Ineos got a glimpse of the Manchester United they want when an era ended vs Newcastle

It was a night for farewells at Old Trafford. Just how many of these Manchester United players were saying goodbye will only become clear in the coming weeks, but it's safe to assume it wasn't just Raphael Varane waving to the Stretford End for the final time after the 3-2 win against Newcastle.

Despite an improved performance at the back, it is likely that Varane's former Real Madrid colleague Casemiro will also depart this summer. His contract isn't up but with no Champions League football and turning 33 next season, it is a burden for Ineos. His performances this season have suggested a decline that may prove irreversible.

Varane and Casemiro, with nine Champions League titles between them, are probably the last of the superstar signings at Old Trafford. At a combined £112million, it's safe to say Real have had the better of those deals. With Ineos now pulling the strings at United the era of glamour buys is over.

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Not only can they not afford fees and wages of that size anymore, it also doesn't fit the model that Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants. As he has already detailed this season, he wants his club to be buying the next superstar, not the superstar who might be standing on top of the mountain but knowing the descent is imminent.

So maybe it was fitting that the curtain came down on that era when young players who fit the bill for the new United stole the show. Kobbie Mainoo, 19, and 21-year-olds Amad and Rasmus Hojlund were the matchwinners against Newcastle to keep hopes of European qualification alive.

If the potential of Mainoo and Hojlund was already clear, the emergence of Amad this week has been a major positive and it