interim boss has revealed he’s recommended ‘a couple of players’ to the club’s board ahead of Erik ten Hag’s arrival at Old Trafford.
The Dutchman is set to be named United’s new manager on a three-year deal, with the announcement coming as early as this week.
Rangnick will move upstairs into a two-year consultancy role once Ten Hag arrives, though the details of his exact role have been shrouded in secrecy.
Nevertheless, the German is widely recognised as one of the finest operators in world football and he’s expected to work with Ten Hag in some capacity to oversee the day-to-day running of the club.
And Rangnick has confirmed that, though he believes the new manager should be given full autonomy over the players that are signed, he has recommended two players to the club’s board that he feel are ‘independent’ of who is the club’s manager.
Asked if the uncertainty over the club’s new manager has affected the players, Rangnick disagreed.
‘I don’t think so, no. The players have to give their very best no matter who the next manager will be, and if he’s announced in one or two or three weeks, I don’t think that this affects the current situation we’re in,’ said the German.
‘But yes, of course it’s important to know who will be the new manager, because to start the recruitment process, to find the best possible players only makes sense if you know who will be the manager and how does he want to play.
‘There might be a couple of players – and I have already named those players to the board – that independent from formation, from style of football, and independent from a new manager, that could be of interest for a club like United.
‘But in general, if you look at the size of the way the team needs to be rebuilt, I mean, it’s not enough to bring in three or four new players. It will be more, bearing in mind how many players will no longer be here with the contracts running out.’
United take on Liverpool at Anfield tonight and need all three points in order to keep their top four hopes alive.
Rangnick admits his side are miles away from Liverpool but says the Reds’ success shows his own expertise, as many of their players were signed from his projects at RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg.
‘They are good, they’re extremely good,’ Rangnick said of Liverpool.
‘It’s no coincidence that they’re as good as they are. Jurgen has built that team in the last six and a half years.
‘Six or seven of those players used to be my/our players when we signed them for our clubs when nobody knew them.
‘Again, it’s no coincidence that this is probably the club with the highest number of players from our former clubs because their approach, their style of football, the way they want to play is pretty similar.’
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