After weeks of negotiations, which sometimes had the feeling that it could take all summer, Manchester United finally signed Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford. However, the track has only just begun and Ineos cannot rest on their laurels.
Manchester United has completed a signature that, for the second time this summer, feels like a step in a positive direction.
However, if United wants to continue to improve a team at a low point of the low point after embarrassing in the vicinity of the relegation last season, they must find a way to end the stalemate around and quickly.
In a transfer window where expenditure is of vital importance for squadronmoral and to finance much needed rebuilding, Ineos and director of Voetbal Jason Wilcox should focus their attention on discharging a long list of players who are not part of the Ruben Amorim project.
So, which players are for sale and what interest is there in them?
1. Marcus Rashford
Rashford had an encouraging loan spell in Aston Villa, where, although he did not set the world on fire, he rediscovered a form and was rewarded with an England return by Thomas Tuchel in March. In contrast to others on this transfer list, the graduated Manchester United Academy also has an impressive CV to seduce voorders to make an offer.
At best during the United career of Rashford, he has been unplayable and a confident Rashford would be an asset to most parties.
The problem that the broad forward faces is that he did not consistently deliver those levels from one season to the next. If you also take his excessive wages into account, you suddenly have a player who can afford very few clubs and even less who want to take the gamble, given his inconsistency.
That said, David Ornstein has reported that Barcelona is in line with the signing of Rashford on loan with an option to buy after failure to sign Nico Williams.
A loan movement is ideal for Ineos and Ruben Amorim, who agree that Rashford has no future at the club. Given the high wages of Rashford and the lack of interest elsewhere, the match of a deal with an option to buy with Barcelona is positive for all parties.
2. Alejandro Garnacho
The second controversial winger who fell out of favor with the ruthless Amorim is Garnacho. It was not long since the Argentinian was the golden boy of Erik ten Hag. Garnacho soon became a favorite with a fan for his directness, fearlessness and the ability to produce the spectacular.
After the appointment of Amorim in November of last season, however, Garnacho did not succeed in effectively adapting to the new system and found his minutes limited. That resulted in playing just 20 minutes in the Europa League -final – a decision that Garnacho did not make good.
After the game, the 21-year-old told the media: “Until the (Europa League) final I played every round to help the team …
“Then the last one arrives and I play for 20 minutes? I don't know. I will try to enjoy the summer, and then we will see what happens.”
It is not surprising that Amorim did not go well to those comments, and it was soon reported in the media that Garnacho would be fallen from the team and was for sale. The Argentinian was not in the United team for the last game of the season. Amorim is a man of principle and will probably not change your mind on Garnacho.
So where does Garnacho go from here? Chelsea currently seems to be the most likely destination, and if a deal can be agreed, it would fit well with both parties. Chelsea will sign a huge talented player who could become one of the best left wings of the competition.
The bottleneck is the attitude problems of the player, who have put him into trouble on various occasions during his young career. If Enzo Maresca can iron it, he will have a useful addition to a young, hungry and extremely talented team. What perhaps plays in Chelsea's spirit is the recent lower whelping spell of another employee of Manchester United, Jadon Sancho.
Is it too risky to splash the money on a young united winger with similar attitude problems such as Sancho?
That is where Garnacho may have pushed himself a bit in a corner, because reports suggest that he is only interested in a Premier League movement. Ignoring interest from Napoli and other lovers abroad can prove to be a precious mistake if he cannot produce movement in England at the end of August. Because if Garnacho or Rashford are still in the club by that time, don't expect Amorim to recover the duo in his team, at least not by choice.
That is a dilemma that Manchester United could really do without.
3. Jadon Sancho
We have already touched the poor loan saying of Sancho at Chelsea, which led to the club World Cup champions to sign the English winger on a permanent deal. United left that with another player who is not part of their plans after he did not respect the club on different occasions and fell out with former head coach Ten Hag. Sancho is a player, more than any other, who has no prospect of a future at the club.
The hierarchy has made it clear in leaking the media that they want him to continue, and luckily there seems to be an interested party. Several Italian journalists have reported that Juventus Sancho wants to sign on a permanent deal.
A move abroad feels the smartest step, and Juventus may simply offer Sancho the reset that desperately needs his career. He does not have the pace or physicality to succeed in the Premier League, but he excelled in two spells in Germany, and he might prove to be a smart signing of the Italian giants.
4. Antony
There is less bad blood between Antony and Manchester United. However, that does not mean that he is part of Amorim's plans, because the Portuguese have made it clear to his actions that he simply does not judge Antony high enough.
It is therefore curious that after a huge successful loan at Real Betis in the second half of last season, there is very little new about the future of the Brazilian. You would think that there would be a lot of interest in Antony after a loan in which he did more than place himself in the shop window – he became a favorite at Betis.
There is little doubt that Betis would keep Antony back, but they cannot afford his signature and United is not interested in another loan agreement. The coach who signed Antony, Ten Hag, is reportedly interested in bringing the winger to his new club Bayer Leverkusen, although those left will remain for the time being.
There is still enough time left in the window for a club to come and beat, but from all the unwanted stars of United, Antony's impressive enchantment in Spain should not make him the most sought after, not least.
Massa shift or problems for Manchester United
These are only the four highest names in a long list of players for whom United would listen to offers, including Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia. The challenge for the coming challenge is huge and United has to continue if they raise money to bring in a striker, goalkeeper and central midfielder – three positions they want to strengthen this summer, according to athletics.
The problem is, from injury problems to lack of form, is there so much interest in the rejections of United or the demand for players with complicated personalities and high wages? These are the difficult questions with which Ineos and Ruben Amorim are confronted, who may be forced to recover players whose Manchester United story looked at it.
The challenge for Ineos is to avoid that result and to make their head coach the overhaul he needs.