Manchester United are making the right changes to their transfer strategy

The peaks and troughs of Donny van de Beek's season spiralled wildly last week. His old Ajax coach, Erik ten Hag, is gaining momentum ahead of his potential appointment by Manchester United, Van de Beek was down to start for Everton at West Ham, sustained an injury in the warm-up, Everton lost and then Ralf Rangnick shed light on United's next intended recruitment reboot.

"We come back to DNA, speed, physicality, tempo, what do we need?" Rangnick rhetorically asked. "This team does not lack technical players, it can do with more physicality.

"It has to be a bit in the DNA of a player, to be honest. It is difficult to change, shall I say a technically great player into a physical, aggressive player, and we have a lot of people who are technical players."

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Rangnick cited United's lack of physicality behind their defeat to Atletico Madrid last month and the fortuitous draw with Leicester when Bruno Fernandes jumped out of a challenge with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall for Kelechi Iheanacho's goal. "They tackled us away twice within two seconds," Rangnick frowned.

Van de Beek only started playing for Everton in February and has already committed seven fouls, averaging more than one per game. In his sole standout performance for United at Watford, he crunched into Ismaila Sarr, forcing him off.

That second-half, Van de Beek's most complete outing for United, blended silk and steel. There was a goal and a defence-splitting pass Cristiano Ronaldo failed to convert at 2-1. Eager to impress in his first start under Rangnick, Van de Beek, who gained muscle mass in pre-season to disprove the theory he was lightweight, attempted a season-high four tackles.

Va