Manchester United's incoming minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe visited the club's Carrington training complex last week alongside Sir Dave Brailsford, with the INEOS sporting director set to play a leading role in the redevelopment of the football department at Old Trafford.

Ratcliffe's deal is yet to be officially ratified by the Premier League, and it could potentially take another four weeks for that to happen, but the 71-year-old's work at the club has already started.

The British billionaire must sign off on any transfer business which occurs this month, and it will be fascinating to see the club's plans for the summer transfer window and indeed how much money is available, as Ratcliffe's arrival will boost Man United's ability to spend while remaining within the parameters of Financial Fair Play.

Ratcliffe is not expected to make sweeping changes before the summer, with the owner and founder of INEOS set to take his time when it comes to assessing the football department.

Head coach Erik ten Hag will also be given an opportunity to oversee a change in fortunes with a squad which will soon be boosted by the return of a number of important players following injuries.

Many of the current players in the first team could be considered surplus to requirements, but there is still huge talent in the Man United squad, and with that in mind, Sports Mole looks at six players who could be central to Ratcliffe's plans moving forward.

Lisandro Martinez

There have been question marks over Man United's signings under Ten Hag, but one of those who has been a huge success is Martinez, with the Argentina international exceptional last season.

The 25-year-old made 45 appearances for the Red Devils during the 2022-23 campaign before he picked up a foot injury towards the end of April, which led to him needing an operation.

Martinez was back for the start of pre-season and featured six times in the early stages of the 2023-24 campaign, but having struggled with pain in his foot, it was decided that the centre-back would undergo another operation, as the first procedure was not successful.

The World Cup winner is now back in full training and could return for the clash with Tottenham Hotspur on January 14, which would be a huge boost for the club.

Man United have missed Martinez's tenacity and ability on the ball, and he is set to be a vital part of the club's plans moving forward, with the defender dispelling suggestions that he was too small to operate in the middle of a back four in the Premier League.

Kobbie Mainoo

Mainoo will not turn 19 until April, but there is a strong argument that he deserves to be starting in Man United's first XI for every game, even when the likes of Casemiro and Mason Mount are back from injury.

The England Under-19s international was absent in the opening months of the campaign due to an ankle injury which he picked up during pre-season, but the midfielder returned in November, and he has been a regular for the 20-time English champions since.

Mainoo has started each of Man United's last four league matches, and the Red Devils struggled when he was substituted at the interval of the clash with Nottingham Forest last time out.

The youngster has a contract at Old Trafford until June 2027, with the option of a further 12 months, and he has the ability and character to be a key player for the English giants in the coming years.

The midfielder's reading and understanding of the game at such a young age is exceptional, and while there is a lot of negativity surrounding the club at the moment, Mainoo's rise from the youth team has been one of the biggest positives of the campaign.

Bruno Fernandes

It would be fair to say that Fernandes has not always been at his best this season, but he has still managed to contribute five goals and five assists in 26 appearances at club level.

The 29-year-old's drive and determination cannot be questioned, and with better players around him, there is no question that he is good enough to star in a team looking to win trophies.

There have been suggestions of Saudi Arabian interest in the Portugal international, but he has a contract at Old Trafford until June 2026, with the option of a further 12 months.

Fernandes has proved to be a brilliant signing for Man United, scoring 69 goals and registering 59 assists in 211 appearances for the club since his arrival from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020.

There remain question marks over his suitability as a captain, but as a footballer, he has to be kept around at Old Trafford, and it would be a shock if he were one of those in danger of being sold.

Alejandro Garnacho

Garnacho's standout moment this season came when he scored a quite stunning bicycle kick against Everton in the Premier League on November 26.

The goal will go down as one of the greatest of all time in England's top flight, and he has five strikes in total this season, in addition to contributing two assists.

The 19-year-old's numbers will need to improve in the coming campaigns, but the Argentina international has demonstrated that he has the talent and character to be a Man United player.

Garnacho was handed a long-term deal last year, with his contract running until June 2028, and he is now a regular starter for Ten Hag, answering the challenge set by his head coach.

Capable of playing on either wing, the Argentine has 10 goals and seven assists in 62 appearances for Man United since breaking into the first team, and Ratcliffe will surely view him as vital to the club's plans.

Rasmus Hojlund

Hojlund should never have been Man United's starting centre-forward this season, and it is no secret that Ten Hag wanted to sign him alongside Harry Kane during the recent summer window.

As it transpired, Kane went to Bayern Munich, with Hojlund being pressed into action as the number one striker due to Anthony Martial's struggles.

The 20-year-old starred in the group stage of the 2023-24 Champions League, netting five times in six appearances, but he has only struck once in the Premier League, which came in his last outing versus Aston Villa.

Hojlund missed out against Forest last time out through illness, but he will be looking to build on the goal against Villa when he returns.

A record of six goals in 23 outings this season is hardly disastrous considering Man United's struggles in the final third, and Hojlund has found it difficult at times to make his mark.

It is obvious that there is serious talent there, though, with the Dane physically so impressive, and he has demonstrated that he can finish when he gets in the right positions.

If the coaching is right, the tools are there for him to become one of the biggest forward talents in world football in the coming years, and the experience of this season, which has been difficult for large parts, will certainly stand him in good stead moving forward.

Marcus Rashford

This is a controversial one considering his struggles this season, but Rashford has not become a poor player overnight, and he will be given time to find his best form again.

There is no future for him at centre-forward, with the 26-year-old's best position clearly off the left, and he has shown signs of his best form in Man United's last two league games, providing an assist in the 3-2 win over Villa before scoring against Forest last time out.

Rashford netted 30 goals and registered 11 assists in 56 appearances at club level last season, but he only has three goals and five assists in 24 outings this term.

The England international signed a new long-term contract last summer, so he will not be going anywhere unless there is a huge offer from either a Paris Saint-Germain or a club in Saudi Arabia.

Even then, Rashford will surely be determined to prove his doubters wrong, and he is capable of navigating his way through a difficult period in order to star for the club once again. body check tags ::