After a chaotic draw in Istanbul and an insipid performance versus Newcastle, Manchester United will need to drastically improve before taking on Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea at Old Trafford this Wednesday 6th December.

The match will be the first game at Old Trafford during the festive month, so United fans will be hoping for a performance to get them in the mood to spread some Christmas cheer.

Last season’s fixture in late May was a cracker for the Red Devils as they vanquished The Blues 4-1 to seal their qualification for the Champions League.

However, despite sitting tenth in the Premier League table, the west London club have shown signs of improvement in big games. A credible 1-1 draw versus Liverpool on opening day has been followed up by a pulsating 3-3 draw with Manchester City and a chaotic 4-1 win away to Tottenham Hotspur.

So, in what promises to be a great tie, here are three things to look out for.

Maintaining a rich vein of form against Chelsea

As of late, the Red Devils have had a great deal of success against the West London outfit at Old Trafford in the Premier League. In fact, you have to go back a decade to the last time Chelsea won a game at the Theatre of Dreams.

After winning the title, Manchester United lost 1-0 to Chelsea in a dead-rubber game. Since that point, it has been a series of draws and victories for the Red Devils. Surprisingly, Chelsea have only won two out of the last 15 matches home and away in all competitions versus United, dating back to 2018. In that time there have been seven draws and six Manchester United victories, including the 4-1 win back in May and a 4-0 win at the start of the 2019/2020 season.

The 20 time English champions will be hoping their recent fortune against the Stamford Bridge does not end tomorrow night.

A chance for Kobbie Mainoo to shine once more

One of the most exciting aspects of the season so far has been the promising debut of Mainoo versus Everton a couple of weekends ago.

The 18 year old put in an awe-inspiring performance that left pundits, such as Ian Wright, gushing over his display. The BBC pundit claimed you just had to think “wow” when watching the player.

Rio Ferdinand also stated that the United academy product was a “star” and put in the exact type of performance that the Red Devils needed.

It will be fascinating to see if Mainoo can influence the game against such an accomplished, expensive Chelsea engine room, containing the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo. However, one player he won’t be facing is Conor Gallagher, as The Peoples Person has reported that he is suspended for the match due to a red card in his previous game.

Poch vs Ten Hag

These two managers have history for a couple of reasons and this is the first time that they have faced each other in the Premier League.

The first time the two managers competed against one another was back in 2019 when Ten Hag’s Ajax faced off against Pochettino’s Tottenham side. Despite winning the first leg in London 1-0, the Dutch side threw away a 3 goal aggregate lead to lose 3-2 on the night and go out on away goals in the Dutch capital. Spurs would go on to lose the final 2-0 to Liverpool.

However, Ten Hag got his own back when he beat the Argentinian to the vacant United manager role in April 2022. The Peoples Person reported back in 2022 that Ten Hag was seen to suit the club’s structure over the former Spurs coach.

It will be enthralling to see which manager will take home the bragging rights this time.

In conclusion, the match promises to be must-watch affair as neither team are trustworthy defensively and both have to start claiming three points more regularly to match the ambitions of their fans and try to scale the dizzying heights of the English Premier League.

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It has happened with every manager since Sir Alex Ferguson and every manager recruited under Glazer ownership at Manchester United.

Players’ dedication and commitment to the club is questioned over and again. This week, presumably in an effort to rectify this glaring issue, a story broke that the minority shareholder in waiting, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, intends to return United to a policy of promoting home-grown talent.

Instilling the club’s DNA from an early age, the theory goes, is surely something that will foster a fighting spirit, loyalty, commitment to bleed for the badge and, ultimately, togetherness.

It all sounds logical until you identify some of the main defendants accused of laziness, disinterest and a lack of spirit.

The main culprit of late is surely Marcus Rashford, a home-grown talent.

Another to have been accused of the same on more than one occasion this season is Scott McTominay, another home-grown talent. His failure to track Bruno Guimaraes on Saturday was one of many examples this season.

In recent years, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard have been accused of the same and, although it’s not quite the same story, the less said about Mason Greenwood, the better.

Dean Henderson practically went on strike because of his desperation to leave the club.

In fact, so many academy graduates have got “above themselves” that there is an argument for doing the opposite to what Sir Jim is planning, and keeping academy stars as far away from the first team as possible. They seem to be the flakiest prima donnas of all.

