By the time Erik ten Hag's second season gets underway, Manchester United could have new owners and an influx of money to support his mission to restore the Premier League club to their former glories.
Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe are both bidding to buy out United owners the Glazer family, with fans hoping that will bring newfound wealth to sign some of the world's best players.
“You have to do the right things,” Ten Hag said. “You can have money, but you have to do it and spend it in a smart way and you need to have a strategy behind it. Otherwise the money doesn't work.”
United have been through turbulence of their own since former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.
Having been a Champions League mainstay under Ferguson, the club has repeatedly failed to qualify for it over the past decade.
United finished sixth last season, the fifth time since 2013 that they have fallen outside of the top-four.
A return to the Champions League was widely regarded as the minimum requirement in Ten Hag's first year.
Ten Hag's first job was to reinstate the 20-time league champions among English football's elite. It will not only be good for United's reputation but also bring it much-needed revenue from prize money and commercial deals.
The ability to offer Champions League football to prospective targets should also strengthen United's hand in transfer negotiations.
