The first player to possibly become aware of Erik ten Hag's authority at Manchester United is someone who might never play for the club.
Pau Torres, tracked by United for at least two years, was recommended by the scouting department as the prime left-footed centre-back to sign. Erik ten Hag demurred and made the case for Lisandro Martinez.
United's power brokers sided with the manager over the overruled recruitment staff. Martinez has proven to be one of the signings of the season and the best of Ten Hag's five permanent additions.
Also read: Ten Hag wants a world-class midfielder and striker
A photograph of a Torres doppelganger in Manchester circulated last June that even his representatives admitted bore an uncanny resemblance. For two summers running, Torres has been overlooked by United in favour of another centre half. If it is any consolation, United could be in the market for a new central defender and Torres's Villarreal contract expires next year.
Ten Hag did not always have it his way. As Ajax dug in their heels over Antony, Ten Hag suggested the Brazilian's predecessor, Hakim Ziyech. Ten Hag had coached Ziyech in Amsterdam before he joined Chelsea for €44million.
That was not a completely compelling case for United, who did their own due diligence and received unflattering feedback on Ziyech that questioned his effort. So they passed.
United draw up a shortlist of five targets per position and Ten Hag decides who to prioritise. Last summer, the theme was Dutch-centric and sceptics queried whether United's structure had truly evolved as they approached players developed in the Netherlands.
Provided the chilly fingers of the Europa League do not pull United out of the top four, this summer is likely to be different. United would be buying from a position of strength though Ten Hag's fixation on the Eredivisie would have to be abandoned. There has been a success (Martinez), a so-so (Antony) and a flop (Tyrell Malacia).
Antony is a work in progress and there is obvious potential if he can sharpen his end product. Malacia is a strict back-up and is at least more aligned with the manager and an upgrade on the inconsistent Alex Telles.
Although much of United's activity last summer was in keeping with Ten Hag's recruitment at Ajax of stock-piling Premier League rejects (the infamous bid for Marko Arnautovic), he is aiming higher this summer. "Outstanding" is a word he has privately used to describe the calibre of targets United need to enhance their squad.
Frenkie de Jong is viewed as the best-in-class midfielder although it remains to be seen if he is more attainable than last summer. Sergio Busquets has already announced his imminent departure from Barcelona and De Jong has started in 25 of the 30 La Liga matches he has been fit for.
Sources say Ten Hag is "obsessed" with Harry Kane but high-ranking figures at United have preached caution amid possible dealings with the Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy.
To avoid the risk of negotiations collapsing and with no alternative to turn to, United maintain dialogue with multiple targets. A source said players "see through it if you turn to them late on".
United held discussions with Casemiro for two months before the seemingly swift completion of the £70m deal. United funded that with the fee they had agreed for De Jong with Barcelona.
That will prick up ears in Naples, where Neapolitans are still deafened by the din from Napoli's first Scudetto since 1990. Victor Osimhen is assured of deification in the southern Italian city and is also approaching the final two years of his contract. His value will never be higher.
Napoli daren't confirm it but it has been suggested they have inserted release clauses in players' contracts, only there is no specific figure. Instead, the amount relates to the revenue of the club that is keen on signing the player.
In United's second-quarter accounts published in March, their revenue was £167.3million. Unlike Tony Soprano's trip to Naples, United might not leave with a muscleman.
Regimes change but some things don't. The suggestion in L'Equipe that United could reignite interest in Adrien Rabiot is a classic of the genre. Rabiot, a regular is approaching the final month of his Juventus contract and there is not a better club to use as a bargaining chip than United.
Rabiot would have been a worthy addition last summer had discussions not collapsed with his formidable mother and representative, Veronique. Rabiot's name has not been whispered around the corridors of Carrington but in a summer where Ten Hag would endorse second approaches for De Jong or Jude Bellingham, the Frenchman is a believable option.
As is Torres.
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