Late summer deals could be key for United

This feels like a quiet period in the summer, with a lot of rumours about clubs being interested in players and buyers and sellers trying to establish what fees they could charge, or what they would have to pay.

For Manchester United, this might present a problem.

I was chatting to someone connected to the club earlier this week about Alejandro Garnacho, who has been told he can leave by head coach Ruben Amorim.

There is interest in the Argentina forward but no-one has stepped up to offer a fee United think is acceptable and the feeling is this might drag on.

Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrrell Malacia are all due to return after spending time away from Old Trafford on loan. All are on the kind of salaries that won't make it easy to move them on without United having some sort of financial involvement.

Players are due to return for training at the beginning of July, which should start to focus minds.

Then there is the first pre-season friendly with Leeds on 19 July followed by a three-match trip to the United States.

Ideally, United would have everything sorted by then. Don't be surprised if it drags on much longer.