£70m deal, Liverpool hijack - Ruud van Nistelrooy can be Man United's transfer secret weapon

Manchester United are weighing up whether to facilitate a return for former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy in a coaching capacity this summer.

Current attacking coach Benni McCarthy is set to leave Old Trafford upon the end of his contract in June. It’s unclear what specific role Van Nistelrooy would be asked to take up but the Dutchman is considering joining United as first-team coach.

The 47-year-old has also been approached by Burnley for the vacant manager’s post at Turf Moor, having left PSV Eindhoven as head coach in September. If he opts for a United return, he could give Erik ten Hag and Sir Jim Ratcliffe a mighty helping hand in landing three players.

READ MORE: Erik ten Hag isn't the only one at Manchester United who Ruud van Nistelrooy can help

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Jarrad Branthwaite

United are targeting Branthwaite as they try to haggle down his £70m asking price. They have already seen a £43m bid rejected by Everton but are expected to try again soon.

Branthwaite played under Van Nistelrooy while on loan at PSV during the 2022/23 season, and brought a lot of praise from his manager with his performances.

“He is good on the ball, can play on the right or left of the centre because he is two-footed, has height and speed – he is a very complete defender,” he once said of Branthwaite. The player himself is an admirer of Van Nistelrooy as a coach.

Speaking to The Mirror in 2023, he said: “I've worked under lots of really top managers and the manager now is a top manager, even being so young.

“Obviously with the knowledge of the game he has from playing and he's got a really good coaching staff around him which will help him along the way, so it's brilliant to work under him.”

Xavi Simons

United are more after a striker than a winger but should Erik ten Hag wish to bolster his wide options going forward, Simons is another player who has worked under Van Nistelrooy at PSV.

The Dutch star has apparently told Paris Saint-Germain that he wishes to exit on another loan spell this summer after starring for RB Leipzig last term with 10 goals and 15 assists.

Simons did even better during his 46 outings under Van Nistelrooy, scoring 20 times and assisting 12 more.

Upon Van Nistelrooy’s exit from PSV, Simons sent him a warm message of thanks on social media. He said: “Thank you for making me a better player and helping me achieve one of my dreams of making it to the national team. Forever grateful. Good luck in the future, mister!”

Johan Bakayoko

Another winger, Bakayoko is said to have caught the eye of several clubs after a promising season of 14 goals and assists at PSV last season. The 21-year-old produced an eye-catching shift for Belgium against Romania over the weekend.

He played 75 times under Van Nistelrooy during his tenure, scoring 28 goals and providing 20 assists, a number of which came as a teenager.

He grabbed the attention of Van Nistelrooy aged just 18, with the coach waxing lyrical about the attacker: "You can see that he has power and also a good shot. He plays such controlled football that you forget that he is only 18.”

Now 21, Bakayoko is tipped for a move to a top five European league. Liverpool have been linked but Van Nistelrooy could help United steal him from under their noses if they so wished.