Manchester United have already signed their ideal transfer target profile

Much has been Harry Maguire's fault at Manchester United this season but it was not his fault they signed him.

Everyone knew in 2019 United were committed to spending significantly on a centre-back after fatefully failing to do so the previous year and suffering their worst defensive season in 40 years and they were railroaded into signing Maguire.

Virgil van Dijk, a planetary talent still considered the finest centre half on the planet, had long since joined Liverpool, Raphael Varane and Kalidou Koulibaly were unattainable and Matthijs de Ligt was a non-starter as he was represented by Mino Raiola.

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Milan Skriniar of Inter Milan seemed too aligned with Jose Mourinho whereas Maguire, who briefly played under Mike Phelan at Hull and is English, was more in keeping with United's strategy of targeting British players at selling clubs.

Maguire had actually been shortlisted, along with Skriniar and Koulibaly, by Mourinho in the 2018 summer transfer window. Leicester valued Maguire at £75million and United balked at it as the deadline loomed. A year later, they bought him for £80m - still a record for a defender.

This summer is shaping up to be similar to 2019 and not just because United are flying to Asian and Australian timezones. A new manager will be preparing for his first full season with the soullessness of Thursday night football likely to be on the calendar.

United's pull in the market in 2019 was their lowest in decades. It should not plummet as far in the summer as their next manager will have a profile to attract players of some repute, although it is uncertain how many players are enticed by the prospect of working under Erik ten Hag. That is where Mauricio