Over the years, names that spring to mind when you think of United’s greatest warriors, who would spill blood, sometimes literally, for the club, are the Bryan Robsons, the Roy Keanes, Nemanja Vidic, Steve Bruce. None of these came through the academy.

Yes, there have also been one or two home-grown, but the point is, whatever it is that makes a player a proud warrior, it does not seem to be this fictitious “DNA” that everyone – Ten Hag included – likes to bleat on about.

After 14 years of seeing sulking and apathetic performances that insult the fans, the badge and the memory of the great United teams of the past, enough is enough. Let’s not pretend there is a United DNA any more. The only DNA that runs through the club nowadays is Lithuanian-American by way of Wall Street.

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Speaking about manager Erik Ten Hag, McCoist said:

“He’s an intelligent man. He knows he’s got a problem if he gets that level of performance from Manchester United again.

“That was miles off it. Absolutely miles off it.

“It’s a horrible thing to level at a professional football player, when you’re questioning commitment, and a desire to run about. But that’s the question you’ve got to ask of some of those Manchester United players.”

The interviewer asked the pair whether they think the players are not playing for Ten Hag.

“Tonight there were signs,” said Jenas.

“There was a couple of players in there … that either wasn’t happy with the tactics that were put to them, or wasn’t happy with their positions on the pitch.

“The body language of a team says a lot at times and there was a few of them sending a message to the manager.

“I thought Marcus Rashford on that right hand side in particular, the way he just walked around, throwing his arms around was one … that said ‘look, I don’t want to be playing on this right hand side.’

“No tracking back … he seems to be a disciplinarian off the pitch, Ten Hag, but I didn’t see that same level of respect on the pitch today.”

Jenas went on to say that the next round of fixtures could see a lot more disappointment for United and he expects them to be knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich.

Often, pundits like nothing more than to lay into United but these two said probably what most United fans were thinking after the Newcastle game.

On Wednesday at Galatasaray we saw a team fighting hard, only to be undone by some individual errors. But at St James’ Park, it was hard to see anything other than apathy and laziness from the men in red.

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The score did not reflect the the Magpies’ domination from the first whistle as they swarmed all over Erik ten Hag’s side who were just not at the races in the key Premier League clash.

The entire season has shown United take one step forward and two steps back and it was similar against Eddie Howe’s side.

Most of these players have let down three separate managers and fans know they cannot be trusted. A wholesale change is required once Sir Jim Ratcliffe comes in and takes control of sporting matters.

Players letting yet another manager down

Most of these players play like their life depends on it only when their contracts are up for renewal. Then they go back to being their moody, selfish selves.

Matchday fans will continue to back the manager over this poor squad full of weak-willed but overpaid stars but the Dutchman cannot be absolved of blame either.

In his first season, the former Ajax coach was smart — sticking to what he felt the team was good at and trying to build a winning structure around it.

With Casemiro in form, Marcus Rashford scoring for fun and Lisandro Martinez’s no-nonsense defending, United’s approach of sitting deep and countering whenever possible worked a treat, especially in the home games.

Then Ten Hag slowly started getting arrogant and brought players he felt would allow the team to be even more front-footed and start pressing from the front in a bid to start attacks higher up the pitch.

He announced during pre-season that United wanted to be the best in the world at transitions and that they would attack from the front.

Mason Mount, Andre Onana, and Rasmus Hojlund were supposed to revolutionise the team’s style but all they have done is take the club a step back.

The manager began believing in his own hype and asked his players to press aggressively, and that allowed the opposition to run rings around them, especially in the early part of the current season.

ETH’s new expansive style not working

Even though they escaped with a win in the season opener against Wolverhampton Wanderers, it was clear for all to see that the team was simply not ready to play in such an expansive way.

The Brazilian midfield enforcer has lost a yard of pace while the Argentine World Cup winner suffered an injury that ruled him out for half the season. The less said about the Mancunian the better.

Mount’s signing has not clicked as Ten Hag is yet to find his ideal midfield combination. Hojlund is too raw for the Premier League and that is showing as he has yet to open his account in England.

Once results began deteriorating, Ten Hag tried once again to play it safe but by then injuries had mounted and he was left with a threadbare squad.

He was forced to trust players who were close to being sold in the summer — Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay — and while they have proven to be effective, the manager’s gameplan nullifies their strengths and it is painful to watch currently.

