Jose is out to add some guile to the grit he already has
UNITED were still in the midst of their 25-game unbeaten run when Jose Mourinho identified the critical issue with his squad.
It had grit, it had graft - but an inability to establish itself in the top four during that period emphasised the need to inject real quality this summer.
The fighting spirit of his players, during an exhausting campaign, is what heartened Mourinho most in his debut season at Old Trafford.
Now the intention is to compliment that with the players to make United genuine title challengers.
Mourinho has identified four key areas after a season of assessing the weak points of his squad.
That those positions largely mirror his transfer plans last summer speaks volumes about the overhaul required after the incoherent spending under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal.
Mourinho inherited an unbalanced group that was ageing in pivotal positions - in the form of Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick.
He signed a centre back, central midfielder, playmaker and striker.
Eric Bailly, Paul Pogba, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Zlatan Ibrahimovic completed phase one of his overhaul and Ed Woodward has been tasked with securing the targets that will provide Mourinho with a core of seven players he can call his own.
Centre back Victor Lindelof, at £30.7m, has kicked off a summer spend expected to reach as much as £200m.
He will partner Bailly in the heart of United’s defence next season.
A holding midfielder - with Nemanja Matic and Eric Dier among those targeted - is intended to release the potential of last summer’s midfield arrival Pogba.
Talks have been held with Inter Milan over Ivan Perisic - Chelsea’s Willian is also of interest - as Mourinho looks to recruit a creative influence.
Last year that came in the form of Mkhitaryan, with inconsistent results.
And Alvaro Morata is seen as a direct replacement for the injured Ibrahimovic, where as the previous priority target, Antoine Griezmann, was considered complimentary to the Swede.
Just four key signings may be viewed as relatively modest for a team that finished 24 points behind Premier League champions Chelsea. But Mourinho will be conscious of the danger of being too disruptive.
He exercised restraint in his first transfer window at Old Trafford - and again in January, when initially expressing interest in Lindelof and exploring a move for Griezmann.
While other areas remain a concern in the long-term - notably left-back he has players who can do a job in positions not seen as in critical need of address.
His focus on United’s spine, however - with six of his first eight signings dedicated to the middle of his team - is evidence of the fundamental flaws in the squad he inherited.