The last time Manchester United played a Champions League game, Rishi Sunak was still Prime Minister, Lamine Yamal was just 16 and Wrexham were still a League Two club.

878 long days have passed since the Red Devils featured in Europe’s biggest competition, but the barren run will be coming to an end in the months ahead.

Michael Carrick has done a superb job in leading the club back to the Premier League’s top-four, subsequently achieving qualification for the Champions League with three games to spare.

However, question marks remain over the 44-year-old’s long-term future at Old Trafford, with it still remaining unclear who will lead the side into the 2026/27 campaign.

The playing squad could also be set for a change in key areas, with the recent success in returning to the UCL undoubtedly bolstering the chances of landing some of Europe’s biggest talents.

Man Utd leading the race to sign European star

Over recent weeks, United have stepped up their interest in landing a whole host of promising young talents, including Bournemouth talisman Eli Kroupi Junior.

The Red Devils are said to be willing to pay £100m to land the Frenchman, who’s managed to score 12 times during his debut campaign in the Premier League.

They won’t be alone in any race for his signature this summer, as Arsenal and Chelsea also continue to monitor the 19-year-old’s progress ahead of the transfer window.

However, he’s not the only French star to be on United’s radar at present, with RB Leipzig centre-back Castello Lukeba another player under consideration.

According to FootballTransfers, the Red Devils are currently leading the race to sign the 23-year-old, who’s featured 24 times in the Bundesliga this campaign.

The report also states that the hierarchy have identified the youngster as the club’s top priority if they are to bolster the backline during the upcoming window.

Talks are also said to have already been held between the club and the player’s representatives, with Manchester City and Bayern Munich also having long-standing interest in the defender - who has a £69m release clause in his contract.

Why Lukeba would be United’s next Sesko

Spending big on new players hasn’t been alien to United supporters in recent times, as seen with the £200m spending spree during last summer’s transfer window.

Benjamin Sesko was just one player to make the move to Old Trafford last year, with his arrival proving to be a phenomenal piece of business at present.

The 22-year-old, who cost £66m, has nailed down his place as the club’s starting centre-forward and currently sits on 11 goals in the league this season - the most of any player in the squad.

His efforts have no doubt allowed for the club’s ability to return to the Champions League, with the hierarchy needing to emulate such a deal in the months ahead.

However, they’ve already been presented with the perfect opportunity to replicate such a move with Lukeba, who could follow in Sesko’s footsteps this summer.

Should any deal be reached, he will emulate the Slovenian in joining the Red Devils from RB Leipzig and having the chance to take his career to the next level.

Whilst the Frenchman operates in a slightly different role to Sesko, he too has caught the eye in Germany in recent times - as seen by his impressive stats in the Bundesliga this term.

Lukeba, who’s been dubbed "incredible" by talent scout Antonio Mango, has completed 90% of his passes, whilst also achieving a 71% dribble success rate.

Whilst both of the aforementioned tallies are with the ball at his feet, they rank him in the top 20% of players in the division - highlighting his talent with the ball at his feet.

However, the youngster also starred without the ball, as seen by his impressive tallies of 61% ground duels won and 5.3 ball recoveries made per 90 this campaign.

Like his stats in possession, the latter of the stats also ranks him highly amongst others in the Bundesliga, with Lukeba in the top 7% for ball recoveries.

Other tallies, such as 8.5 defensive contributions made and 1.3 interceptions per 90, also highlight his quality - which will no doubt take the United backline to the next level.

£69m would be a huge investment once again this summer, but it’s evident that the Frenchman is a player who could thrive should he move to Manchester this summer.

The impact of Sesko has been there for all to see at Old Trafford, with the fanbase hoping that Lukeba can emulate the centre-forward’s success upon the completion of any move.