Ten Hag is showing no signs of being brave, sticking to Onana despite his obvious errors almost every week while sticking with the Scot just because he is scoring goals.

Against Newcastle, McTominay and Bruno Fernandes occupied almost the same areas and it seemed there was no coaching ahead of the game.

The same happened in the early part of the season as well which left Casemiro isolated. The young Kobbie Mainoo was left with all to do on Saturday.

Knowing United’s dismal away from against the top eight sides, Ten Hag should have played Sofyan Amrabat and Mainoo but it seems he is just not ready to learn his lessons.

ETH continuing same mistakes

Playing Rashford and Anthony Martial in an away game, considering the attitude they are currently showing is a crime. But it seems Ten Hag is asking to be sacked.

The other thing the Dutch boss was effective in his first season was with his man-management skills. He ruthlessly quashed rebellion in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo while reinvigorating the careers of many and changing the course of games through timely substitutions.

Currently, he is having a mini-fall-out with almost all players while none of his substitutes are having any impact as he keeps delaying them, hoping for a different outcome each time.

The team is currently hanging on by a thread in the Champions League and are struggling to qualify for Europe, leave aside the Champions League, domestically.

They need to win against the mighty Bayern Munich next week before facing a daunting away trip to Anfield. A scary week for Ten Hag indeed!

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is expected to change the club’s transfer stance and bring in new people behind the scenes. Whether that will impede the Dutchman remains to be seen. So far, Ten Hag’s transfer policy has been full of misses and very few hits.

His goodwill is running out and the new sporting team might need to find yet another new man for the hot seat at Old Trafford. These players have let down yet another manager but Ten Hag is certainly not without blame.

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Many of the criticisms may be valid, but at what point do we start asking, David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and even Ralf Rangnick have been and gone. Ten Hag could soon follow. Can they all be this bad? What is the common denominator?

Former executive vice chairman Ed Woodward got plenty of the blame but things have not improved one iota since he left. And the players have totally changed in that time … so who or what is to blame?

We were all (rightly) appalled at Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to wash his dirty linen on the Piers Morgan show, but, let’s face it, a lot of what he said is relevant. How are world class players expected to feel motivated when they turn up to a training ground that hasn’t been upgraded in 20 years, play in a stadium which is delapidated and listen to angry fans protesting and chanting Glazers Out all the time?

If you are an ambitious footballer wanting to win trophies, it must be hard knowing there’s no money for new transfers and seeing your squad being bolstered by desperate loans for the likes of Odion Ighalo, Wout Weghorst, Marcel Sabitzer, Sofyan Amrabat and Sergio Reguilon. These are not new recruits to the army, they are mercenaries, guns for hire … this does not help build for the future.

The club is now rotten to the core and at this point, the (Red) Devil will certainly be in the detail of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s impending investment deal.

If Ratcliffe’s agreement does not provide a clear way of assuming total control within a reasonable amount of time, and instead serves to prop up Glazer ownership, then it is hard to see how anything can improve.

If there is no clear path to rebuilding the stadium and Carrington, Old Trafford’s iconic “fortress” reputation can never return.

If Joel Glazer still has to sign off on transfers and new contracts, that process will be as painfully slow and ill-informed as ever and the club will continue to make poor choices and miss opportunities, time after time.

If the FFP issues are not resolved – which have come about through a lack of owner investment – and we return to the days when United were among the top three biggest spenders on transfers in the world, then Manchester United will remain a Europa League, upper-mid-table Premier League side, at best, for years to come.

Nobody is exonerating the players for some of these recent performances and yesterday, the attitude of many in the team was terrible. Of course they must play their part and take responsibility and do better.

Ten Hag, too.

But let’s face it. Overall, United are probably about as good as they can be given the hand with which they’ve been dealt. Mourinho famously commented that getting United to second in the Premier League was one of his greatest achievements in football, and that is probably true. A complete exorcism is needed at this point, or “open heart surgery”, as another former boss, Ralf Rangnick, put it.

For things to change, a complete reboot from the top down is needed and this Ratcliffe announcement – if it ever comes – is set to be the single biggest turning point in the club’s history since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. It simply has to be done in a way that provides the antidote to the poison that is killing our beloved club.

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As the dust has settled on Manchester United’s 3-0 victory versus Everton on Sunday afternoon, it is pertinent to highlight that three of United’s successful 2022 Youth Cup team were in the matchday squad.

