Qualification for next season's edition of the Champions League is no longer an option for Manchester United with four matches left to play in the Premier League.
The Red Devils are 13 points behind Aston Villa in fourth, who have three games left, and it is now impossible for them to catch up with the Midlands outfit.
Erik Ten Hag's side must now compete to secure either Europa Conference League or Europa League football over their remaining clashes, starting with their meeting with Crystal Palace on Monday.
The attention will then turn to the summer transfer window and how Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS can use the market to bolster the playing squad for the manager.
It remains to be seen whether or not Ten Hag will still be the boss next season, with Bayern Munich's Thomas Tuchel having been linked with the job, but that has not stopped the club from identifying possible targets.
Man United's interest in Serie A sensation
A report from Spain at the end of las month named Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as one of the players Manchester United are looking at ahead of the next transfer window.
The Telegraph recently reported that almost every player in the Red Devils squad has the potential to be sold, with Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, and Rasmus Hojlund being the only exceptions.
This leaves Marcus Rashford's future up in the air, as he is included in the list of players the club are open to offers for, and Kvaratskhelia has been named as one of the stars being eyed up as a possible replacement for the England international.
The aforementioned claim from Spain stated that AC Milan's Rafael Leao and Barcelona's Raphinha, who previously played in the Premier League with Leeds, are two of the other options on their list, as they eye all three wingers to come in if Rashford moves on.
It also stated that Napoli could demand a fee within the region of €80m (£69m) for the Georgia international, who has been a key player for them in Italy this season.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not United are prepared to pay that much for the talented Serie A star, or if they would prefer to go for Leao or Raphinha before they decide to push on with a deal for Kvaratskhelia.
Jadon Sancho, who is on loan with Borussia Dortmund, could have been seen as a possible replacement for Rashford when he returns to Old Trafford in the summer, but Sky Germany's Patrick Berger has confirmed that the forward does not see a future for himself at the club.
The English dynamo does not want to return to the Red Devils, whether Ten Hag is in charge or not, and Dortmund are now set to enter talks to secure a second loan deal, with an obligation to buy in 2025.
United, however, can forget all about Sancho and land a dream replacement, or competition, for Rashford by sealing a swoop for Kvaratskhelia this summer.
Jadon Sancho's form for Borussia Dortmund
The 24-year-old attacker re-joined Dortmund on loan until the end of the season in January and has been slowly working his way back to his best form in Germany.
Sancho made just three substitute appearances in the Premier League during the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, after being exiled from first-team training by Ten Hag for a social media post describing himself as a 'scapegoat' after the manager had dropped him for performance-related reasons.
This meant that he arrived in the Bundesliga lacking in match sharpness and that has possibly caused his slow start, in terms of his involvements in front of goal, to his return to the division.
Appearances
12
xG
0.68
Goals
2
xA
2.97
Goals
1
Dribbles completed per game
2.8
Dribble success rate
57%
As you can see in the table above, he has been directly involved in three goals in 12 matches – one every four games on average – but has been let down by his teammates with only one assist from almost three xA.
Sancho, due to his issues at Old Trafford and a mid-season loan move, has not enjoyed a prolific season in the final third and his current form does not suggest that he would return to Manchester to be the dream replacement for Rashford, even if it were on the cards.
Why Man United should sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Ratcliffe and his team can forget all about the English forward by allowing him to complete another move to Dortmund next season, whether that is on loan or permanent, and signing Kvaratskhelia to bolster the team's options on the left flank.
The Napoli sensation, who U23 scout Antonio Mango claimed puts defenders "on ice" with his quick feet, is a left-sided winger who has the quality to deliver goals and assists on a consistent basis.
Last season, as his team secured the Serie A title, the £69m-rated star racked up an eye-catching 12 goals and ten assists in 30 league starts, one goal involvement every 1.36 starts on average.
The exciting whiz also completed 2.2 dribbles per match, which speaks to his ability to put defenders 'on ice' with direct play and quick feet to drive past opposition players.
He has followed that up with ten goals and six assists in 29 starts during the current campaign, which is a return of a goal or an assist every 1.81 starts on average.
These statistics suggest that Kvaratskhelia would be a significantly better option than Sancho, who has averaged a goal involvement every four games in Germany, in the final third for United, based on their respective form this season.
Appearances
31
31
Sofascore rating
7.50
6.92
Goals
10
7
Assists
6
2
Big chances created
11
6
Dribbles completed per game
2.8
1.5
As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old sensation has also outperformed Rashford, who has made 31 appearances in the Premier League this term, with his contributions at the top end of the pitch.
The Napoli wizard has offered a greater goal threat and provided more quality as a creator for his teammates, while also being three years younger than Rashford, and these statistics show why United must swoop to sign him.
Ratcliffe could forget all about Sancho by landing the Georgia international as a sensational replacement for Rashford, should the club cash in on him this summer.
Man Utd could help Sancho explode by hiring "crazy" Ten Hag replacement
Jadon Sancho was back to his best in the Champions League semi-finals.
ByJoe NuttallMay 2, 2024
