Manchester United must make ruthless contract decisions before transfer window opens

When the next permanent manager of Manchester United finally sits down at their unveiling press conference, you can bet there will be inevitable questions about the transfer window and how they plan to strengthen the squad.

After a decade of wild spending that has seen United accumulate a £1.4 billion gross spend on signings, it is a dangerous narrative to suggest their rebuild relies on more money being thrown at their star-studded squad, but there is mitigation this time around. Not only has United's squad failed to deliver the goods this season, but it's currently a group of individuals that will only get depleted at the end of the season when the likes of Paul Pogba, Edinson Cavani and Jesse Lingard all see their contracts expire.

United's rebuild is not only about strengthening what is already at their disposal, but it will also be a case of replacing the talent set to leave. A clear long-term strategy needs to be decided upon and whoever is in charge needs to be given full licence to execute it properly too.

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The next permanent manager's first few months will no doubt be defined by the players they manage to lure to Old Trafford. However, perhaps the most important factor in their immediate success will be deciding who at the club deserves a new contract to reflect their long-term role at it.

Seven senior stars will see their current deals expire in 2023, and a priority for the next manager will be to establish clarity about their futures before they can even begin to think about new signings.

David de Gea, Fred and Luke Shaw should all be offered new deals to reflect their importance to the side, even though the club could trigger an