Make no mistake about it, this was a hospital pass of a summer for Manchester United’s new hierarchy. In different hands, it could have brought more pain and discomfort.
But through deft, decisive deal-making, both in terms of incomings and outgoings, United have delivered their most coherent transfer window since Sir Alex Ferguson left the building more than a decade ago.
There have been no public dramas, drawn-out sagas, embarrassing climbdowns or bewildering about-turns. They have not dithered or panicked or disappeared down rabbit holes or gone all scattergun at the first sign of trouble.
There have been no exorbitantly expensive square pegs in round holes. They have not said one thing and done the exact opposite. The noise on social media has been of the quietly encouraged kind, not the manic hysteria that has so often engulfed fraught summer months.
It has been a calm, measured, purposeful and at times creative approach to a window that threw up some very difficult challenges that, in the main, have been navigated with a stealth seldom seen in the post-Ferguson era.
This is not a commentary on the quality of United’s signings as such. Only time will reveal how proficient the buys prove to be and the onus now is on Erik ten Hag to get the best out of Joshua Zirkzee, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro and the fifth and final acquisition Manuel Ugarte and bring some balance and order to a team that has been too chaotic and inconsistent.
New clarity of thought
Yet there has been long overdue clarity of thought to the way United have tackled a tricky window – and it has been all the more impressive given that new sporting director Dan Ashworth, chief executive Omar Berrada and interim director of global talent Christopher Vivell did not formally start until early last month. Even technical director Jason Wilcox was only appointed in April after the delays in the Glazers striking a deal with Sir Jim Ratcliffe for a minority stake in the club and control of football operations.
The FA Cup final win over Manchester City last May may have given United more wriggle room financially as it secured entry to the Europa League after their eighth-placed finish in the Premier League had left the club at risk of missing out on Europe entirely – and operating largely on a sell-to-buy policy.
Yet the budget was still relatively tight compared to recent summers and there is no way United would have been able to make five signings at an initial cost of £180m had they not finally sold well and demonstrated a decisive approach to moving players on, a sea change compared to previous years.
United have raised almost £110m, including potential add-on fees, from the sales of Scott McTominay, Mason Greenwood, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Hannibal Mejbri, Willy Kambwala, Donny van de Beek, Facundo Pellistri and Alvaro Fernandez. In addition to that, releasing Raphael Varane, Anthony Martial, Brandon Williams and Omari Forson freed up more than £600,000 a week on the wage bill.
It has been comfortably the most successful window in terms of sales since the Ferguson days.
Hand forced on McTominay
United, of course, have not achieved everything they might have hoped for. Victor Lindelof’s wages proved an obstacle for potential buyers and the Sweden centre-back is now likely to leave as a free agent next summer unless United can sell him in January.
Moreover, a lack of takers for the 32-year-old Brazil midfielder Casemiro was one example of the headaches Ratcliffe’s new regime inherited and instead effectively forced the sale of McTominay, without which United would not have been able to finance a deal for Manuel Ugarte.
Ten Hag admitted on Friday he would have preferred not to lose McTominay and used the Scotland international’s move to Napoli as an opportunity to criticise the Premier League Profit and Sustainability rules, which have effectively encouraged the sale of homegrown talents given they represent “pure profit” on the books.
But United would not have been in such a position with Casemiro had they not spent 14 weeks pursuing a player who did not want to come (Frenkie de Jong) in Ten Hag’s first summer in 2022 and then blowing £70m and £350,000 a week on a player whose best days were behind him as panic took hold.
Any disappointment over the failure to offload Casemiro was offset in part by United successfully loaning Jadon Sancho to Chelsea. That deal included an obligation for Chelsea to buy Sancho for a set amount at the end of the season, which would guarantee United more funds in the pot and pretty much represent the icing on the cake this summer in terms of the club’s dealmaking.
Shrewd negotiations
Telegraph Sport reported in April how United were willing to listen to offers for pretty much every player in their squad bar the likes of Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund and the club’s flexibility and creativity coupled with their refusal to be held to ransom has been key. United opted to pay Bologna an additional £2m for Zirkzee in order to circumvent a £34.5m release clause which would have had to have been paid upfront and instead allow them to stagger the Netherlands striker’s fee in three instalments.
While United would have loved to have signed Jarrad Branthwaite, they made it clear they had no intention of meeting Everton’s £75m valuation of the England defender and refused to make the same mistakes they had done with Leicester over Harry Maguire.
They were unwilling to meet PSG’s demand for a fixed fee of more than £50m for Ugarte and walked away before the French club came back to the table. Similarly, they were only prepared to countenance a deal with Bayern Munich for De Ligt if the upfront price fell below £40m. Meanwhile, the Mazraoui purchase was financed by Wan-Bissaka’s sale to West Ham.
United were perceived to have overpaid for Yoro but the club felt that was a statement signing that underlined their intentions and, at this stage of the team’s development, were encouraged the 18-year-old was willing to choose them over the likes of Real Madrid.
None of which means United are going to be successful on the pitch this season – but there are clear signs of the club getting their house in order off it.
