The hope and expectation was that by the time Manchester United line-up against Brighton on August 7, it will be a squad shaped in the image of Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman impressed Old Trafford chiefs during talks prior to his appointment. After years of visionless underperformance, Ten Hag represents a chance for the Red Devils to finally begin operating in a style which is more reminiscent of their elite rivals.
United’s non-international players are expected to report to Carrington on Monday, before the full squad assembles a week later. But frustratingly for the former Ajax boss, Ten Hag looks set to kick-off his reign with zero notable additions.
Frenkie de Jong remains the top target and there is growing optimism a deal will be done. The Barcelona midfielder signing on the dotted line would be a statement of intent from United, giving his standing in the world game.
But Ten Hag wants - and United need - significantly more if they are to begin to close the gap on the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool. Reports have suggested that after a midfield player, signing a new central defender is right at the top of the summer wishlist.
And it’s not difficult to see why. Raphael Varane’s arrival last summer was supposed to be the final piece of a puzzle that had taken more than £100million to assemble.
But the Frenchman’s fitness issues ensured that United supporters were often denied the chance to see him alongside skipper Harry Maguire. And as for Maguire, his dramatic regression brings about the biggest dilemma of Ten Hag’s early tenure.
The narrative surrounding the £80m defender quickly transitioned from whether he was the right man to be captain, to whether he should be in the side at all. The new man in charge has made all the right noises and intimated that he will have a clear slate after United’s worst ever Premier League season.
But the pursuit of Ajax pair Jurrien Timber and Lisandro Martinez shine a different light on the verdict and suggest that an upgrade is desired and required. However, there is a feeling that Ten Hag could pay the price for the profiligacy of his predecessors in the transfer market.
He inherits a squad that for all its defensive issues, is bloated by expensive transfer misses exacerbated by misguided contract decisions. Victor Lindelof, a £31m signing in 2017 could be as low as fourth choice if Ten Hag was to get his way with a summer arrival. The Swede still has two years remaining on his lucrative contract and it’s difficult to envisage a suitor paying the kind of fee United would need.
Eric Bailly, another Jose Mourinho signing…and another Jose Mourinho miss, this time to the tune of £30m. The Ivorian has never nailed down a place since moving from Valencia and the decision to hand him was as mystifying as it was entirely predictable from the Ed Woodward-inspired United.
Then there is Aaron Wan-Bissaka. The right-back signed at the end of a process which included 804 options. Three years on and he is free to leave, another £50m dished out with no return of investment.
That’s the situation Ten Hag must now step into. A club burnt by a series of transfer mistakes and one likely unwilling to invest further, before at least one of those defenders goes the other way. It has left him with effectively one arm tied by behind his back - paying the price of mistakes made prior to his appointment.
