Highlights
- Ralf Rangnick set up Man United for future success despite failing to prove worth as interim manager.
- Recommended players like Julian Alvarez, Luis Diaz, and Erling Haaland, who later excelled at other clubs.
- Missed opportunities like Morata, Vlahovic, and Nkunku haunt United as these players shine elsewhere.
Not many Manchester United supporters will not look back at Ralf Rangnick’s time at the helm fondly, though he did all he could to set the club up for a more prominent future. The 65-year-old German, who is now in charge of the Austrian national team but is being strongly linked with the Bayern Munich job at the time of writing, was appointed the Red Devils’ manager on an interim basis in November 2021 – but ultimately failed to prove his worth.
He was poised to remain at the club in a consultancy role to support Erik ten Hag in his inaugural season in England, but upped and left soon after the Dutchman’s arrival. Rangnick, who has registered the worst points-per-game ratio of all managers to have attempted to steady the ship after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement, took charge of all recruitment-based decisions at RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg but failed to stamp his authority in Manchester in the same regard.
There were, however, a flurry of names that he recommended to the club during his short association, though none of them came to fruition. ‘Open-heart surgery’ is what Rangnick claimed the squad needed during his final weeks at the club, as he made it clear that significant changes were required – and some time down the line, it’s evidently clear that the same issues are still embroiled at Old Trafford.
“But even without such a script, it was clear to everyone that there was a need in many areas,” he told BILD, per Mail Online. “That’s why we were already discussing players like Josko Gvardiol and Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig. Those were names that were realistic.
“We also talked about Alvaro Morata, Luis Diaz, Dusan Vlahovic and, as I said, Erling Haaland when they were still on the market. But the club decided at that time to rebuild the team under the new coach.”
But that’s not where the list ends. Some have made alternative high-profile moves, and some are still waiting to be snapped up. Let’s take a look at what they’re all up to now.
1 Enzo Fernandez
Chelsea signed Argentine midfielder for £106.8m
Before his Chelsea teammate Moises Caicedo broke the record, Enzo Fernandez signed for the west Londoners for a then British record £106.8 million fee. Lofty, right? The 23-year-old played a limited number of games for Benfica before making the move to England and has shown glimpses of his world-class qualities during his debut campaign in the Premier League.
On the international stage, Fernandez was a key part of Lionel Scaloni’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad – even if it was Lionel Messi who deservedly dominated the headlines during and after the tournament in Qatar. Even prior to that, though, United were reportedly keeping a close eye on the midfielder while he was at River Plate. However, it’s understood that the club were waiting for incoming manager Erik ten Hag to give the green light before signing him. Seeing as Benfica signed him for just £17 million, United missed out on an absolute bargain.
2 Josko Gvardiol
Currently shining under Pep Guardiola at Man City
Manchester United’s local rivals Manchester City are the Premier League club that took a calculated punt on the highly-rated centre-back. Despite his tender age, Josko Gvardiol starred for Croatia during the 2022 World Cup and rightfully earned praise and, in turn, his big-money move.
The 22-year-old was a domineering asset for his previous club, RB Leipzig, playing 87 games during his stint in Germany. He is now taking his game to new heights now that he’s under the stewardship of Pep Guardiola. How well Gvardiol has settled to life in the Premier League will be another dagger to the heart of Manchester United and their supporters.
3 Julian Alvarez
Exceeding expectations for club and country
Despite playing second-fiddle to Erling Haaland during his Manchester City stint, Alvarez is widely regarded as one of the world’s best young forwards and deservedly so. He caught the eye of various top clubs while playing for River Plate in his native Argentina – after notching 85 goal contributions in 122 games – and has hit the ground running in English football, winning the treble during his debut campaign at the Etihad Stadium.
Had United acted on Rangnick’s advice, though, Alvarez might have been playing for the red side of Manchester instead. Rangnick was reportedly furious when the club failed to secure the Argentine’s signature before he signed for City. Given his performance levels over the past couple of years and United’s woes, the Red Devils will certainly be kicking themselves over this one.