Two of said players made massive contributions to the result and look to be two of the most promising stories of the season to follow from a Man United fan’s perspective.

Alejandro Garnacho scored “the best overhead kick ever” according to some, which crucially broke the deadlock in the third minute.

Another player from the starting line-up of the victorious Youth Cup side, Kobbie Mainoo, had pundits waxing lyrical over the 18 year olds afternoon’s work. Ian Wright claimed he just thought “wow” and the notoriously hard to impress, Roy Keane, even effused that it was challenging not to get excited about the midfielder’s full debut.

The third was striker Joe Hugill, who made the bench due to an injury to Rasmus Hojlund. The youngster didn’t get the chance to make an impression on the pitch, but after scoring in United’s pre-season tour, the attacker will hope to be get more opportunities in the first team.

Manchester United’s youth team won the coveted Youth Cup final in May 2022 at Old Trafford versus Nottingham Forest. Rhys Bennett and a double from Alejandro Garnacho saw the Red Devils win 3-1 on the night and claim the silverware. It would be a record extending 11th time the club has won the trophy and the first time since a Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard inspired triumph in 2011.

The Old Trafford outfit has a proud history of blooding youngsters and the academy has educated some of the finest players to play the game. United’s commitment to youth can be seen in their unmatched record of naming an academy graduate in every squad since the 30th of October 1937.

In fact, four academy-grown players started the game, including Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay. Another, Hannibal Mejbri was on the bench, hence six in total to add to the names of Garnacho, Mainoo and Hugill, were in the squad.

Additionally, four more players in the matchday 18 may not have been part of the Man United youth system but were signed for the first team as teenagers. They are Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot and Facundo Pellistri.

In fact, to highlight the production power of the youth system at the club, two of Everton’s starters and one bench option also came through the ranks at United. James Garner, Dwight McNeil and former Youth Cup winner, Michael Keane.

There has been criticism of late of the team and their movement away from using the academy. Erik ten Hag has splashed the cash since his arrival in May 2022. The Dutch coach has spent £407m on new signings and has been critiqued here for abandoning players like James Garner far too early to fund moves for lesser players from other team’s academies.

Nonetheless, Sunday’s game provided a road map forward. The roles of Mainoo and Garnacho demonstrate that the youth system at United is still working and if used, can still be a vital characteristic of the side. Whilst, splurging on talent is necessary to reach the top, opportunities should still be given to the very best of the academy. It is in the club’s DNA.

Finally, with the under 18 team in scintillating form and huge talents like 16 year old Shea Lacey at the club, there is much to be excited about. If not left to rot, the youth system will continue to flourish and produce talents for the first team, like it always has since 1937.

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James Garner has taken to life at Everton like a fish to water. Unfortunately for Manchester United’s decision makers, it seems the Red Devils midfield has been trying to swim up current all season.

It came to a shock to many when Erik ten Hag sanctioned the sale of James Garner back in August 2022. The Dutch coach had barely arrived and had only seen the player for a combined 98 minutes over three games before deciding the academy product was surplus to requirements.

In fact, according to The Manchester Evening News (MEN), third parties were told about his departure before the youngster was even informed. David de Gea and Louis van Gaal would also most likely have something to say about this type of treatment.

Resultingly, Garner joined the blue side of Merseyside and has had an impressive start to life as a regular in the Premier League. The academy graduate, who had been at United since under eight level, has already amassed 15 games, scoring 2 goals and creating another. According to transfermarkt, he has also only picked up two yellow cards. That is discipline any of United’s current midfielders would kill for.

The 22 year old also boasts an impressive 7.3 season rating for the season so far on Sofascore. Back in September, the man from Birkenhead scored in a notable 2-1 win away at Aston Villa to knock the Villans out of the league cup. He also achieved a mammoth 8.3 on Sofascore for his night’s work. For context, Villa have won 13 consecutive home games in the league.

The Peoples Person raised concern in August 2022 about the type of message the club was sending by discarding an academy product to chase stars from other teams’ academies like Antony. It is a no-brainer which player is currently more highly valued in Premier League circles between Garner and the much-maligned Brazilian winger.

James Garner was truthfully never given a chance to shine at the club, which is strange as he was heavily praised by influential voices at Old Trafford like Jose Mourinho, Bruno Fernandes and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The academy product only made seven senior first team appearances. A paltry two in the Premier League.

