New owners? Check. New Sporting Director? Check. Erik ten Hag's future resolved? Check. A rip-roaring start to pre-season? Ah, yeah, thanks Manchester United.
Just as everything looked to be going according to plan the Red Devils started their preparations for the new campaign in less than enthralling fashion, tasting a 1-0 defeat to Norwegian opposition Rosenborg.
Still, when has pre-season ever set the tone for things to come?
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Owner
December 24th 2023
Dan Ashworth
Sporting Director
July 1st 2024
Jason Wilcox
Technical Director
April 19th 2024
Jean-Claude Blanc
CEO
April 30th 2024
Omar Berrada
CEO
TBC
The important thing is that for what feels like the first time in an age, the waters surrounding Old Trafford are calmer. They have a set structure in place, Ten Hag has been handed a new contract and they've even got a shiny new toy in the form of Netherlands attacker Joshua Zirkzee.
He's not the only Dutchman (surprise, surprise) who could arrive this summer.
Man Utd still targeting a new defender
One of the biggest priorities for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his transfer team over the forthcoming weeks is the addition of a new central defender.
Jonny Evans has signed a new deal but Raphael Varane has departed after three years and Lisandro Martinez endured an injury-disrupted season.
Dutch centre-half Matthijs de Ligt has been one of their main targets and according to GIVEMESPORT, talks are still ongoing with Bayern Munich regarding a transfer. It's thought the player is particularly keen on the move.
However, it's actually another player they're now on the verge of sealing a move for with the Athletic's David Ornstein sharing the news on Wednesday morning that he is set to fly to the UK for a medical as United push to wrap up a deal.
Reports last week indicated that United had a bid accepted for the teenage Lille defender, but his preference was initially to join Real Madrid.
Work still needs to be done to tie things up but it looks as though a deal is on the verge of being completed.
How Yoro compares to De Ligt
It wasn't long ago that De Ligt stood where Yoro is, at the forefront of the European game being talked about as a potential great for the future.
The Netherlands defender first made his mark as a dogged teenager with Ajax, remarkably captaining them to the semi-finals of the Champions League. Since then, he has made two huge moves, firstly to Juventus and then to Bayern Munich.
10. Achraf Hakimi
£60.9m
9. Marc Cucurella
£63m
8. Ruben Dias
£65m
7. Lucas Hernandez
£68m
7 = Matthijs de Ligt
£68m
5 = Wesley Fofana
£75m
5 = Virgil van Dijk
£75m
3. Matthijs de Ligt
£77.1m
2. Josko Gvardiol
£77.6m
1. Harry Maguire
£80m
However, despite finding himself at two of the continent's elite clubs, there is a sense De Ligt hasn't quite lived up to his potential.
He didn't play a single minute at Euro 2024 and wasn't always a regular starter at Bayern last term, playing 22 times in the Bundesliga.
Still only aged 24, the colossal defender hasn't yet reached his prime and could still live up to that elite potential that was promised a few years ago.
However, in Yoro, they should sign a player destined for greatness. Said to be performing at "an insane level" by analyst Ben Mattinson, he also claimed that it wouldn't be long before the player becomes a £100m talent, such is his potential. So, why all the fuss? Well, his numbers do the talking.
Among defenders in Europe's top five leagues, the 18-year-old ranks in the top 7% for pass completion, demonstrating a crispness in possession. He also ranks among the best 12% for carries.
He's also only dispossessed 0.3 times per 90 minutes, a statistic that places him among the top 7% of defenders. So, like a William Saliba or Virgil van Dijk, he's got tremendous composure.
But, how does the Frenchman stack up compared to De Ligt?
Pass success %
92.1%
93.9%
Progressive passes
2.29
6.36
Tackles won
0.84
0.78
Interceptions
1.21
1.23
Successful take-ons
0.27
0.13
Carries
55.2
55.3
Time dispossessed
0.3
0.13
Aerials won %
64%
59%
De Ligt is certainly a more physical player, contesting and winning more aerial duels but when it comes to their success rate, Yoro actually comes out on top. The former does appear to be more progressive in his passing but playing for a ball-dominant team such as Bayern, that doesn't come as too big a shock.
When it comes to carrying the ball, there isn't too great a difference, although it is the young Frenchman who will stride forward out of defence with greater success, completing more take-ons every 90 minutes.
What could also be crucial from a United point of view is the pace difference between the two centre-backs.
In the Bundesliga last term, De Ligt actually happened to be one of the slowest around with a top speed of 32.81kmph, even slower than the sluggish Harry Kane for context.
While the data for Yoro's speed isn't available to us, we'll just leave the clip below to sum up that aspect of his game.
So, he rarely loses possession, wins a high percentage of his aerial duels, is quick and boasts a remarkable layer of composure.
De Ligt might trump him in some departments but let's be honest, Yoro is a talent who is destined for greatness. Let's just think about the strides Saliba has made since trading Ligue 1 for the Premier League having received similar billing.
For a potential price tag of just £52m too, we know which player we'd rather have in our armoury.
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