For all of the criticism Ralf Rangnick faced during his short-term spell as interim manager last season, you could not deny that he tried to do all he could to set Manchester United up for a much brighter future.
The German, who is now in charge of the Austrian national team, was a shock choice to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November last year, even though he was only handed the reins on a temporary basis. He joined United as interim boss with a view to staying at the club in a consultancy position beyond the end of last season.
Although the exact details of what that particular role would have entailed were never disclosed by United, there was a chance that it would have meant he would have had a say in the direction of the club's recruitment. The Reds, up until the most recent summer transfer window, had made a catalogue of errors on the transfer front in recent years, something that Rangnick addressed several times during his premiership.
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But even before Rangnick was a known figure at United he had long since picked out problems with the club's recruitment in the years following Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.
Rangnick, speaking to The Times back in 2019, said: "Since Sir Alex left they were underperforming. They haven’t won the title since he left. At any club, if you cannot get the right players, then you should at least not sign the wrong ones.
"You are in trouble if you do that in one or two or three consecutive transfer windows. Club building is about building the right squad by transferring the right players away and having more than 50 per cent success rate of bringing in the right players. Then you must have the best possible coaches to develop these players."
In a bid to try and put the club back on the right path, Rangnick submitted a list of four players to the club's hierarchy that he thought would strengthen the squad. They were RB Leipzig trio Josko Gvardiol, Konrad Laimer and Christopher Nkunku, as well as Argentinian striker Julian Alvarez, who was, at the time, at River Plate.
Below, MEN Sport has taken a close look at each of the aforementioned players and what they are up to now:
Josko Gvardiol
Current club: RB Leipzig
Position: Centre-back
Age: 20
Had United swooped for Gvardiol, who Rangnick is understood to have considered as a "must-buy", during the summer transfer window or as far back as last January, they would have saved themselves a fortune. The centre-back has just completed an outstanding World Cup campaign in Qatar, in which he helped his native Croatia achieve a very respectable third-place finish.
The defender, who scored in Saturday's 2-1 third-place play-off win over Morocco, was absolutely outstanding at the World Cup, producing a series of eye-catching performances, earning him a place in several Teams of the Tournament. Leipzig signed Gvardiol from Dinamo Zagreb in July 2021 on a five-year deal and have since extended his contract until 2027.
He has been a stalwart figure for the German club so far this term, racking up 19 appearances in all competitions. Several clubs have been linked with his signature over the last few weeks and he is now reportedly valued at almost £80million.
Konrad Laimer
Current club: RB Leipzig
Position: Central-midfield
Age: 25
As United moved closer towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign and the start of what was considered one of the most important transfer windows in their recent history, it was clear to everyone that they would have to recruit a new central midfielder. United were lacking significant quality in the engine room and desperately needed to add fresh blood.
Rangnick recommended Laimer to the United board ahead of leaving Old Trafford in May, at which time the Austria international was also attracting interest from Bayern Munich. Capable of operating as both a defensive midfielder and as a No.8, he had enjoyed a productive campaign for Leipzig last term, proving central to their play, as well as chipping in with five goals and six assists along the way.
This season, however, has been anything but successful for Laimer so far. The midfielder has been sidelined since October with a syndesmotic ligament tear. It has meant that he has made just six appearances this term.
Christopher Nkunku
Current club: RB Leipzig
Position: Striker
Age: 25
Nkunku was the star of Leipzig's run to a top-four finish in the Bundesliga last season. In a devastating and breathtaking campaign for the 25-year-old, he plundered an impressive 35 goals in 52 appearances in all competitions, as well as registering 20 assists.
His exploits, unsurprisingly, put a plethora of big-name clubs right across Europe on red alert. It was the best season of his career to date and interest in his signature was high. However, Leipzig managed to fend off his suitors by convincing him to sign a new two-year deal, keeping him at the club until 2026.
Nkunku, though, is poised to join Chelsea next summer, according to countless reports. It is claimed that the Blues have already agreed a deal to sign him worth £63m. He has scored 17 goals in 23 games so far this term, but missed the World Cup with France because of injury.
Julian Alvarez
Current club: Manchester City
Position: Striker
Age: 22
If the World Cup has taught us anything, it's that Rangnick was onto something with Alvarez. Rangnick flagged the now-Manchester City striker to United's hierarchy last January, at which time he was still on the books of River Plate.
City swooped for the 22-year-old right at the end of the January window and allowed him to stay at River Plate on loan for the remainder of the season, before arriving at the Etihad Stadium during the summer. He has been an excellent addition to Pep Guardiola's squad, scoring seven goals so far this season.
Although he has acted as City's back-up option to Erling Haaland, he has most certainly impressed when called upon. But like with Gvardiol, the World Cup in Qatar has been the making of him, playing a starring role in Argentina's run to lifting the trophy, scoring four goals. If only United had taken Rangnick's advice on this one, especially when they are set to prioritise the signing of a striker next month.
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