Manchester United's January transfer window was one of outgoings rather than incoming, much to the fanbase's disappointment. The squad has been left trim and without reinforcements to solve the problem areas.
Anthony Martial left for Sevilla on loan while Donny van de Beek also followed him out of Old Trafford, joining Everton on loan until the summer.
Youngsters Teden Mengi and Amad also found loans to Birmingham City and Rangers, respectively, with Ethan Laird being recalled and then sent back out to Bournemouth.
Finding players who wanted game time and players who needed to continue their development with more first-team football it was a successful window in the majority, except for two United players.
Jesse Lingard and Dean Henderson have both been vocal about their lack of playing time, and both were seriously enquired about by other Premier League clubs for deadline day loan moves.
Lingard only has six months left on his contract, so if he had joined Newcastle United, it would have signalled the end of his time at United. Still, Henderson is seen as the future of the club. However, due to David de Gea's form this season, he has not been given the chance of having a run of games in the first team.
It's understandable why both players were kept, given United's lack of depth on the wing and De Gea's form is not guaranteed to last all season, and he still has flaws in his game. However, what makes the decision to deny them both moves is that Ralf Rangnick sanctions both of their moves, according to reports, and it was the board who blocked the decision.
It will be hard to convince the two players that they will get the game time they want if the manager has already stated that they were not needed going forward. They could cause problems in the dressing room, which would align with the rumours of unrest that have already circled around the media.
However, the more significant overarching issue is the decision to ignore Rangnick in this matter. The German is currently the interim manager, but at the end of the season, he will step into a two-year consultancy role working alongside John Murtough.
He was brought in as an expert. United needs to use his knowledge rather than work against him or the point. If the club can not trust his decisions and take his advice and actively overrule him, the club will struggle to move forward and catch up with its rivals.
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