9 players that Ralf Rangnick recommended to Man Utd – what happened to them? | OneFootball

Highlights

Manchester United supporters will not look back at Ralf Rangnick’s time at the helm fondly, though he did all he could to set the club up for a more prominent future.

The 65-year-old German, who is now in charge of the Austrian national team, was made Man United’s manager on an interim basis in November 2021 but was incapable of proving his worth.

He was poised to remain at the club in a consultancy role to support Erik ten Hag in his inaugural season in England, though he upped and left soon after the Dutchman’s arrival.

Rangnick took charge of all recruitment-based decisions at RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg but failed to stamp his authority in Manchester in this regard.

There were a flurry of names that he recommended to the club during his short association, though none of them came to fruition.

‘Open-heart surgery’ is what Rangnick claimed the squad needed during his final weeks at the club as he made it clear that significant changes were required.

"But even without such a script, it was clear to everyone that there was a need in many areas," he told BILD, per the Daily Mail. "That's why we were already discussing players like Josko Gvardiol and Christopher Nkunku from RB Leipzig. Those were names that were realistic.

"We also talked about Alvaro Morata, Luis Diaz, Dusan Vlahovic and, as I said, Erling Haaland when they were still on the market. But the club decided at that time to rebuild the team under the new coach."

But that’s not where the list ends. Some have made alternative high-profile moves, and some are still waiting to be snapped out; so, without further ado, let’s take a look at what they’re up to nowadays.

Enzo Fernandez

Before his new teammate Moises Caicedo broke the record, Fernandez signed for the west Londoners for a then British record £106.8m fee. Lofty, right?

The 22-year-old played a limited number of games for Benfica before making the move but has shown in a troubled Chelsea side how influential he can be. He has also been one of his club’s leading lights at the start of this campaign. On the international stage, Fernandez was a paramount part of Lionel Scaloni’s World Cup-winning squad even if Lionel Messi stole the headlines.

Josko Gvardiol

Manchester United’s arch-rivals Manchester City are the Premier League club that have taken a chance on the coveted centre-back. Despite his tender age, Gvardiol starred for Croatia during the winter World Cup and rightfully earned his plaudits and, in turn, his big-money move.

He was a domineering asset for his previous club RB Leipzig, playing 87 games across his stint in Germany, with 59 of those coming, domestically and is now expected to take his game to new heights that he’s now under the watchful eye of Pep Guardiola.

Julian Alvarez

Despite playing second-fiddle to Erling Haaland during his Manchester City stint, Alvarez is widely regarded as a fantastic forward - and deservedly so. He caught the eye of many clubs while playing for River Plate in his native Argentina after notching 85 goal contributions in 122 games and has continued his fine return in England by scoring 18 goals and providing a further six assists in 53 outings for City.

Described as the second coming of Sergio Aguero – largely down to his height and nationality – Alvarez has easily become the Premier League’s greatest second choice option and would, therefore, be a starter in almost every other team.

Luis Diaz

Diaz missed the best part of 2022/23 through injury, but there’s no doubt that Manchester United have made another catastrophic error here. The Colombian was a shining light in the dying embers of Liverpool’s tortuous season, scoring a total of five goals in 21 outings altogether.

Before becoming Jurgen Klopp’s marquee winter signing in 2022, he was one of Porto’s driving forces, recording 41 goals and 19 assists for the Portuguese heavyweights and so it’s no wonder that Rangnick had his eye on him.

Erling Haaland

This’ll leave a sour taste in the mouths of the Old Trafford faithful. The Norwegian has become one of the most potent goalscorers of late and was the talk of the town last season. Haaland scored the most goals in a Premier League season and scored the most goals across a season for any player in the English top-flight.

Manchester City’s lethal force in front of goal could’ve been picked up for a cut-price during Rangnick’s reign, and it would have also alleviated their goalscoring frailties they have riddled the club. This one will sting the most.

Konrad Laimer

As the end of the 2021/22 term neared, it was evident that reinforcements in the middle of the park were eagerly needed at Old Trafford and that’s why Konrad Laimer was eyed.

He was also gaining traction from Bayern Munich, who he eventually signed for, but Manchester United could’ve saved themselves both money and hassle if they elected to sign him back when Rangnick recommended the Austrian.

His Bavaria career is yet to take off, but he was a mainstay figure for RB Leipzig as he scored 15 goals and notched 19 assists in his 190 games.

Alvaro Morata

Morata, 30, is somewhat of a footballing journeyman having plied his trade for Real Madrid, Atlético Madrid, Juventus and Chelsea, though he is still yet to establish himself as one of Europe’s elite frontmen. The Spaniard has plundered 196 goals and 77 assists in his 543-game career but could have made his second stint in England with the 13-time Premier League champions.

Christopher Nkunku

Now on the books at Chelsea, Nkunku could’ve become of Manchester United’s first signings of the Ten Hag era after being one of RB Leipzig’s notable stars for a while.

The impressive Frenchman had a plethora of big-name clubs vying for his signature as he spearheaded Leipzig to a top-four finish in back-to-back seasons between 2021-2023 and scored a total of 70 goals during his time at the club. The versatile 25-year-old is currently out of action nursing a knee injury but will be back to show why Manchester United made the incorrect decision in November.

Dusan Vlahovic

The imposing centre-forward, who was tipped to perform on the biggest stages of all, has not been granted a move to ignite his career to the next level.

Vlahovic has become one of Serie A’s top strikers, scoring 62 goals in 141 games, though is still yet to challenge himself in any of other Europe’s top five leagues. He had the chance to when Rangnick courted him as one of the names that Manchester United should register an interest in.