“He is a player” Mourinho said of the then 16 year old Garner in 2018 as he went on United’s pre-season tour. Solskjaer called him a “Michael Carrick” type player. Forest fans felt he was “magic” during his highly successful spell that saw the club promoted back to topflight football in 2022.

They currently love him down the M62 as well. One Everton season ticket holder called him “really consistent” and another described him as being “really good on the ball and can pick a pass”.

The MEN article also affirms that Garner’s effort levels in training have “quickly endeared himself” to manager, Sean Dyche. The 22 year old was also crucial for Everton when they needed him most. Playing at right wing back in their last day escape from relegation against Bournemouth in May, Garner put in a 6.9 rating in an unfamiliar role.

Letting go of a local academy product without a real chance is barely forgivable for a club like United, who prides itself in giving youngsters a clear route into the team. It is most definitely not pardonable when you consider the malaise the Red Devils’ midfield is currently in.

For a variety of reasons, ranging from injuries, form and aging, all of United’s midfield department have underwhelmed this season with the possible exception of Scott McTominay. Casemiro, Christian Eriksen, Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat have all had significantly worse campaigns than James Garner this season.

Dubbed not good enough to make the cut in summer 2022 and sold to help fund flops like Antony, the choice to sell Garner is another decision to add to the list of Glazer-fuelled poor choices.

As Everton prepare to host Manchester United this Sunday afternoon, who would bet against James Garner putting in a storming display against his former team?

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During the last 12 months, the country of Saudi Arabia has turned the world of football on its head.

This time last year, as football fans were gearing up for the World Cup in Qatar, the Saudi Arabian league was plotting to turn itself into one of the premier competitions in world football. Whilst it is far from that, it is certainly a lot closer than it was.

It all began with a Cristiano Ronaldo interview with Piers Morgan which terminated his career at Manchester United and the Portuguese legend became the first global star to take his talents to the Middle East. He would not be the last. Fast forward a year and the league can boast star names such as Karim Benzema, Neymar and Roberto Firmino.

Whilst it is probably not surprising that the Saudi Pro League has been able to attract players in the twilight of their career, they have also swooped in and offered riches to younger players.

The 26-year-old, Ruben Neves, who had been linked to global names like United and Barcelona, decided to go to Saudi Arabia in the prime of his career.

Therefore, the possibility of United stars like Jadon Sancho, Casemiro, Raphael Varane and Bruno Fernandes finding a new home by the Persian Gulf is nowhere near as far-fetched as once assumed.

Raphael Varane

The French defender enjoyed a successful season last year but he has since fallen down the pecking order at the club, where Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire were favoured in the recent ill-fated Manchester derby. In fact, The Peoples Person has recently stated that the Frenchman has even accepted his role as bench player at the club.

This would lead one to think that the 30-year-old may be tempted to try out a new league. Varane has struggled with injuries his whole United career and with the club looking to bring in defenders in future windows, it could make sense that the legendary defender would choose to move to Saudi Arabia.

The multiple Champions League winner has seen it all and won it all in Europe and has arguably the two biggest clubs in the world on his CV.

It has been reported here that the defender won’t be sold in January due to the lack of options in defence but look out for the summer. Nobody would really begrudge him a move. Saudi bound in summer

Casemiro

The Brazilian had an incredible first season at the club and was instrumental as United won the Carabao Cup with the midfielder even scoring a goal in the final.

However, the situation has turned somewhat sour this season. Pundits have been very critical of the former Madrid player and his season has been blighted by injury. The latest seeing him out of action for numerous weeks.

There have been contrasting reports on Casemiro’s own feelings. Reports have surfaced that the midfield pit bull regrets his move, while others claim that he is happy to stay and fight for his place in spite of Saudi interest.

Once again, nobody would fault a perennial winner the chance to unwind in an easier league but it is unlikely. It is improbable the Brazilian will be happy to leave after two seasons at the club and unless his form continues to fall off a cliff, he is likely to stay. However, 2025 could be a different story. Saudi bound but summer 2025

Jadon Sancho

The curious case of Sancho rumbles on with the Englishman and Erik ten Hag still seemingly at loggerheads. It has been claimed that both parties have accepted the best solution for all is a move away from Old Trafford.

The Saudis have expressed interest in taking the winger and with United slapping a £50m price tag on him, a club from the Gulf state could certainly take the bait.

Ten Hag would certainly love to sell him off for a high price and not to a rival club. Although, it is questionable whether Sancho would be prepared at 23 to abandon a career at the highest level.

