2025 was largely all about strengthening the forward line. 2026 has been the summer of the midfielder. As for 2027, well, that next phase of business is expected to be centred around the defence.

Agree with it or not, there does appear to be a plan in place to make the Red Devils a competitive outfit again, with last season's third-place finish, even in a turbulent season, a reward for an improved spell of transfer dealings.

Quite whether INEOS intended for Marcus Rashford to return amidst all that is another matter, however, with the Englishman's reintegration throwing something of a spanner in the works.

Why INEOS might have got lucky with Rashford return

Ruben Amorim appeared to be the driving force behind Rashford's imposed Old Trafford exile, but it's worth remembering that the Portuguese was backed in that decision by the United hierarchy.

That same hierarchy has since supported Michael Carrick's move to bring the 28-year-old back in from the cold, the experienced forward missing out on a dream permanent stay at Barcelona.

It looked like he'd reached the end of the road at United, with there having been an expectation that he would join the LaLiga giants for a fee of just £26m.

To think the Red Devils might have let him go on the cheap looks even more bizarre, considering Rashford's bright start to the campaign, with a left-winger of his ilk likely to have cost tens of millions more for INEOS to get in the door.

Just look to Mykhailo Mudryk, for instance, a man who might cost Tottenham Hotspur £75m next summer. Ouch.

It's a cliché, but there's a feeling that Rashford can be like a 'new signing', as even Carrick has been keen to stress, the Englishman arguably the brightest spark off the bench against Hull City.

The academy graduate also caught the eye against Ipswich Town, having been denied a deserved assist following Bryan Mbeumo's agonising miss. He already ranks third in the division in terms of chances created (seven).

Rashford looks like the go-to man on the left flank, in the short-term at least, although he might have competition before too long.

Man Utd's answer to Barcola could soon challenge Rashford

There was a stage in which it looked like United would strengthen the forward line with a marquee new arrival, having been linked with a £50m move for Crysencio Summerville.

The inability to shift Rashford, or the choice to keep him, perhaps put paid to that approach, with Summerville instead heading off to Saudi Arabia to join Al Hilal.

Carrick, even with Rashford back in the building, is largely going to have to make do with the attacking options he had last season, with question marks over whether there is adequate firepower on board to compete on multiple fronts.

One potential, wildcard option might well emerge sooner rather than later in the form of Tynan Thompson, the 18-year-old having signed from Tottenham Hotspur this summer.

The teenage winger has joined on a £4m deal, rising to £8m, with the expectation being that he could follow in the footsteps of Ayden Heaven by forcing his way into the first-team picture relatively swiftly.

United's new number 27 was barely given a look-in in north London in the senior set-up, although he was notably part of Carrick's pre-season plans, earning a 45-minute run-out against Leeds United.

Even in that brief outing, United were shown what to expect from their new man, the youngster regularly looking to beat his man, while seeing one effort on goal blocked after cutting in onto his right foot.

It's early days, of course, but there is certainly a similarity to Liverpool's new man, Bradley Barcola, in a stylistic sense, particularly in terms of his ball-carrying ability.

That was particularly evident at U21 level last season for Spurs, with Thompson averaging a standout record of 3.2 successful dribbles per game in Premier League 2 action, having completed 68.5% of his dribbles.

For context, he ranked second in the division in terms of successful dribbles completed per game, rubberstamping why he is viewed as being like a 'United-type winger from the 90s’ who has 'strong one-versus-one ability', as relayed by journalist Nathan Salt.

Barcola, signed for Liverpool on a £123m deal, certainly centres his own game around taking players on and dragging his team up the pitch, memorably embarking on a stunning solo run against Inter Milan in the 2025 Champions League final.

In his first season at Paris Saint-Germain back in 2023/24, for instance, the ex-Lyon man also ranked in the top 3% of wingers in Europe's big five leagues for productive dribbles, as well as in the top 2% for successful dribbles per 90.

His average in that latter metric, meanwhile, stood at 3.6 per game, remarkably similar to Thompson's tally last term.

The aim for Barcola at Anfield is to turn that dribbling threat into something a little more concrete in terms of end product, with the same also true of Thompson, having registered just five goals and four assists in 19 U21 games for Tottenham.

The Englishman has at least started strongly in that regard, notching two assists in two Premier League 2 games already for United this season, while averaging 2.6 successful dribbles per game this time around.

He may not be a household name as yet, like Barcola and co, but don't be surprised if Thompson is challenging Rashford on that left flank before too long.