Man Utd executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has insisted extensive work is being done to build long-term success at the club and hinted this summer will be crucial.
Despite significant investment in recent years, the Red Devils have continued to struggle to compete at the top level for major trophies.
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Instead, their main objective remains trying to qualify for the Champions League, while they are still in contention in cup competitions to try and ensure that this is a successful campaign.
Time will tell whether or not things work out for them, but Woodward has re-emphasised the level of work being done behind the scenes and the investment that has been made.
Further, and perhaps of particular interest to Man Utd fans, he suggested that this summer is going to be a crucial period in their rebuild.
“As a club and a board, we do recognise that we are not yet where we want to be. It is the overwhelming priority of everyone at the club to get us back to regularly challenging for Premier League and Champions League titles. Although progress may not always be smooth, everyone across the club is focused and committed on playing their part in helping achieve those aims,” he is quoted as saying by Sky Sports at a fans forum on January 31.
“Significant work has already been done – and investments made – to strengthen the academy and we’re pleased with the progress being made behind-the-scenes to ensure we have the right players, the right infrastructure, and the right culture to sustain long-term success.
“Similarly, there has been extensive work on our recruitment process, with considerable investment in scouting, data and analytics. The recruitment department is working to a clear plan and philosophy, along with Ole and his coaching staff. Our focus is on bringing in a combination of experience and the best young players with potential to develop further, fusing graduates from our academy with high-quality acquisitions.
“Our recruitment process focuses on analysis and selection of players over the course of a season, with a view to the following summer transfer window. As part of the rebuild we see this coming summer as an important opportunity.”
That will surely sound promising from a Man Utd fan perspective, but they will undoubtedly only be happy when there are tangible results and the squad is clearly improved by new arrivals with done deals confirmed.