Whilst at Borussia Dortmund, the attacker was frequently labelled as one of the most exciting young players in world football. You would be hard pushed to find anyone saying the same after two and a half years at the Red Devils.

However, with clubs like Juventus showing interest in the English international, he would likely opt for a move in England or on the continent. Not Saudi bound but will go in January

Bruno Fernandes

The Saudi league has been incredibly ambitious and has been hunting for star signings across the footballing world. Therefore, it is probably not crazy to believe that some clubs would feel they could go after the Man United captain, Bruno Fernandes.

The Peoples Person reported that some Saudi clubs may even be willing to fork out €100m for the talismanic player.

While this might tempt the club which is struggling with finances, it is very unlikely that the Portuguese player would be interested.

Despite a rollercoaster experience since joining in 2020, Bruno has always stated how happy he is at the club and in the city. Furthermore, the midfielder is club captain and a fan favourite.

It would be absolutely amazing if Fernandes decided to leave the club for the Saudi league at this stage of his career. Not Saudi bound and staying

To sum up, out of the four only really Varane could be tempted this summer. Casemiro might also be but only if his form continues to dwindle.

But the future could certainly see the Brazlian join up with former teammates, Benzema and Ronaldo. Whilst the club would be delighted to see Sancho relocate to the Middle East, it is probably not on the player’s radar.

Finally, most fans around the globe would be astounded if the Saudis were able to take Manchester United’s club captain.

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Many Manchester United fans will be dreaming of a busy winter window that will kick-start their season domestically and abroad.

However, the major stories from transfer windows are not always about who your clubs brings in, but also on who they decide to cut ties with.

Man United have seven players who have contracts ending in June 2024 and face an uncertain future beyond the end of the current campaign.

The Mirror has drawn attention to the players that could be moving on to new pastures in the summer. One rule of the transfer window is that “any player looking to move from one English team to another as a free agent can only open talks after entering the final month of their previous contract”. However, they can negotiate with foreign clubs from the January previous to the expiry date of their deal.

Safe in this knowledge, let’s take a look to see which of the seven Red Devils may opt for this route.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

The Mirror are downbeat on Wan-Bissaka’s chances of staying at the club. They sum him up as a player who has “veered from dependable player to a lightning rod for fan criticism”. The publication believes it is unlikely he will be offered a new deal. At the start of the season the English fullback seemed a shoe-in for a new contract but things on that front have certainly cooled down of late.

Consequently, The Peoples Person has reported that Ten Hag is interested in bringing in his own right back but many would argue that Wan-Bissaka may provide more effective backup than Diogo Dalot. Additionally, Wan-Bissaka would most certainly be of interest to English teams such as West Ham, so it is improbable that he would lack attractive offers from mid table Premier League clubs if United decide not to renew his deal. Unlikely to go.

Victor Lindelof

The Swede is another name that could depart the club in the summer. The Swedish captain has had plenty of admirers from abroad such as Atletico Madrid, so if he were to desire a new challenge, he would have numerous options as a free agent. However, Lindelof has already played 15 times for the club this season due to the defensive injury crisis and even scored the winning goal against Luton. Nonetheless, Victor may fall down the pecking order as United have been linked to many new central defenders including Jean-Clair Todibo, so the Swedish defender may choose this path, as he is certainly the most sought after of the seven. Likely to go abroad

Antony Martial

The French forward is probably a much clearer case. While Wan-Bissaka and Lindelof remain relatively popular players where you could envision a future back-up role at the club, Martial does not enjoy this reputation among supporters. The Frenchman has been heavily critiqued and has seemingly lost largely everything that made him winner of the Golden Boy award in 2015. Not many English clubs would be willing to sign the attacker but as long as he asked for sensible wages, a list of European clubs would most likely be attracted to him. The Peoples Person recently stated that Inter Milan and PSG are among such teams. Likely to go abroad

Hannibal Mejbri

The 20 year old Tunisian Mejbri is enjoying something of a breakthrough year, having played 5 times already for the Red Devils in this campaign and also having scored a wonder goal against Brighton in September. United do have an option to extend for a year and it is hard to see them not at least taking up this option. The Tunisian is hot-tempered and still has much to learn but it is unlikely that club or player are willing to give up on each other yet. Unlikely to go just yet

