Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim
As far as summers and transfer windows go, this one is as big as it gets for .
is at the beginning of a long-term project at Old Trafford, but the shortcomings of last season only served to underscore the scale of the task the Portuguese coach now faces. While some of those issues can be addressed on the training ground, others will require reinforcements as the manager looks to make his mark on the squad he inherited from in November.
Some positive additions have already been made, including the arrival of from Wolves. United’s ability to attract ahead of their rivals is testament to the vision Amorim is able to present to prospective signings, although fans are still waiting for a deal to be struck with Brentford to bring the 25-year-old to the north west.
That said, there is one major factor United are lacking this summer that could influence their ability to land further top targets as the window progresses. They have no football - or any European football for that matter.
Despite United’s dismal campaign, they had a golden opportunity by the end of May to right some of those wrongs and secure a surprise return to the Champions League. The Europa League final against Tottenham presented a potential lifeline, but it was an opportunity Amorim’s side failed to grasp, falling to a narrow 1-0 defeat against their domestic rivals.
Ironically, Spurs found themselves in a bizarrely similar position last term. In fact, the London club finished below United in 17th place, yet will compete in the Champions League next season thanks to their European heroics.
While the absence of European football may not have drastically impacted United’s pursuit of Mbeumo - who, according to reports, was targeted by his former manager at Tottenham - one of Spurs' new signings has underlined the importance of the Champions League in influencing players' decisions.
Having completed an impressive deal to sign Mohammed Kudus from West Ham this week, the winger told Spurs' club media: "I know how big the club is, the history, and I’ve always wanted to play at the highest level in the Champions League as well, so it’s a big moment for me.
“I think the Champions League is one of the biggest stages in football. I’ve played a couple of games at Ajax so I have a bit of history and I know it’s top-level football. It requires a lot of quality and focus throughout the whole game, so I’m just hoping to use my individual ability to help the team go as far as we can."
No doubt the lure of UEFA’s premier competition has also helped Spurs in their pursuit of Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White, who looks set to follow Kudus through the door, if the latest reports are to be believed.
Elsewhere in London, Arsenal have been busy this summer. Martin Zubimendi has arrived, as has midfielder Christian Norgaard, who finally gets to fulfil a lifelong dream of playing in the Champions League. The Gunners also appear to be winning the race for in-demand striker Viktor Gyokeres, who has also been linked with United, and surely Champions League football was a key factor in his decision to move to the Emirates.
As United mull over making an improved offer to Brentford for Mbeumo, of which negotiations have been ongoing for a number of weeks, rival clubs are making recruitment look seamless. Whether it’s the difficulty of attracting key targets or the financial restraints caused by the lack of European football, United risk spending yet another season battling at the wrong end of the table.
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