Managing Manchester United: Erik ten Hag stays, Jarrad Branthwaite signs, and Antony departs.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe faces his first test as co-owner of Manchester United as the club enters one of the most important summer transfer windows in a decade.

No Manchester United fan would be honest if they said that this summer transfer window isn’t significantly more vital than previous ones.

Following a disappointing eighth-place finish in the Premier League, Sir Jim Ratcliffe enters his first summer transfer window as co-owner, needing to make a statement about his plans for the football club. Initial thoughts suggest that the British tycoon intends to be thrifty in the transfer window, which is logical given prior summers’ large net spends.

However, this does not excuse the INEOS founder from cutting corners in some of the team’s major gaps. So, before the summer drama begins, MEN Sport has assessed the club’s priorities.

This should be boxed off by the beginning of next week, but Ratcliffe must decide on Ten Hag’s future before any rebuilding can commence. As May progressed, it became increasingly clear that keeping the Dutchman as manager for next season was the best option.

There will be a lot of transition at Old Trafford this summer, so a sense of familiarity is required. After the crushing defeat at Crystal Palace, you could be forgiven for believing the squad had given up on Ten Hag and were actively preparing for his departure, but their response since then has been positive, and the FA Cup final victory was the cherry on top.

Ten Hag benefits from a dearth of options in the manager market as well. Bayern Munich has just appointed freshly relegated Burnley manager Vincent Kompany, demonstrating how tiny the pool of eligible managers is.

Zinedine Zidane is the only definite upgrade for Ten Hag, and his odds of arriving appear slim to none.