Manchester United are searching for a recruitment guru to give them an edge in the transfer market.

The club are on the look out for an analyst to run the rule over potential additions to Jose Mourinho's squad after a summer during which the United manager appeared underwhelmed by the executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward's transfer business.

The Premier League side are keen to hire a recruitment analyst to "identify players who demonstrate the potential to play for the first team" according to a job advert posted on their official website.

The successful candidate will work in the scouting and recruitment department and play a key role in "decision making in the identification of players with the potential to play for Manchester United."

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Woodward has been criticised by some supporters for his handling of the summer window which saw Mourinho add just three players to his squad for a combined £68 million.

It prompted one group of fans to fly a protest banner over Turf Moor during the 2-0 win over Burnley which read "Ed Woodward -- a specialist in failure."

United's scouting and recruitment department has seen coming and goings already this summer.

Jose Mourinho and Ed Woodward have clashed over Manchester United's transfer policy. Manchester United/Man Utd via Getty Images

Former Manchester City scout Romain Poirot has been appointed to head up the club's network in France while Javier Ribalta, who moved to Old Trafford from Juventus to become scouting manager in 2017, left after just 13 months to join Zenit St Petersburg as their sporting director.

Meanwhile, former United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has distanced himself from speculation he could return as technical director.

Sources have told ESPN FC that United will look to appoint a technical director to bridge the gap between Woodward and Mourinho but Van der Sar, who played at Old Trafford from 2005 and 2011, says he is happy in his current role as CEO at first club Ajax.

"I saw it a few weeks ago in the press, but that story about United is nonsense," the Dutchman told Ajax Inside.

"I think I have a two-year contract. Ajax is my club and I would like to stay longer. The success we strive for and want to achieve is beautiful."