Exactly seven weeks now stand between Manchester United and their opening game of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign against Brighton at Old Trafford.
The opening day visit of the Seagulls, who crushed United 4-0 in their last meeting, will mark the beginning of a new era in M16 and Erik ten Hag's first competitive game in charge. It will also mark an occasion where United's supporters will be hoping to catch a glimpse of the club's summer intake.
However, if things continue as they currently are, United's supporters' scouting reports on any new additions will not take too long to compile. That is because the club is yet to complete its first signing of the summer transfer window and all of their energy, certainly from the outside looking in, appears to be focused on signing Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona.
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Progress on bringing the Dutchman to Old Trafford is slow and it appears to be hindering United's progress on trying to get other deals over the line simultaneously. Pre-season starts next Monday, meaning time is running out for Ten Hag to incorporate any new additions in his plans for the first day of pre-season training.
Despite United's desperate need for fresh blood, a lack of signings so far could be good news for several younger members of the squad, who will have ambitions of impressing Ten Hag on the training ground and over the course of the pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia. United face Liverpool in their opening game of pre-season in just 23 days' time on July 12. That is not much time for the club to get the squad into a position that Ten Hag would have dreamed about when he accepted the job in April.
With that in mind, MEN Sport has taken a close look at six United youngsters who could benefit from the club's slow start to the summer transfer window:
Ethan Laird
With Aaron Wan-Bissaka understood to have been deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford, academy graduate Ethan Laird will fancy his chances of pushing Diogo Dalot for the right-back spot during pre-season. The youngster spent last season on loan at both Swansea and Bournemouth, producing several eye-catching performances during his stay with the former.
As reported by the Manchester Evening News , Ten Hag is set to cast an eye over the former MK Dons loanee over the coming weeks before making a decision on his future. The right-back berth has been a troubled area for United over the last few years and Laird, in the event of no new recruit being added to the squad anytime soon, will be determined to put himself in the mix and show the new manager what he is capable of.
Alvaro Fernandez
Left-back Alvaro Fernandez was an unused substitute for each of United's last four Premier League matches at the end of last season, meaning he had done enough for former interim manager Ralf Rangnick to at least name him in the matchday squad. The 19-year-old Spaniard is highly talented and has been tipped to make great strides over the next few years.
He is yet to make his senior debut for the Reds, but his performances for the Under-23s last term frequently caught the eye. Luke Shaw and Alex Telles are likely to squabble over winning the title of United's first choice left-back, but Fernandez will have ambitions of throwing his hat into the ring ahead of the big kick-off.
James Garner
With United crying out, in an ideal world, for two new recruits in central-midfield this summer, their slow progress in bolstering that area of the team can only be good news for James Garner. After an impressive loan spell at Nottingham Forest last term, helping them win promotion, he has aspirations of impressing Ten Hag over the coming weeks, even if he remains unsure about what the future holds for him.
But if United have made no progress in their pursuit of De Jong by the time they board the plane for Thailand, Garner will be in a strong position to stake a claim over the course of the pre-season tour. Fans are desperate to see him earn an opportunity and United's slow progress in the window could be a blessing in disguise for him.
Amad
Although he failed to live up to expectations during his loan spell at Rangers over the course of the second half of the 2021/22 campaign, the slate, like for so many others, will be wiped clean for Amad this summer. He will get the chance to impress Ten Hag, and United being nowhere close to recruiting a new right-winger could play into his hands.
The Ivorian, who joined United from Atalanta in January last year, is not without natural talent, meaning he could thrive under Ten Hag, who is renowned for developing young players. If he gets his head down and puts the hard yards in, the pre-season tour could be like an audition for him.
Facundo Pellistri
Like Amad, Uruguay international Facundo Pellistri will also be planning to make up for lost time following a failed loan spell. He spent the 2021/22 campaign on loan at Alaves and earned just 750 minutes worth of football all season.
Despite his struggles in Spain, he has been excellent in his last few appearances for his country, suggesting he has the potential to play at a high level. Again, just like Amad, United's slow progress in pursuit of a right-winger could play into his hands, as he is a player with rich levels of talent.
Alejandro Garnacho
Arguably the jewel in United's academy crown, all eyes will be fixed on Alejandro Garnacho this summer. The Argentine youngster has generated levels of excitement a player of his age has not produced at Old Trafford since Mason Greenwood's emergence three years ago.
Capable of playing up front or out wide, the 17-year-old will have aspirations of becoming United's breakthrough star this forthcoming campaign. He is blessed with undisputed levels of talent and it would be a shock not to see Ten Hag give him a respectable level of game time throughout pre-season, especially with United yet to have bolstered their attacking ranks.
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