Manchester United plans are better than they have been for seven years

Man Utd have been making some important decisions at youth level as they look to plan for the long-term.

The end is finally in sight for Manchester United fans after the latest Premier League statement released on Thursday afternoon.

Top-flight football is set to return next month as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his players look to continue their fine pre-pandemic form and finish the season on a high.

United still harbour ambitions of achieving Champions League football next season, while there is a fantastic opportunity to round off this campaign with some silverware in both the FA Cup and Europa League.

However, mounting a Premier League title challenge next term will require another step up or two. Liverpool's inevitable triumph is one which has been 30 years-in-waiting and United are already working hard to ensure their current drought doesn't go on much longer.

With successful investment this summer United will expect to mount a title charge next season, with the ultimate goal to be champions again within the next three years. However, even in the dream scenario of lifting the Premier League trophy next season does occur they won't be able to rest on their laurels.

Seven years have passed since Sir Alex Ferguson departed Old Trafford with another league title under his belt. United fans need no reminder of what happened next. David Moyes had the impossible job on his hands, to not only to maintain the success of such a legendary manager, but to bring out the best of an ageing squad who were already sceptical about his credentials.

United's failure post-Ferguson has been as much about poor forward-planning off the pitch as it has been about a drop in standards on it. Moyes was sacked after just nine months, signings were made to satisfy short-term needs and there was no clear vision or continuity between appointments before Solskjaer's last year.

Now the focus has changed at Old Trafford. The goal isn't solely to be Premier League champions again, but it is to ensure that when they do next lift the title, they are in a strong position to defend it.

While it was the announcement of the Premier League's return in June which had fans excited on Thursday afternoon, the smaller news of a contract extension for youth defender Luca Ercolani was one which acted as a telling reminder of the long-term vision at United.

Last week saw young goalkeeper Jacob Carney sign his first professional contract with the club, while Max Taylor also penned another year to stay at Old Trafford. Although the aforementioned trio might never establish themselves in the first-team set-up, the decision to keep them is part of the club's continued target to become the best for youth talent in the country once again.

Plans are already in place for Hannibal Mejbri to step up his development next season with a bigger role, while the club have moved quickly to agree deals for teenage trio Radek Vitek, Joe Hugill and Marc Jurado this summer. Dillon Hoogewerf, Shola Shoretire and Teden Mengi are, along with Mejbri, some of the gold-standard performers in this academy crop.

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Speaking last week Under-23 boss Neil Wood reiterated that promotion isn't the primary aim of the youth sides at United, but with him in charge as part of an overhaul at youth level there is now a clear philosophy at both first-team and youth levels with their style of play. This means that it should now be easier for players to make the transition up the age ranks, something which has been emphatically proven by Brandon Williams already this season.

The 19-year-old is himself one of the many youngsters to have signed a new long-term deal at the club, with Tahith Chong and Mason Greenwood also amongst those here to stay. Solskjaer will be hoping his faith in youngsters pays off in the same which Ferguson's did, but beyond the current crop there is clear focus on the long-term vision throughout every age group.

Youngsters have been clearly informed of their own potential pathway into the first-team and, with game time available in a squad experiencing such an exciting transition, now is perhaps as good a time as any to be breaking through United.