Ambitious transfers? Beating out Real Madrid? Are Man Utd 'back'?

Suraj Radia

• 20 Jul 2024 19:00 BST
• 4 min read

For the first time in almost an eternity, there appears to be optimism and belief at Old Trafford, leading to the timeless question – are Manchester United ‘back?’

The signings of Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro this month have been uncharacteristically ambitious and competently handled when compared to the turbulent summers United have endured in recent years.

Addressing crucial positions in Erik ten Hag’s squad by bringing in two of the most sought-after and talented youngsters in Europe has encouraged fans that it truly is a new dawn under the fresh regime of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Dan Ashworth at United.

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While there is perhaps some distance between United and their first Premier League title since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club in 2013, the Red Devils are taking the steps to build a squad capable of pushing for the top four and beyond.

However, there is still plenty of work to be done this summer and a number of problem areas for the club to address both on and off the pitch before getting carried away.

Signings alone will not solve Man Utd's problems

While United have pulled off two impressive signings, the outlay of more than €100 million has left the club in need of selling players before being able to further add to their squad.

Although the €42.5m raised through sales this summer is still more than United have accrued in four of the last five seasons, the club still need to get rid of overpaid and underperforming stars such as Casemiro.

READ MORE: Premier League summer transfers 2024: All the Done Deals

And while business off the pitch is moving in the right direction, the club’s FA Cup win in May only papered over the cracks of an underwhelming season littered with poor performances.

Ten Hag will start the season in charge of United but the Dutchman still has his critics in Manchester and will have no excuse if his side continue to under-perform next season.

Arguably the biggest roadblock for United has been the inconsistent displays of their highest earners, meaning a standout season for Marcus Rashford and the returning Jadon Sancho is imperative to success next year.

Ten Hag’s previous big money buys such as Antony and Mason Mount also need to justify their pricetags before United’s squad can be deemed to be efficiently built to succeed amongst the Premier League elite.

Indeed, United are understandably excited by the progress being made this summer but the club has always found ways to enter new campaigns with optimism, however the joy is often crumbles at the first sign of tension during the season.

The real identifier of United’s progress will be their reaction to the bad moments as opposed to the confidence when things are going well, and it is only when Ten Hag has been able to address the demons of last season that the club can truly feel they are ‘back’.