Jonny Evans

The Northern Irishman was a surprise signing during the summer but like Lindelof, has had to fill in more than he had probably anticipated due to the injury-ravaged defensive department. Despite admirably deputising, future summer signings at centre back, again like Lindelof, will most likely see Evans leave the club. He could decide to retire as he had contemplated before joining United or play for a lower division English team. Likely to go, but not abroad

Tom Heaton

The 37 year old keeper saw the arrival of two new keepers in the summer and has not played yet this season. The United academy graduate almost joined Luton Town in August but this deal collapsed. Heaton will most definitely leave unless offered some sort of coaching job, but again, he is unlikely to try and secure a deal abroad at this point in his career. Likely to go but not abroad

Alvaro Fernandez

The young Spanish left back will probably have developed the taste for first team football. Last season he played 42 times for Preston in the Championship and has been a regular for Granada in La Liga this year. He is highly rated at United and it is likely the club would love to tie him down to a new contract. However, with Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and possibly even Sergio Reguilon potentially in front of him, he may not have the patience to wait for his chance. Especially as the youngster is from Spain, he could well try and pursue a move to his homeland or elsewhere in the winter. Likely to go abroad

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The name Serhou Guirassy has been on the lips of many pundits and fans this season. As the Guinean has been banging in the goals, Manchester United’s strikers have been struggling to find the back of the net. In fact, Marcus Rashford’s strike against Arsenal is the only Premier League goal scored by an attacker this season for the Red Devils.

The Guinea forward was once again in the news this week as he scored the winning penalty in Stuttgart’s 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund. At the time of writing, the forward has scored an incredible 16 goals in 10 games this season for the German club. Only the prolific Harry Kane has scored more Bundesliga goals so far this campaign. Hence, the persistent tongue wagging about him.

Incredibly, he has also scored in every match he has played in this campaign, with the exception of a 2-0 loss to Cologne in September. The African striker has also impressively scored three braces and two hat-tricks this season. His magnificent goal tally has seen Stuttgart jump up to third in the table with only Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen currently outperforming them in the Bundesliga.

However, would the Stuttgart striker have what it takes to make it at a club like United?

Guirassy’s career has really taken off recently but it would be fair to say this is not a precise representation of his career to date. The forward is 27 years old and this is the first time he has ever hit goalscoring numbers like this.

According to transfermarkt.com , the Guinean has scored an impressive 30 goals in 52 games in the German league. However, Guirassy has spent most of his career in the generally accepted weaker Ligue 1 in France. Here his statistics are not so eye-catching.

The forward only scored 31 goals in 109 games for clubs such as Rennes and Amiens. The Guinea international only provided 3 assists in his time in the French first division, so he can hardly be classed as a striker that consistently brings others into play.

The man from Arles has only actually played for Guinea 10 times despite being 27 years old. He has found the net three times, most famously against Brazil in a friendly in June of this summer in Barcelona. Although, with respect, Guinea is hardly a powerhouse regionally, never mind internationally. They currently sit 80th in the FIFA World Rankings. It begs the question, why he has not represented his nation more despite his world-class form at the moment.

It is possible that Serhou is a late bloomer, and we are only now seeing his true potential. Jamie Vardy and Callum Wilson are both examples of strikers who improved as they passed their mid-twenties. On the other hand, we have also seen countless examples of strikers who have had purple patches but have never been able to repeat the trick consistently.

Talksport have recently linked the Guinean to the Premier League with a £15m move to Fulham. Just this week, Newcastle United have been credited with an interest in bringing Guirassy in to help their injury ravaged front line.

Interestingly, Serhou himself has recently spoken about his rejection of Nottingham Forest in the summer and his preference to stay in Germany. Nonetheless, the striker has kept his options open for a January move by stating that “I cannot hide these things – everyone knows the Premier League is one of the most competitive leagues in the world.”

All in all, a move for Guirassy would not really make a lot of sense for a club like Manchester United due to his goalscoring record and age profile. The club has taken a gamble on Rasmus Hojlund and he needs minutes to build form and experience. Guirassy is young enough that he needs consistent gametime but also old enough that there is unlikely to be much more potential growth.

Ironically, after years of mistakenly bringing in sticking plaster solutions like Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani, it could be exactly what the club now needs to provide valuable competition and mentorship for their young Danish star but also allow him the game time to reach his full potential.

A move to the Fulhams or Nottingham Forests of this world is likely the best next step for the intriguing Guinean forward.

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