You could be forgiven for quickly losing track of the changes that are taking place at Manchester United this summer.
Less than 48 hours after it was announced that Ralf Rangnick would not be entering his consultancy role and had left Old Trafford, United appointed Andy O'Boyle as their new deputy football director. The Northern Irishman has returned to the club 16 years after leaving an academy coaching role.
His arrival at Old Trafford has provided yet further proof that United are changing their way of thinking and how they plan to operate as a business, with O'Boyle's appointment suggesting that football director John Murtough will be allowed to pay closer attention to the recruitment side of the operation. And speaking of recruitment, that is another area where changes are already emerging.
READ MORE: Erik ten Hag can finally correct Manchester United midfield in transfer window
United, as they prepare to embark on a new era under new manager Erik ten Hag, are gearing up for the biggest summer transfer window they have faced in years. After a disastrous 2021/22 campaign, huge changes need to be made to the squad, even if the ten signings Rangnick suggested they could make is wide of the mark. Big-name players are set to depart, such as Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Juan Mata and Edinson Cavani, all of whom are out-of-contract, while the likes of Dean Henderson, Eric Bailly and Phil Jones, who remain under contract, could also follow.
Their departures, which are not before time, would be a clear indicator that United have learnt from their mistakes of the past and are looking to the future with a fresh vision. Their exits will mean that some of the gaps they vacate will need filling with fresh blood.
United know they need to strengthen several positions this summer, not least central-midfield and at centre-back. Kalvin Phillips of Leeds United and Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong are already on their radar, as is Villarreal defender Pau Torres. But with such a significant rebuild required, and a lack of Champions League football to offer to prospective new additions, United are going to have box clever and not blow all of their budget on one or two big-name signings.
In previous years, United have gone for the Hollywood approach, spending big on the likes of Angel Di Maria, Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku. For what the club expected from their investment, they did not get what they paid for.
That is why United's interest in Christopher Nkunku of RB Leipzig and Villarreal ace Arnaut Danjuma suggests that they are changing their recruitment style. The duo have each enjoyed stellar campaigns in Germany and Spain, respectively, and are attracting justified interest from across Europe.
Nkunku has enjoyed the best season of his career so far by a country mile, scoring a staggering 35 goals and registering 20 assists in all competitions, whereas Danjuma, who was playing in the Championship just 12 months ago, struck 16 goals and registered four assists, highlighting his ability to play at a higher level without any fuss. Both excelled in the Champions League, too, scoring 13 goals between them in the competition this season.
In previous years, Nkunku and Danjuma, because of, with respect, the size of the clubs they currently play for, probably would not have even made it onto United's radar. But just because they don't play for the Bayern Munichs and Barcelonas of this world does not mean that they are not world-class operators. As Liverpool have demonstrated in the past, you must pounce while a player's stock is on the rise, not once it has reached its peak.
Are United going to sign both Danjuma and Nkunku this summer? No, purely because they are very similar players, in the sense they are versatile and play in similar roles across the front. Will they sign one of them? Maybe. Maybe not. However, the fact that they are, at the very least, running the rule over both of them shows that they are changing their approach, which ought to give Ten Hag the best possible chance of correcting the club's recent wrongs.
United have made too many errors of judgement in the transfer market in recent years and with the size of the rebuild that needs to take place this summer they cannot afford to get it wrong again. They need players whose stock is on the increase and have resale value to them.
If Nkunku or Danjuma were to join the club and continued to progress as they both currently are doing, United would be hailed by everyone. Alternatively, they don't want to be left regretting a missed opportunity when, for example, either of them is thriving at one of Europe's elite-level clubs and worth twice as much as they are now.
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