The trip to Brentford after the international break will mark the beginning of a final audition period for some members of Manchester United’s squad to save their Old Trafford careers.. Following the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe in M16, ruthless changes are expected to be made ahead of next season. Ratcliffe has wasted no time in making sweeping changes at boardroom level, meaning big changes within the squad are also on the horizon.. As reported by the Manchester Evening News, player sales could reach double figures, with the club planning to become more proactive in the seller’s market. United have been guilty of holding onto players for too long and Ineos need to start righting that wrong.. READ MORE: United receive Luke Shaw injury hint as player joins England camp. READ MORE: United confirm pre-season friendly vs Rangers. Though Ratcliffe, earlier this week, hinted that sorting out the club’s off-field structure will initially take priority over beefing up the squad, there is no doubt that United need to strengthen on the pitch this summer, regardless of who the manager is. They are still missing quality and depth in some areas.. Not for the first time in recent years, United are going to have to assess their midfield department. Less than two years after signing Casemiro for an initial fee of £60million, they are already at a juncture where they need to be actively pursuing a long-term replacement.. United, of course, bolstered their defensive midfield options last summer, drafting in Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina. He arrived on deadline day, signing on loan for the duration of the season, with the deal featuring an option for United to sign him permanently this forthcoming summer for €20million, plus a further €5million in add-ons.. At the time, most United fans were delighted with his addition to the squad, purely because it provided cover in the defensive midfield berth in the eventuality of Casemiro being unavailable through injury or suspension.. However, he has failed to make his mark when opportunities have come his way. It looked as though another opening would have presented itself against Liverpool at the weekend, with Casemiro ruled out with a recurring hamstring issue, yet he watched the FA Cup quarter-final classic from the bench.. Erik ten Hag selected Scott McTominay instead, tasking Kobbie Mainoo with dropping that little bit deeper. As brilliant as Mainoo was, his desire to get forward left United exposed, though it did not end up costing them too dearly.. Kobbie Mainoo teamed up with Scott McTominay (right) in midfield against Liverpool. (Image: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images).). Considering Ten Hag sounded out Amrabat as his preferred defensive midfield signing last summer, the fact he overlooked him against a side of Liverpool’s quality spoke volumes about how his loan spell has gone. Ten Hag worked with Amrabat at FC Utrecht, meaning he was another signing with connections to the Eredivisie.. Since becoming United boss, Ten Hag has signed Andre Onana, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Wout Weghorst, Antony and Amrabat, all of whom either came from the Eredivisie or had experience in the division. None of them, regardless of the different levels of impact they have each had in M16, are players United fans would have necessarily identified as future signings prior to the 2022 summer transfer window.. As a result of Amrabat being overlooked against Liverpool, it once again raises questions about how much control Ten Hag should have over recruitment. The manager, regardless of the club or division, must have a say in the players he will coach, but there is a feeling that Ten Hag’s stranglehold on recruitment should be loosened, despite him admitting prior to taking over in 2022 that he wants control when it comes to signings.. “I set requirements in advance about how I want to work,” he told Dutch outlet Trouw, speaking in April 2022. “If they aren’t granted, I won’t do it.. “I am ultimately responsible and accounted for the results. I don’t want to be the sole ruler, I stand for cooperation, but control in transfers is a condition for me.”. Ten Hag addressed the topic of recruitment again last month, doubling down on the importance of manager having a say on signings, saying: “Yes, I am sure. It’s control. And I have had the talks with them (Ineos) about it.. “They will not bring in players who the manager doesn’t want, because that will not work. We will work there together, with suggestions, bringing players in and discussing. Then it is about picking the right players, it is about cooperation and togetherness. That is the way they want to work.”. Ratcliffe has made it crystal clear that United need to change their outlook on recruitment, meaning Ten Hag is unlikely to have as much power as perhaps he would have liked. But as Amrabat has proven, that might not be a bad thing.
