Gary Neville believes Erik ten Hag is not interested in signing a marquee player - which could cause friction with the proposed new owner Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Sheikh Jassim is embroiled in a long-running takeover battle with INEOS chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe after the Glazers put United up for sale in November. It's believed the Glazers are negotiating to grant exclusivity to the Qatari banker's consortium.
If his bid is successful, Sheikh Jassim is expected to give Ten Hag a transfer warchest. One player who could move to United is Kylian Mbappe, who has told Paris Saint-Germain he will not renew his contract. He will be put up for sale if he doesn't change his mind.
Mbappe, 24, is one of the best players in the world, but Neville is concerned Ten Hag won't want a marquee player like the World Cup winner. The United legend made the intriguing prediction during an appearance on The Overlap in March.
Discussing United's transfer plans, Neville said: "I feel like Ten Hag is not going to sign [marquee names]. If new owners come in they’re going to want to make a statement, they’ll want to blow the transfer market open. I don’t think that will suit him.
"I think he’ll want those younger, hungrier ones that have still got that growth rather than the finished article. Casemiro obviously defeats that a little bit, but you look at Antony and Lisandro Martinez - they’re younger and hungrier.
What do you make of Gary Neville's view? Let us know in the comments below!
"I think that’s the type of player he’ll want to add to this squad rather than saying, 'Oh, Kylian Mbappe’s available or so-and-so is available'."
United are yet to name their preferred bidder, despite the takeover saga starting seven months ago. Even if Sheikh Jassim wins the race, it will still take him some time to finalise the deal and pass the Premier League's owners' and directors' test.
But if the takeover is finalised by August, signing Mbappe could become a real possibility. The France international's PSG deal expires in a year's time and he has until July 31 to trigger a one-year extension or sign a new long-term contract.
If Mbappe doesn't put pen to paper, PSG will try to sell him in August to avoid losing him on a free transfer. Real Madrid were the favourites to sign the forward, but the Spanish club's president Florentino Perez has quashed speculation.
In a video posted on Twitter, Perez told fans no further signings are planned. The video emerged just a week after Perez was asked whether Real are interested in landing Mbappe. He replied: "Yes... but not this year."
As only a handful of clubs can afford to sign Mbappe, a move to Old Trafford might be his only realistic option if Sheikh Jassim completes a takeover. Nevertheless, United fans will want the Qatari banker and Ten Hag to be on the same page when it comes to transfers.
