Man Utd's line-up with Olise and three other transfers as Ratcliffe era starts

03 January 2024 , 21:00

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Man Utd's line-up with Olise and three other transfers as Ratcliffe era starts

Manchester United are set for mass changes now that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has arrived on the scene.

The Inoes chief and his trusted lieutenants have already begun observing the state of affairs at Old Trafford with the club enduring their worst campaign in decades. Erik ten Hag has overseen a major decline compared to last season, casting doubt over his future.

He has a playing group that is massively underperforming and, as a result, several of those could be moved on in the summer with new faces bought in. United have made a habit of spending poorly in the market with Gary Neville previously commenting that they're a "graveyard" for players.

Last summer's arrivals have all struggled with Ten Hag's recruitment decisions by no means proving to be universal hits. That has been a familiar trend and Ineos plans to target that as an area that can be majorly improved. Already names are being touted as possible signings, which could lead to a new look line-up.

We take a look at who Ratcliffe and co could make moves for in the coming months as they look to overhaul a footballing operation that has largely underwhelmed for the last decade with silverware no longer the guarantee it once was.

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Michael Olise

The Crystal Palace star scored a stunning free-kick to rescue a point for the Eagles against United last season. His interviews after games have been telling and highlighted an elite mentality that could take him further with Chelsea previously keen on his signature.

Michael Olise has been a standout performer for Crystal Palace (Getty Images)

He's taken to the Premier League comfortably since stepping up from the Championship with Reading. Olise recently signed a new deal but a release clause will come into play this summer which would make him readily available. His versatility down the flanks would be a strength with the 22-year-old scoring five times in his nine outings this term.

Jean-Clair Todibo

The amount of changes to the backline in Manchester has unsettled their centre-half pairing. Harry Maguire, a man previously discarded, has managed to make himself a regular with Ten Hag seemingly unsure of his best selections beyond Lisandro Martinez, who has been injured.

The Nice centre-half has been linked with a switch to Manchester United (ric Verhoeven/Soccrates/Getty Images)

That would make Todibo an attractive proposition and he currently plays for Nice - the other side owned by Ratcliffe. That would aid any deal, albeit the Brit would become very unpopular in the south of France. Todibo has drawn admiring glances from some of Europe's top sides and looks ready-made for the Premier League.

Timo Werner

A return to England seems a realistic possibility for Werner, who failed to fire at Chelsea. He was signed from RB Leipzig with huge expectations, but never made the grade and headed back to Germany. Now, with goals a problem, Werner is being considered by United this month.

Timo Werner has shown he can score goals in Germany, but struggled previously in the Premier League (Getty Images)

Leipzig are open to letting him leave on loan with injuries holding him back this term. Werner has shown he can score goals in Germany and United may feel as though they can get him firing at Old Trafford. He scored 16 times last term so it is a case of being able to get the best from the 27-year-old.

Joshua Kimmich

This would be a statement signing but all does not seem well between Kimmich and Bayern Munich. Thomas Tuchel is at odds about where his best position is and, with 18 months left on his deal, the versatile German is ready to explore his options away from the Allianz Arena.

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He would bring with him a bucket load of winning experience and Bayern, like they did with Thiago, have shown they will sell players if they don't want to be there. Kimmich's game understanding is top notch and, despite lacking the size, his technical skills have made him a regular for one of Europe's dominant outfits.

Samuel Meade