Manchester United might need to repeat 2016 transfer window instead of 2019

The last time Manchester United missed out on Champions League qualification they signed players from Leicester City, Crystal Palace and Swansea. The time before that they raided Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund and Villarreal.

The discrepancy in ambition showed the difference between Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but Mourinho's grand approach had fallen short and Solskjaer was performing what Ed Woodward labelled a "cultural reset", which looking back seems to be a way of describing a window that resulted in United signing players that simply weren't good enough for the club.

Of the 2019 intake, Harry Maguire remains captain, but that status should be reconsidered in the summer and the 29-year-old is probably worth half of his £80million price tag three years on. He's had a poor season and needs to focus on salvaging his own Old Trafford career than leading a group of players struggling to pull in the same direction.

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Daniel James arrived in that window and while his sale to Leeds United last summer turned a £10m profit he only really looked like he might make the grade at United for his first month at the club.

The domestic treble of signings was completed by Aaron Wan-Bissaka, a £45m right-back who would barely fetch £20m on recent evidence, finds himself relegated to reserve and is still struggling to show any sign of an attacking game good enough for the highest level.

United's 2019 was about signing young, hungry, domestic players, but being young and determined doesn't equate to being of the requisite quality. They jumped three places the following season but finished on the same number of points, so any improvement was