INEOS are finally addressing the problem Toni Kroos told Manchester United about four years ago

INEOS have walked into Manchester United and there are several problems that need addressing in order for them to return to the top of football.

The new co-owners at United have already started to make moves regarding personnel upstairs. Jason Wilcox has started work as the club’s new technical director.

Meanwhile, Omar Berrada will join as chief executive in the coming months, and Dan Ashworth is set to become the new sporting director.

However, it is the transfer window which United fans will be keeping a close eye on. They have watched the club make mistake after mistake when bringing players in, and there was perhaps no bigger mistake than when Toni Kroos didn’t end up at Old Trafford.

Kroos was starring for Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Bundesliga. He was the standout performer when the German club beat United in the knockouts in 2014.

Yet, it was believed that United would secure the signing, with David Moyes and his team doing the legwork to convince Kroos to move to Manchester.

Instead, the Scottish manager was sacked, and Louis van Gaal ultimately did not seem to want the midfielder. He instead moved to Real Madrid and never looked back

What Toni Kroos said in 2020

Speaking in 2020, Kroos addressed his failed Old Trafford move in a long-form interview with The Athletic.

He explained: “David Moyes had come to see me, and the contract had basically been done, but then Moyes was fired, and Louis van Gaal came in, which complicated matters.

“Louis wanted time to build his own project. I didn’t hear anything from United for a while and started having doubts.

“Then the World Cup started and Carlo Ancelotti called. And that was it.”

INEOS have finally addressed the problem

The real issue of Kroos’ failed move to United comes from the recruitment team and who is in charge. United had no sporting director at the time and so when the manager changed, so did all of the player targets.

Even when John Murtough eventually became the club’s first football director, Erik ten Hag was still seemingly in charge of the players the club were pursuing.

Instead, under INEOS, the club will have the likes of Ashworth, Wilcox, and Berrada to help keep the same culture and player targets regardless of the manager.

And whilst managers must also have a role to play in recruitment, with experts at the table, you would hope that a repeat of the Kroos situation would not happen.