With the footballing world still dealing with the current situation, attentions at the top clubs may naturally turn towards planning ahead, and in particular, navigating the upcoming summer transfer window.

At Manchester United, Ed Woodward will once again be a key component of the Red Devils' strategy, but whilst he and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are two of the more prominent figures, the club will also be relying on a rarely-seen backroom man to deliver too.

Matt Judge has been handling the negotiation of transfers and contracts at the club since 2016, when Woodward delegated the responsibility to him. The Manchester Evening News claim that he is credited with being the club's executive vice-chairman's "right-hand man", and is heavily involved in the recruitment process.

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He plays a major part in sounding out agents and players in respect to finding out whether they would be open to a move to Old Trafford, and has been involved in numerous big-money deals in his time at Old Trafford, including the signings of the likes of Paul Pogba, Harry Maguire and Romelu Lukaku.

Judge, by all accounts, is the man who keeps a low profile whilst ensuring the gears are turning, and this summer promises to be a hugely influential and decisive one for the club. The Red Devils currently find themselves out of the Champions League places, and if the season were to be cancelled right here, then they would miss out on European football's elite competition for the second year in a row.

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That would no doubt affect some of their approaches to big-name transfer targets like Jadon Sancho - the Borussia Dortmund sensation who has long been linked with a switch to United. It will be up to Judge to try and put across the idea that the Red Devils remain an enticing destination for the world's top talents, and if he can do that even when the club may not have Champions League football to offer, then he will have done very well.

Woodward and Solskjaer may be the faces of the operation, but Judge plays a huge role behind the scenes.

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