Although the transfer market has yet to formally open, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer already has a vision of how he wants his team to look at the conclusion of it.
After a solid season in which his team fell short at the last hurdle, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is looking for reinforcements in the months ahead, well aware of the necessity for qualitative upgrades if he is to further improve the fine margins of football.
Since the Europa League final, the Norwegian has attended transfer meetings with club officials, where director of football negotiations Matt Judge speaks with various players' representatives to appraise the possibilities of transactions in the coming weeks.
United are in negotiations with Borussia Dortmund about signing Jadon Sancho, although no deal is imminent, and Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane is another key target this summer.
Both Declan Rice and Pau Torres have piqued Solskjaer's interest, with the Norwegian willing to recruit another attacker despite Edinson Cavani's contract extension last month.
With at least three first-team additions on the cards, the only real issue is who they will be - and Solskjaer has already hinted that one of them may be a surprise.
Last January, United was associated with a whopping 113 players, a record that could be surpassed this summer given the evident need to spend and the presence of important international competitions that might rocket improbable players into the spotlight.
“With the way the world works right now, you'd want to conduct all of our business and all of your conversations in silence, right?” "When asked about his summer transfer plans, Solskjaer commented last month. "However, there are platforms everywhere, news is everywhere, and the media is making it increasingly harder. Who can you rely on?
“Hopefully, I'll be sitting here with players that no one has heard of and who believed we weren't going to see. We go about our job of recruiting and scouting the players we're interested in the appropriate way, I hope and feel.”
Solskjaer's time at Old Trafford has been littered with unexpected arrivals, and he might spring another surprise by adding to his first-team squad in the summer window.
When Solskjaer made his first signing in June 2019, Daniel James was a bit of a surprise, and a late loan transfer for Odion Ighalo in the following January window was also unexpected. On deadline day last October, United signed four players, with Facundo Pellistri being a wildcard signing due to his little game time at former club Penarol.
Whatever players Solskjaer brings to the club in the coming months will be subjected to a stringent transfer process that began last October. Regular meetings are held between Solskjaer and the recruitment department, which is led by technical chief scout Mick Court. Analysis is carried out from the autumn to the winter, and United draws up their target list in the New Year. The director of football negotiations, Matt Judge, is then responsible with carrying out the agreements.
Only the manager and the recruitment department have the power to block a transfer target, which means any suggested addition will need to not only wow club officials but also win Solskjaer's approval as the proper personality and fit for his squad.
With the European Championship still four days away, it may be a while before United makes its first summer acquisition, but with the club's main targets all playing international football, a wildcard alternative might emerge as an unusual arrival first.
Whatever happens, Solskjaer will have an open mind about any player who could improve his present squad.
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