Manchester United will have new ownership coming into the club to shake things up at an institution that has been stagnant for far too long, but it will take some time for Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS to scrape off all the rot.
Even before the summer 2024 transfer market opens up, Man United are already suffering setbacks and finding it difficult to compete with clubs that, based on historical stature and resources, they should be equals with.
According to a report from Sky Sport Deutschland’s Florian Plettenberg, Manchester United have been eliminated from contention to sign Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich, who has become increasingly disgruntled with the club.
Man Utd out of the Joshua Kimmich sweepstakes
Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City, and even United’s historic rivals Arsenal are the five teams involved, whereas United have joined mid-table side Chelsea and Ligue 1‘s PSG as clubs out of the battle.
Kimmich is a world-class defensive midfielder in the prime of his career – not declining like many of the players United have signed from the bargain bin of the transfer market.
These kinds of players seem thoroughly uninterested in United, and it may mean INEOS have to go in a more creative – albeit riskier – direction to rebuild the club’s reputation and the quality of the squad.
Man United know the standard has slipped so badly over the years that top players no longer view Old Trafford as a destination, but rather a Europa League purgatory – a club that is a skeleton of a beast that once housed Cristiano Ronaldo and Rio Ferdinand.
Man Utd need to follow in Arsenal’s footsteps
Kimmich could very well head to a Premier League rival, and wouldn’t it be an insult to United to see Arsenal sign more superstars like the Bayern Munich man this summer?
Tracking the way both clubs have trended these last few years is an exhibition in how hiring the right manager and believing in the right process can make all the difference. Arsenal’s success under Mikel Arteta is a bright spot for United, though, because it means they can do the same with the right approach.
Former editor of The Real Champs and Old Juve, covering Real Madrid and Juventus