4 Luis Diaz
Star player at Liverpool
Diaz missed the best part of last season through injury, but there’s no doubt that Manchester United made another catastrophic error here. The Colombian took to life in English football like a duck to water and is now widely regarded as one of the best forwards in the Premier League.
Before becoming Jurgen Klopp’s marquee winter signing in 2022, the dynamic Colombia international was one of FC Porto’s driving forces, scoring 41 goals and registering 19 assists for the Portuguese heavyweights – so it’s no wonder that Rangnick had his eye on him. United’s loss has undoubtedly been Liverpool’s gain.
5 Erling Haaland
Breaking records for fun with Man City
Of all the missed opportunities, this one will sting the most for the Old Trafford faithful. Erling Haaland has been nothing short of extraordinary for Manchester City following his arrival from Borussia Dortmund. United legend Wayne Rooney even described him as the world’s best footballer now that the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo era has come to an end.
The Norwegian targetman set the Premier League record for most goals in a season (36) last term and the 23-year-old finds himself in contention to win a second successive Golden Boot this term. City’s lethal finisher could – and perhaps should – have been signed for a cut-price fee even before Rangnick’s brief spell at the Theatre of Dreams. However, there is a strong chance that Haaland would still have rejected the move to United due to his father’s career being prematurely ended by Roy Keane.
How Man United messed up chance to sign Erling Haaland in 2018
Manchester United spurned a golden opportunity to sign Erling Haaland years before Man City secured his signature.
6 Konrad Laimer
Now at Bayern Munich
As the 2021-22 season came to a close, it was patently clear that reinforcements in midfield were desperately needed at Old Trafford – hence why Konrad Laimer was eyed. At that time, the versatile midfielder had also caught the attention of Bayern Munich, who he eventually signed for, but Manchester United could have saved themselves money and hassle if they elected to sign him back when Rangnick first recommended the Austrian to the club’s higher-ups.
It’s still early days in Laimer’s Bayern Munich career, and he’ll obviously be disappointed to have missed out on the Bundesliga title during his debut season at the Allianz Arena, but he clearly would have been an upgrade on some of the players currently at Man Utd.
7 Alvaro Morata
Spanish striker has played for some of Europe’s top clubs
Alvaro Morata, 31, is somewhat of a footballing journeyman, having plied his trade for Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Chelsea – though he is still yet to establish himself as one of Europe’s elite strikers. The Spaniard has scored goals wherever he’s played during his career, although profligacy in some of the biggest fixtures has prevented him from establishing a reputation as a truly world-class forward.
Who knows how successful he would have been at Manchester United, but he certainly would have been a useful option over the past couple of years, ahead of the likes of Anthony Martial and Wout Weghorst. He could also have dispensed some invaluable advice to United’s young striker Rasmus Hojlund, who is still learning his trade.
8 Christopher Nkunku
Now at Chelsea
Now on the books at Chelsea, Christopher Nkunku could have become Manchester United’s first signings of the Ten Hag era after being one of RB Leipzig’s most notable stars for a while. The impressive Frenchman had a plethora of big-name clubs vying for his signature as he spearheaded Leipzig to a top-four finish in back-to-back seasons between 2021 and 2023, scoring a respectable total of 70 goals during his time at the club.
The versatile 26-year-old has had an injury-plagued first season at Chelsea, but will no doubt be intent on showing why Manchester United made the incorrect decision.
9 Dusan Vlahovic
Currently being monitored by Arsenal
Imposing centre-forward Dusan Vlahovic, who was tipped to become a star on football’s biggest stages, could have been a Manchester United player had the club been keen to listen more to Rangnick’s transfer advice. Currently plying his trade in Turin for Juventus, the 24-year-old has become one of Serie A’s most coveted forwards and has only been outscored this season by Inter’s Lautaro Martinez.
Now on Arsenal’s radar, Vlahovic could soon switch Italian football for the Premier League, and it’ll be fascinating to see whether United will regret not making a move for the Serbia internaitonal while they had the chance.
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