Manchester United’s latest performance at Bournemouth highlighted the considerable challenge facing Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his team as they strive to restore the struggling club to its former glory. Ratcliffe and his INEOS team, led by former British cycling guru Sir Dave Brailsford, are already working on reorganizing the football operations side at United.

One of their primary tasks is to rid the squad of underperforming players, with the aim of offloading as many as 12 individuals in a summer overhaul. While replacing half the squad in a single transfer window may be unrealistic, the need to remove players who have not been delivering up to standard reflects the inadequacies of United’s recruitment policy in recent years.

Even if only three-quarters of the identified players are successfully moved on this summer, it would be considered a successful window. The focus would then shift to bringing in upgrades to establish a squad that consistently performs at a high level.

The first step for the new regime at United is to offload high-earning players that the club has previously struggled to transfer, thereby generating funds for squad reinvestment. This approach has been a strength of Manchester City over the past decade, as they have excelled not only in purchasing players but also in selling them strategically.

If Ratcliffe and his team are dedicated to restoring United’s status as a dominant force in domestic and European competitions, they must address this issue, starting with the upcoming transfer window.