Ralf Rangnick's short spell as Manchester United's interim manager didn't go according to plan, but that doesn't mean the German didn't offer a lot of sensible advice while he was in the role. In fact, the club could now be home to a 2026 Ballon d'Or contender if they'd listened to him.
He replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in late 2021 after the Norwegian boss was sacked. The long-term plan was for Rangnick to see out the remainder of the season before taking up a consultancy role in the summer.
However, that plan was scrapped after Rangnick publicly criticised the club and his players multiple times along the way to a sixth-placed finish in the Premier League. His time in the dugout wasn't successful, but signs point towards Rangnick's advice being extremely solid, with the power of hindsight.
Ralf Rangnick Wanted Former Liverpool Star at Man Utd
ralf rangnick
During his short-lived spell with the Red Devils, Rangnick provided a shortlist of transfer targets, which included current Bayern Munich winger Luis Diaz. The Colombian is well-known for his impressive spell with United's great rivals Liverpool, but things could've been very different.
Rangnick was frustrated after being blocked from making an attacking signing in the January 2022 transfer window. Speaking in May of the same year, the ex-Schalke manager claimed he put three names forward, including Diaz, but was turned down. He claimed (per Sky Sports):
"The answer at the time was no there was no player on the market that could really help us - there were a few, Diaz who is now at Liverpool, Alvarez who will be at Manchester City in the summer, Vlahovic who at the time still was with Fiorentina, those are just three of them that come across my mind now.
"I spoke to the board and said shouldn't we at least speak and try and analyse if we could get a player either on loan or as a permanent deal but in the end the answer was no."
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Just 12 months after Rangnick was tempted to bring Diaz from Porto to Man United, Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool decided to snap the Colombia international up as an eventual Sadio Mane replacement. Moving from the Portuguese top-flight for £37.5 million plus add-ons, it proved to be a masterstroke.
Luis Diaz Proved Man Utd's Epic Transfer Failure
Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz celebrate with the trophy after winning the Premier League
Under Klopp's guidance, Diaz hit the ground running at Anfield, playing a huge role as the Reds reached the Champions League final and narrowly lost out on the Premier League title to Manchester City. The next season didn't quite go to plan as the electric forward was absent for a prolonged period due to a knee injury.
After seven months on the sidelines, the 70-cap international slotted straight back into the line-up as if he'd never skipped a beat. Diaz displayed his strengths as a pressing machine on the left-wing, as well as his technical ability on the ball.
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Falling short in Klopp's final season, Liverpool strolled to the Premier League crown in Arne Slot's first year in the dugout. Diaz was instrumental in that success, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists in 36 league appearances.
It's safe to say this was a transfer blunder on Man United's part. Liverpool took full advantage and have the trophies to show, having also won the EFL Cup and FA Cup during Diaz's time at the club.
Diaz is a Ballon d'Or Contender at Bayern Munich
luis diaz
He was already rated as one of the top wingers in world football, but the 28-year-old has only elevated his own reputation during his first six months at Bayern Munich. It was a shock to see him depart England, but his link-up with Harry Kane and Michael Olise has made Bayern one of the favourites for the Champions League this term.
Just 16 games into the Bundesliga campaign and Vincent Kompany's men are almost nailed-on to win the title. They lead second-placed Borussia Dortmund by 11 points at the time of writing.
Other than Kane - who has netted an incredible 20 goals - no other player in the German top-flight has scored more than Diaz's tally of nine. He has as many assists in the league, while also boasting three strikes in Europe.
Those numbers have led to Diaz being in the early conversation when it comes to the 2026 Ballon d'Or award. Should he fire the Bavarians to Champions League glory on top of the inevitable Bundesliga success, he will certainly be in the mix.
His 2026 World Cup performances could also have a bearing on his chances of lifting the biggest individual prize in football. While Colombia are huge outsiders to win the tournament, their success definitely hinges on their talisman Diaz. What could have been for Manchester United if they'd listened to Rangnick?
Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 12-01-25.