At the start of this month, after Champions League qualification went from improbable for impossible for his Manchester United side, Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag admitted that the club’s transfer plans would likely be impeded by a potential eighth place finish.
“Of course, it’s important (to finish in the European places). But we have two opportunities. One in the league and one in the FA Cup final,” Ten Hag said, Manchester United facing up to their worst-ever Premier League finish but also preparing for a Man City rematch at Wembley.
“Definitely, (missing out on the Champions League) will have an impact on the budget. But I’m sure Manchester United is a very attractive team and club to play for.
“Many players will be very happy to play for Manchester United, I’m sure.”
Off the pitch, United continue to prove that, despite a decade of underachievement, the knock of the Red Devils remains difficult to ignore. Dan Ashworth didn’t need asking twice when offered the chance to leave Newcastle’s ambitious project for a key role in the Ineos rebuild.
Southampton ‘reluctantly’ allowed Jason Wilcox to take up a technical director position at Old Trafford too, while new CEO Omar Berrada hopes to replicate the success of City on the red half of Manchester.
Ineos’ Manchester United transformation taking shape
On the pitch, however, can the lure of that iconic red shirt survive the very real prospect of a season without European football of any kind, let alone the Champions League?
While reports insist that Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo remains keen on a move from one Sir Jim Ratcliffe-led club to another, the comments he gave to Get France Football News on Tuesday suggest that – despite those Ineos connections – a move to Old Trafford is far from a foregone conclusion.
“I want to win titles and play in the best European competitions,” the £40 million-rated potential Raphael Varene replacement tells Get France Football News, United certainly not doing the latter next season and maybe unlikely to do the former either.
“Those are my objectives. I’d also like to go to a club that will allow me to become better, to allow me to progress on an individual level. That’s what interests me. I am open to joining any league honestly. I watch more or less every league and each one could appeal to me.
“I’m not fixated in terms of what league to join. Could I flourish in the Premier League? Yeah, I think so and I think I could flourish in any league. Is there a possibility that my chances correspond best with the Premier League? There is a chance, yes.
“(But European football) is in my mind. Going to those kinds of clubs allows you to play in the best European competitions. Playing in those European competitions allows you to be seen more and that gives you more guarantees for the France national team.
“That’s why leaving is in my mind.”
No Champions League football in 2024/24
Ratcliffe, upon confirmation of Ineos’ investment in Manchester United in December, spoke about the need for ‘time and patience‘.
That is a message he may have been sending not only to a fanbase desperate for better days, but also for the players earmarked to lay the foundations for a new era at Old Trafford too.
If Todibo is willing to risk one season without European football, will he be rewarded with Champions League action later down the line, presuming Ineos can get the Red Devils back on track? That is the dilemma United’s leading targets must weigh up in their minds.
But after Ten Hag spoke about the adverse affects missing out on the Champions League could have on their budget, another year without a seat at Europe’s top table won’t strengthen the club’s hand from a negotiating standpoint either.
United have an advantage to sign Todibo due to the Ineos connection, but if he is absolutely set on an offer of Champions League football elsewhere, he could slip away.