There's no such thing as a quiet season at Manchester United, but this campaign feels like one of the most hectic in recent memory.
Erik ten Hag has transformed the team’s on-pitch fortunes, overseeing the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo in November before the Glazers announced that the club was up for sale. Avram Glazer was at Wembley three months later to watch United lift the Carabao Cup, their first trophy in almost six years.
While the league title seems out of reach, United can still claim a cup treble. They find themselves in the final eight of the Europa League having seen off Barcelona, with an FA Cup semi-final against Brighton to look forward to.
READ MORE: Harry Kane has dropped another hint about his future
Meanwhile, there is a lot of talk about who Ten Hag will bring in and let go during the summer. United are expected to sign a centre-forward with Harry Kane their number one target this summer and Victor Osimhen is also of interest.
A number of pundits have offered their thoughts on that and other topics ahead of the season’s run-in.
Kane to come in
Both Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher believe United could land Kane with a move to Old Trafford seemingly being the most likely option for England’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Neville says: "Man United are desperate for a centre-forward. Tottenham fans will be furious with me - they’ll say it’s me coming on television trying to get their player to Man United. It’s not. It just looks to me like at this moment in time that the most likely move."
Carragher adds: "There’s not too many clubs there right now for him. I think the only place he can go realistically is Manchester United.
"He could go abroad but he will want that Premier League goal. He will be the top goalscorer if he stays in the Premier League and that is a pretty special achievement.
“So if he stays in England, the only big team he can go to is Man United. But will they spend £100million for a guy who is nearly 30?"
Maguire to exit
A number of players are expected to exit Old Trafford this summer, with many expecting Harry Maguire to bow out.
Danny Murphy says he “would be amazed if he’s not wearing another club shirt next season”, while Rio Ferdinand argued that Luke Shaw’s occasional selection at centre-back ahead of Maguire is ominous.
He says: "If I’m Harry Maguire, I’m looking for a new club right now, I have to be honest, you see what he does, what he’s done for England, he’s faultless, impeccable the way he plays.
“People um and ah, this and that, but he puts in solid performances for England, for Manchester United it hasn’t worked out for him.
"This new manager is showing by his team selection that he isn’t going to be in the top two or three, if I’m him, if I was him, in his shoes, I’d be going and saying, 'find me somewhere where I can enjoy my football, be playing regular'."
Glazers to stay?
The hot potato topic at United right now is the future ownership of the club. At least three bidders have made their takeover attempts public but there are grumblings that the Glazers may not sell up with reports suggesting they will not sell under their valuation of £6bn.
In February, the club announced that adult season ticket prices would increase from next season. Neville questioned why the Glazers would sanction this if their intention was to leave.
He tweeted: “The increase to ticket prices at United is very odd! Why would a seller that's leaving before the next season introduce something that has brought them more hate and they won't benefit from!
“Any new buyer would most likely freeze the price in year one to stay onside with fans. It does beg the question whether they are really going! I have my doubts with actions like this one!"
Meanwhile, Paul Scholes says the only way fan protests will stop is if the Glazers sell up. He said: “I hope it’s something that gets sorted soon. Although I don’t think any manager has been left short by the owners we have now, I think the club is ready for a change. It’s pretty obvious the fans are ready.
“Of course the last thing you want is protests around the ground. As soon as the new owners come in, if it ever does happen, all that will stop and hopefully we can move forward.”
United to finish season on a high
Paul Merson has predicted United to finish third this season and earn their spot back in the Champions League. Neville initially predicted United to finish second, ahead of whoever loses out in the title race between Manchester City and Arsenal, but has since retracted that forecast.
"There might be a couple in that dressing room that might think let's hang in there let's see if anyone slips up. I don't think they will do it this season, I think they're too far off Arsenal and City,” he conceded.
Meanwhile, Murphy has not ruled out United securing a famous cup treble. He said: “For the Premier League it’s great that they’re back.
“They’re favourites for the Europa League for a reason when you look at the other teams. FA Cup, they could end up winning that.
“It’s not beyond them, there’s only really Manchester City left. The way they’re playing you’d only fancy City to have a real chance of beating them. Even a treble, I think that they could do it. They might not but they’ve done it before.”
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