Never a dull day at Manchester United.
Even during parts of the recent FIFA World Cup were the 20-time English champions on everyone’s lips, what with parting company with Cristiano Ronaldo for a second time followed swiftly by the news that the club’s owners, the Glazer family, are considering selling their shares.
United’s first game in the second portion of the domestic campaign sees them welcome Burnley to Old Trafford in a League Cup fourth round tie.
The winners will secure a place in the quarter-finals and with Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham already eliminated, the Carabao Cup presents a fine opportunity for Erik ten Hag to claim his first trophy as United boss. One of Liverpool or Man City will also crash out as the two teams meet on Thursday.
The manager should be able to count on those who have returned from the World Cup, particularly the England, Brazil and Portugal players who all exited the tournament at the quarter-finals. The only absentees are finalists Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.
United contested two friendlies in Spain last week, both of them losing efforts, though Ten Hag had a chunk of senior players missing.
Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot, Casemiro, Antony and Fred were all in training on Tuesday prior to the clash with Burnley.
It is clear to see the Dutch coach has unified the dressing room, stamped his authority and given the club a clear direction to follow. Many a time this season have Ten Hag and the squad arrived at Old Trafford up to four hours before kick-off. The 52-year-old is also known to have stringent rules concerning punctuality and togetherness among the group.
It must be said Ten Hag handled the Ronaldo saga with distinction, going as far as making an example out of the Portuguese icon and showing that actions have consequences regardless of the individual in question.
With the Ronaldo ordeal now “in the past”, in the words of Ten Hag himself, the United manager’s next task is to convince some of the younger, yet crucial, first-team members to commit their long-term futures to the club.
Erik ten Hag says Manchester United are “looking to the future” after the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/ArhySq2z5q
— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) December 7, 2022
United’s resurgence in form under Ten Hag has seen some of their most crucial players courted by other European heavyweights. It was reported by The Athletic on Tuesday that four players – Marcus Rashford, Diogo Dalot, Luke Shaw and Fred – had their one-year options exercised by the club.
All said players were approaching the final six months of their deals, during which time they would be allowed to speak with foreign clubs regarding pre-contract agreements. By triggering their options, the club has warded off interest for at least another year but they remain in talks with Rashford, Dalot and Shaw about fresh contracts.
On the eve of his 25th birthday, Rashford scored his 100th senior goal for United to become the first Red Devil to reach this milestone since club record goalscorer Wayne Rooney in 2009. Rashford has also scored 28 goals more than any other teammate since his debut goal in February 2016.
Rashford is the 22nd player to achieve 100 goals for the club and the fifth-fastest United player to become a centurion in the Premier League era, doing so in 318 games.
Those who achieved this feat quicker than he – Ruud van Nistelrooy (131), Andy Cole (218), Wayne Rooney (242), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (255) and Cristiano Ronaldo (253) – are unquestionably the Red Devils’ most clinical finishers over the past three decades and the 25-year-old is in fine company.
The Wythenshawe-born forward has already surpassed his goal returns from last term and he will have his sights set on producing a 20-goal season, as he did in back-to-back campaigns between 2019-21.
Shaw, 27, has cemented his place as the first-choice left-back and Dalot, 23, has done likewise at the opposite side of Ten Hag’s backline.
David de Gea is approaching the end of his contract after he put pen to paper on a bumper deal in 2019. United have not exercised the one-year option for De Gea but they are set to offer the Spaniard a new contract on reduced terms.
His current £375,000 weekly wage makes him, by some way, the highest-paid goalkeeper in the world and he will have to take a drastic slash in salary if he is to extend his stay in Manchester.
(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)
Speaking of high wages, there was only one solution for United and Ronaldo following the airing of the latter’s bombshell interview with Piers Morgan.
Despite taking six months longer than expected, the 37-year-old achieved his original intention of departing from Old Trafford. The only problem which delayed his forced exit was a lack of suitors willing to yield to the salary demands of the top goalscorer in football history.
Ronaldo’s prospects of playing in Europe are slim, and he could soon find himself playing in the United States or the Middle East.
As for United they are in dire need of an extra option in attack though, with an impending change of ownership, it is unclear whether the board will sanction funds for a new striker in the short-term.
Ten Hag said #mufc would do ‘everything within their power’ to bring in a replacement for Ronaldo in the January transfer window. “We are doing research on every opportunity and we do everything we can if that opportunity is there.”
— Charlotte Duncker (@CharDuncker) December 10, 2022
January is typically not a time when big-money moves are made, but an unusual winter World Cup could change that in 2023.
United are not known to be big spenders in the mid-season market and it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the only attacking addition joins on a short-term loan deal. United also went almost double over budget in the summer, investing in excess of £200million.
The news that the Glazers were open to selling the club came just days after their fellow compatriots, John W. Henry and Tom Werner of Fenway Sports Group, were declared open to investment in Liverpool FC.
Last week it was revealed that Avram Glazer, Man United co-chairman, held talks in Qatar with potential investors.
Earlier this year, the Clearlake Consortium led by Todd Boehly (also an American magnate) purchased Chelsea FC for £2,5billion.
The Raine Group is acting as financial advisor for United, i.e. the Glazers. The investment banking firm is aiming to complete a full sale of the club in the first quarter of 2023, at a price between £6billion and £7billion, which would comfortably be a world record for a sporting franchise.
The future of Manchester United is very much up in the air, both on and off the pitch.
