Rangnick’s Nine That Got Away: The Transfer Targets Man United Ignored

Ralf Rangnick’s cameo at Old Trafford is remembered for misfires on the touchline, but behind the scenes he waved a shopping list Manchester United should have grabbed with both hands. Appointed interim boss in November 2021, now steering Austria and even flirted with Bayern in 2024, the 67-year-old warned the club needed open-heart surgery. The scalpel never came out, and rivals moved faster.

He was slated to remain as a consultant for Erik ten Hag, then walked. His points-per-game mark became the club’s post-Ferguson low-water line — bar Ruben Amorim — and yet his recruitment radar was bang on. Years later, many of his tips have thrived elsewhere while United are still plugging gaps. If you fancy a flutter on where the next star might land, check the best betting sites. Now, the nine that got away.

1) Enzo Fernandez — Chelsea’s £106.8m midfield metronome

United tracked Enzo as far back as River Plate, but waited on Ten Hag’s green light and watched Chelsea smash a then-British record £106.8m to pry him from Benfica. A World Cup winner in 2022, he’s shown flashes of elite control at Stamford Bridge. The one consolation for United? His arrival might’ve crowded out Kobbie Mainoo’s rise — even if his minutes later wobbled under Ruben Amorim.

2) Josko Gvardiol — City’s left-sided Rolls-Royce

Croatia’s breakout defender at the 2022 World Cup left RB Leipzig, endured a bumpy bedding-in period at Manchester City, then surged under Pep Guardiola. Given United’s recurring left-back headaches and Luke Shaw’s injury record, letting a player of Gvardiol’s profile drift across town looks like another unforced error.

3) Julian Alvarez — from Pep’s understudy to Atleti’s superstar

Rangnick pushed for him out of River Plate, where he banked 85 goal contributions in 122. United dithered; City pounced. Even as Haaland’s deputy, Alvarez hit 36 in 103 before heading to Atlético Madrid for £81m — then rattled in 29 in his first season in Spain. For the trivia buffs: he became the first player to win a Treble and a World Cup in the same campaign. Some understudy.

4) Luis Diaz — Anfield livewire, Bayern box-office

Before Liverpool made him their marquee winter buy in 2022, Diaz was Porto’s dynamo: 41 goals, 19 assists. He tormented United repeatedly — five goal contributions in six meetings, including a brace in Liverpool’s 3-0 at Old Trafford in September 2024 — then jetted to Bayern Munich and hit the ground running. He helped Liverpool to a Premier League title and is an early shout for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. United? They watched it all happen.

5) Erling Haaland — the one that really stings

The miss of the decade. Haaland arrived at City from Dortmund and started breaking records for fun. Wayne Rooney called him the world’s best, and who’s arguing when he needed only 105 games to smash through 100 Premier League goals? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had flagged him to United even before 2018. Two regimes, same conclusion: opportunity missed.

6) Konrad Laimer — Bayern’s plug-and-play presser

Rangnick identified United’s soft centre at the end of 2021–22 and earmarked Laimer. Bayern made the move instead. The Austrian has been a dependable utility in Munich and a mainstay for Rangnick’s national team. At Old Trafford, he’d have slotted in as neatly as Marcel Sabitzer did on loan — only with more legs and fewer question marks.

7) Alvaro Morata — captain of Spain, short leash in Milan

Once courted by United in 2017 before the club pivoted to Romelu Lukaku, Morata’s career has zig-zagged through Europe’s elite. He captained Spain to Euro 2024 glory, earned a shot at AC Milan, then lost favour and headed to Como on loan to start 2025/26. He’s scored everywhere, but the big-night profligacy has kept him a rung below the truly elite.

8) Christopher Nkunku — Leipzig star seeking a Milan reboot

Nkunku was the poster boy for Leipzig’s rise and could easily have been Ten Hag’s first United signing. Chelsea got him, then injuries got him. A fresh start at AC Milan hasn’t fully clicked either — just five goals in his first 25 league games. The talent’s there; the rhythm hasn’t been.

9) Dusan Vlahovic — Juve’s spearhead who might have been

United weighed him up as the Fiorentina phenom turned Juventus target man. The 25-year-old remains one of Serie A’s most recognisable No 9s, even if he hasn’t consistently hit those Viola heights. Arsenal sniffed around once upon a time, and a Premier League move isn’t off the table. Will it be United? With Benjamin Šeško now in the building, don’t hold your breath — but never say never.

The verdict: sharp eye, blunt execution

Rangnick didn’t get much right in the dugout, but his transfer shortlist reads like a who’s who of modern difference-makers. United’s recruitment maze turned a clear plan into a waiting game, and the market doesn’t wait. File this under lessons learned — or at least, lessons that still need learning.

All statistics per Transfermarkt; accurate as of 07/04/2026.