It is certainly an exciting and interesting time for Manchester United fans, as new minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has now fully begun putting his vision in place for how Old Trafford’s sporting operations should be run, and we have already seen some backroom changes – and it is fully expected that there will be more to come as we head towards the beginning of the 2024/25 campaign.
One of those expected changes is likely to be the appointment of Newcastle United sporting director Dan Ashworth, as given all the speculation linking him with a move to us as one of Ratcliffe’s top targets to bring in, he has long been placed on gardening leave, and it still feel like only a matter of time before he takes up his position with us.
As we approach Ratcliffe’s first proper summer at the club you can follow Boylesports for odds on the Premier League and what might happen next season.
We also naturally have plenty of talk surrounding the future of manager Erik ten Hag and whether or not he will stay with us next season, or be replaced by any number of the names currently doing the rounds on the rumour mill, and they are as vast and wide from the likes of Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti, England head coach Gareth Southgate and even Brentford’s Thomas Frank, and those in the Red Devil fan base will certainly have their opinions on all four, let alone some of the other speculative names doing the rounds.
Fans are also inundated with summer transfer window rumour mill speculation, and as is predictable the players being linked are also incredibly varied. Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise, Juventus’ Federico Chiesa and even PSV Eindhoven’s Johan Bakayoko are three doing the rounds just today alone.
Another one in the news today concerns midfielder Scott McTominay.
As per known speculation, around 12 months ago it was being claimed that we had deemed him surplus to requirements and were looking for a significant upgrade on our now 27-year-old Academy graduate, but with his performances this season, both for club and country Scotland, it is now being suggested that Sir Jim has stepped in and is determined to keep him with us for the foreseeable future, and that not only will he not be willingly sold now, he will in fact receive a new contract extension.
McTominay does split fans – which player does not in reality these days – but we have bigger playing issues than him, and in many ways an Academy graduate is easier pickings when compared to a big money signing and the belief that he will ‘justify the fee’ eventually.
With only three goals last season, he has kicked on and already has nine across all competitions this year – including seven in 23 Premier League games in 2023/24 so far. It is already double his previous career best in a single season, and if he is now truly back on an upward curve, now is absolutely not the time to sell him.
This is now reportedly the outlook taken by Manchester United (if it was ever really otherwise previously).
If these rumours are true, how long a deal he might get remains open to speculation, but it would undoubtedly involve a pay rise, but it should not be forgotten that he still has 15 months left on his currently claimed £60,000 a week contract, so there really is not any rush anyway unless the club are anticipating problematic offers over the summer.
Even if that were true, we also hold a 12 month extension option on him anyway.
Whilst it is likely that claims he would double his salary are slightly off the mark, if we rightly see him as an asset for the future, it must be remembered that it was heavily reported that last summer Newcastle United and West Ham United were interested in him.
Maybe we are simply tipping our hand so we can focus on our own plans over the summer, with fewer distractions?
We should soon know.
