How Man Utd are navigating turbulent summer as new WSL season awaits

This was always going to be a crucial summer for Manchester United and Marc Skinner.

After pushing Chelsea in the 2022/23 Women's Super League title race, the Manchester club's league form suffered a hit in 2023/24 as they failed to maintain the consistency required to challenge for the title. They ultimately finished fifth in the standings, behind north west rivals Liverpool in fourth, Arsenal in third, Manchester City in second and Chelsea in first.

The silver lining for Skinner's side was, without a doubt, securing their first piece of silverware in the FA Cup. They produced a shock result against Chelsea in the semi-finals of the competition and cruised past Tottenham Hotspur in the final at Wembley.

As the curtains were pulled on a mixed campaign, a summer of change was already underway at Carrington. A number of key players moved on following the expiration of their contracts and reports in the media started to paint a grim picture at the club.

United's new co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has been at the centre of the storm. His quotes earlier in the summer, in an interview with Bloomberg, indicated plans surrounding the women's set-up are still to be decided, with full focus on improving the situation for the men's side. 

That was followed by a report from The Guardian confirming the women were to vacate their £10m building at Carrington and move into temporary accommodation. This would be to allow the men's team to access the facilities throughout the new season, due to the ongoing renovations taking place in their own building.

The discourse around United's women's team has understandably been met with frustration and criticism from supporters. They've watched the team go from strength to strength in recent years, yet there was a palpable fear in the early stages of the transfer window that they would struggle to land their priority targets due to the perceived lack of support and forward-planning.

A wave of high-profile departures didn't help matters, either. Goalkeeper Mary Earps was among the first to bid farewell to the club she had spent the last five years representing. She opted against signing a new deal and instead chose to join French side Paris Saint-Germain, becoming the highest-paid shot-stopper in the women's game.

Former club captain Katie Zelem was next to depart after six years with the Manchester club. Forward Lucia Garcia joined Mexican side Monterrey, while midfielder Irene Guerrero also moved to Mexico to sign for Liga MX Femenil outfit Club America.

The need for significant incomings was greater than ever, so it was fitting one of the first arrivals was the return of forward Melvine Malard. The 24-year-old had a solid 2023/24 campaign with the Red Devils on loan from Lyon and is now a permanent fixture in the squad on a deal until the end of the 2026/27 season.

Defender Dominique Janssen also came through the door as their first piece of summer business. The 29-year-old joined from German club Wolfsburg on a free transfer but boasts plenty of WSL experience having previously represented Arsenal.

Arguably the most impressive deal has been the signing of Elisabeth Terland from league rivals Brighton. The 23-year-old Norway international ended the 2023/24 campaign as the WSL's joint-second top scorer alongside Chelsea's Lauren James, behind only Khadija Shaw of City. 

Not only that, United have further strengthened their defensive ranks with the addition of Anna Sandberg from Swedish side BK Hacken. The 21-year-old joined earlier this month on a contract running until the end of the 2026/27 season, with the option of a further year.

The most recent addition is 20-year-old midfielder Simi Awujo from the United States collegiate system, where she represented the University of Southern California's USC Trojans. If reports are anything to go by, United aren't done yet with links to Leicester City goalkeeper Lize Kop emerging in recent weeks.

Grace Clinton's return after a successful loan spell with Tottenham last season is also a welcomed boost for United. Reports indicated Spurs wanted to make it a permanent move this summer, as the 21-year-old was integral to the team's impressive form last term, but United's stance and a reluctance to sell means she's set to line up for the Red Devils this coming season, having also now been handed the number eight shirt vacated by Guerrero.

While things are not perfect at this stage, the business carried out over the last few weeks puts United in a far stronger position than they found themselves at the beginning of the summer. They are not completely out of the woods, however, as recent reports suggest Championship side Newcastle are eyeing a move for Nikita Parris, who is under contract until 2025.

Rivals Liverpool know all too well the consequences of complacency and allowing a team to fall so far behind the rest of the league, having suffered relegation to the Championship in 2020. United are some way off suffering a similar fate to the Merseyside club, of course, but the risk of slipping beyond reach of their top-four rivals is real.

The presence of new United sporting director Dan Ashworth at the team's training camp at St George's Park last week indicates it's not all doom and gloom as far as the club's hierarchy is concerned. While the comments from Ratcliffe are damning, it appears those below him have chosen to adopt a different mindset when it comes to the growth and improvement of the women's team.

Staff, players and fans will no doubt hope enough has been done this summer to avert a major crisis and that they will continue to challenge for top honours against their closest and fiercest rivals. Only time will tell.

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