trafford, watching United being beaten to the punch for potential targets will leave supporters worried that not much has actually changed at the club. Gary Neville identified the issue back in 2020, when the Reds were slow to act on a rather familiar shopping list.
“It’s appalling that in this market which is probably the easiest in PL history to get transfers done that United haven’t done more yet!” Neville wrote on Twitter two years ago. “They must get Ole a CB, LB and Forward pre-deadline! The others are managing to get things over the line why not United!”
“They’ve needed these positions filling for 12 months, had a national lockdown to regroup and re-set and ample time to manoeuvre deals to a conclusion.”
Those concerns are coming home to roost again for many United fans as they watch their side miss out on Nunez to their rivals. Not only that, but City look to have taken the lead in the race for Kalvin Phillips, a player United had been working on for some time.
If Ten Hag and his staff are to show that things are changing at Old Trafford, they may have to act quickly in order to quell the impatience that is growing. Reports across Europe at least suggest that progress is being made in the pursuit of De Jong – for the sake of United fans, the Reds could do with getting a deal over the line quickly.
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