The Red Devils risk falling behind their rivals this summer after failing to sign or sell a single player while the takeover saga rumbles on

It feels as if the season only ended yesterday, but Manchester United players are due back at work next Monday to begin getting in shape for the next campaign. The players who did not take part in any international matches after the FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City - including Lisandro Martinez and Donny van de Beek - will be the first to report back at Carrington on July 3, while those who did play for their national teams will return from July 10.

Then the serious work begins: the first pre-season friendly against Leeds United on July 12 in Oslo followed by a fixture against Lyon in Glasgow on July 19. The club will then embark on an exhausting tour of the United States to face Arsenal, Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Wrexham, before a final tune-up game against Athletic Club in Dublin one week before the Premier League season starts.

The returning players will be placed on a ruthless training regime to get back in shape for the campaign. But while Erik ten Hag's men are subjected to a military-style programme, from the outside the club resembles an unorganised mess.

There is little sign of progress on transfers and even fewer prospects of enacting the player clearout that is needed to build on the progress made last season. And in the background, there is still no indication of who will own the club in the long term. Pre-season is usually associated with hope and excitement, but at United, not for the first time, there is a feeling of trepidation and unease.