How Manchester United's Summer Business Plans Are Beginning to Take Shape

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has brought pride and joy back to Manchester United, and now the club are beginning to plan the next phase of the restoration project.

They are expected to offer Solskjaer the role of full-time manager before the end of the season (h/t the Telegraph)—a reward for his impressive work since arriving as interim manager in December.

Pretty much everyone around the club is satisfied it is the right decision to let him continue, particularly Sir Alex Ferguson, who sources claim is his biggest supporter. They say Fergie is delighted that Solskjaer's success in turning around results—they have 14 wins and just three defeats in 19 games under the Norwegian so far—has come from leaning on traditional values and instructing the team to play with more attacking emphasis. 

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The legendary boss has made his feelings known to executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, and Solskjaer is now being trusted to help guide conversations over how the team should move forward in the summer. He will continue to be a big part of the discussion as they home in on targets.

Bleacher Report understands part of the planning talks have already centred around new players who would fit into the setup, with Solskjaer putting forward his own ideas about targets.

Transfer Planning

An internet search will show you that United have been linked with more than 20 players since the turn of the year, and it is true the net is being cast far and wide in an attempt to close the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool at the top of the table.

B/R sources confirmed, of the many players mentioned so far, defender Ruben Dias of Benfica and Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund are high up among those being monitored.

Adding a centre-back is key with the side needing more solidity, and 21-year-old Dias has emerged as one of the most impressive young talents in the game. The word from Portugal is that he would come with a £50 million price tag, but he is not the only man in United's thinking.

Toby Alderweireld has been pursued by the club for some time and is viewed as a no-risk target. His contract is expiring at Tottenham Hotspur, and his £26 million release clause in the upcoming window could be too good to ignore. 

Interestingly, B/R also understands Spurs have their eye on Eric Bailly as a potential replacement.

A new defensive midfielder is going to be recruited if all goes to plan, and there has been some discussion over Adrien Rabiot. However, at least four other Champions League clubs are on the impending free agent's case, and United are aware that it could be a difficult deal to conclude.

They will continue to whittle down other options—Ivan Rakitic of Barcelona is another on the radar—but there is also hope Fred could yet be given a chance to become a more prominent member of the side.

The Sancho situation is complicated. The message coming out of Dortmund, according to insiders close to the Bundesliga club, is that there is no way he will be leaving so soon after moving from Manchester City. Furthermore, the Premier League champions have a buy-back clause that means they have first refusal to match any bid for the player and offer him a return.

Sancho has become one of the hottest properties in European football, but his arrival at United would also only be possible if the club manage to offload Alexis Sanchez.

The Alexis Sanchez Situation

No player is causing the United hierarchy more anguish than the Chile international.

A surprise signing from Arsenal in January 2018, Sanchez has failed to adapt to life at Old Trafford in any sense, and his arrival is now viewed by almost everyone around the club as a mistake.

He is the club's highest earner alongside Paul Pogba, yet his salary is further boosted towards the £600,000-per-week mark once his £20 million signing-on fee, bonuses and image rights are factored in.

His contract runs to June 2022, but United need to figure a way to get out of his hefty deal. It could be that they sell him on the cheap and cut their losses, but there is a fear they may also have to continue paying a chunk of his wages when he moves on.

Current players are being told not to use him as a benchmark when new deals are negotiated, and insiders believe it is because the club are looking to find a way to get him out of Old Trafford.

One of the players in talks is Marcus Rashford, who will see his pay increase to more than £150,000 per week if he agrees terms.

Reports surfaced on Wednesday from Mundo Deportivo (h/t the Mirror) of Barcelona interest in Rashford, but B/R has been informed that United will not listen to offers, even in the region of £100 million, and the player is eager to stay anyway.

Another contract situation looming is that of David De Gea. Last week we looked at what Real Madrid would need to do to sign him. United are obviously eager to keep him, but they do have Jan Oblak and Kasper Schmeichel earmarked as potential replacements.  

The Next Generation

If Sanchez epitomises all that has been wrong with United during the difficult days of Jose Mourinho, the starlets emerging from their youth system surely underline all that has been good about Solskjaer's reign.

Mason Greenwood, 17, and Tahith Chong, 19, have both made bold steps into first-team football and even played in the late stages of their incredible UEFA Champions League win at Paris Saint-Germain.

Those two, along with 19-year-old Diogo Dalot, are all guaranteed to remain in the setup when Solskjaer becomes full-time boss.

It is understood the caretaker manager has outlined the club's focus on youth prospects as something that must be central to their vision. 

Head of Football

At the end of Mourinho's reign, the need for a head of football was seen as a priority. It was felt that spending in the transfer market had been too erratic and someone needed to be brought in to oversee a long-term project that would improve the club's business and help shape the first-team squad.

The role continues to be discussed, but insiders suggest it is not seen to be as urgent as it once was. Reflecting on the results Solskjaer has achieved and the attacking style of football that has been implemented more regularly, it is felt that perhaps the squad is not as imbalanced as previously thought.

Solskjaer has remained open to the prospect of another figurehead being brought in—something Mourinho never was. The director of football role has become well-recognised in elite-level football and has worked well for Manchester City, where Txiki Begiristain has a strong relationship with Pep Guardiola.

But United know the appointment will only work if the right person is brought in, and they are said to be wary about rocking the boat just as things have begun to calm down.

After years of decline since Ferguson stepped aside in 2013, optimism is returning around Old Trafford. Their business this summer will determine just how soon they can realistically challenge again at the Premier League's summit.