Ralf Rangnick told Man Utd to sign current transfer target in 2022 but they ignored him

Before leaving his post as Manchester United's interim manager, Ralf Rangnick advised the club to sign a player who is currently on their shortlist of midfield targets to replace Casemiro.

Rangnick, who spent six months in charge at Old Trafford between November 2021 and May 2022, took charge of 29 games as interim boss, winning 11, drawing 10 and losing eight after replacing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Away from results on the pitch, the German made headlines for his often-brutal outlook on the team's struggles. He famously declared that United needed "open-heart surgery" rather than minor cosmetic changes to fix their structural and playing issues.

And unlike many coaches, he was willing to speak openly about transfers. According to German news outlet BILD, Rangnick listed nine players he felt United should have signed to compete with the top teams.

These included Alvaro Morata, Luis Diaz, Dusan Vlahovic, Josko Gvardiol, Christopher Nkunku, Erling Haaland, Enzo Fernandez, Julian Alvarez and Konrad Laimer.

Rangnick was also keen for the club to chase a move for then-Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni, who was also attracting interest from a host of clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid.

Rangnick wanted United to sign Tchouameni in 2022. Image credit: Getty

However, United ignored Rangnick's advice and pursued a move for the experienced Casemiro, while Madrid snapped up Tchouameni in the summer of 2022 for around €100 million.

Speaking on this week's episode of the Talk Of The Devils podcast, journalist Andy Mitten gave an insight into Rangnick's interest in Tchouameni.

"Interestingly, it’s someone who Ralf Rangnick identified that Manchester United should be signing four years ago," said Mitten. "He was absolutely adamant about that, so it’s funny how these things come around."

Now, Tchouameni has been named on United's shortlist of candidates to replace Casemiro, who confirmed in January that he will leave Old Trafford when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The 26-year-old, who has made 45 appearances for Los Blancos across the 2025-26 campaign, is widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe and will likely play a prominent role for France at this summer's World Cup.

Rangnick, meanwhile, is still the head coach of Austria's national team. He was set to take up a consultancy role with United at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, but it was mutually agreed that he would focus solely on his role with Austria.