Man United must break the bank for best player in 2024 - even with FFP transfer peril

Manchester United will know there is one Premier League player who could turbocharge their revolution under Ruben Amorim.

The scale of Amorim's challenge at Old Trafford has been thrust into the spotlight after back-to-back defeats to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest. Saturday's defeat to Nuno Espirito Santo's team was the most alarming, with a catalogue of individual errors rearing their ugly head once more.

Make no mistake, this is a long-term project at M16 which will take some time before United can be considered credible title challengers again. The early signs after almost a year under co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos group are not promising.

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Muddled thinking from the group which run football operations at United has caused huge damage on the 2024/25 campaign. Sticking with Erik ten Hag, spending £200million on players to fit his system, then sacking him months later before then removing sporting director Dan Ashworth is not a good look.

Many have suggested a total rebuild is required at Old Trafford but one signing could provide a very different outlook on United's fortunes under Ineos. Manchester City academy product Cole Palmer has played a staring role for Chelsea since arriving at Stamford Bridge last summer.

Palmer, who is one of the leading candidates for Fans Footballer of the Year 2024, has scored 36 goals and provided 21 assists in just 62 appearances for the Blues. It's been a staggering rise which no one saw coming - even if Pep Guardiola suggests otherwise.

The 22-year-old has proven to be an outstanding buy who has played a key role in Chelsea's title challenge under Enzo Maresca this season. His performances were perhaps even more surprising last term when the west Londoners were in such chaos, so just imagine what he could do even at a dysfunctional United.

Prising him away from Chelsea will not be easy, particularly for the Reds if they spend another season out of the Champions League. But Palmer was a United fan growing up and, like any player, may be tempted to fulfil his boyhood dream one day.

Of course, making a move happen will be extremely difficult, especially when considering United's PSR concerns. However, funding a potential move may become a lot easier if United can offload some of their underperforming homegrown talent which would represent pure profit.

Marcus Rashford is someone who has recently been linked with a potential move away from M16 next summer. Of course, finding a buyer for someone who has lacked consistency for some time now will be difficult.

But there are avenues for United to explore when it comes to adding some much-needed star power to Amorim's team. A move for Palmer may be unrealistic at this stage, but it should be something the Reds look into.