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It was meant to be a summer of possibilities for Manchester United, but as they prepare for their first game since the day of the transfer deadline, there are again more questions than answers. Failed primary goals, unfilled team gaps, forgotten players still on the team and mounting fan frustration have become a familiar story at Old Trafford.
Saturday’s trip to Newcastle was supposed to be the next step in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s new dawn after a successful first full season in charge, but instead the future looks more stormy than it should.
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It was after Louis van Gaal’s reign as coach ended in 2016 that Ed Woodward realized that the way United recruited players was not good enough. Woodward, Executive Vice President, still regards Daley Blind and Morgan Schneiderlin as examples of the type of deal to be avoided: two players signed for a total of £ 40 million at the specific request of the manager, but in hindsight not “United” players .
He pushed for a hiring department overhaul and renewal, and last summer, when Solskjaer achieved his top three goals, midfielder Daniel James, center back Harry Maguire and right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka all signed before the first game of the season, it was held as proof that the changes were paying off. How, then, did they end up fighting on October 5 – the revised cutoff day of the transfer deadline in 2020 – to sign four players, one of whom was Edinson Cavani, a 33-year-old free agent who had been available since January?
“What the transfer deadline gives you is a clear indication of which football clubs are mismanaged,” Gary Neville tweeted on the last day of the 2012 summer window. It’s a position Man United have found themselves in. repeatedly from Sir Alex Ferguson. retired in 2013.
The club maintains that this summer’s business (Cavani, Donny van de Beek, Alex Telles, Facundo Pellestri and Amad Traore, the latter will arrive in January) does not represent a setback, but rather a bump in the road caused by the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The club agreed on its transfer targets in January, narrowing it down to a shortlist of three for each position, and detailed meetings were held every four weeks, with input from Global Exploration Chief Marcel Bout and Chief Exploration Technician Mick Court. . But before serious negotiations could begin, COVID-19 reached the UK and Premier League games were suspended.
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United estimates that each home game played behind closed doors costs between 4 and 5 million pounds in lost revenue, while they have also paid a discount of 20 million pounds to broadcasters. (Their overall losses were reportedly in the 75-100m range based on their upcoming financial reports.) More worryingly, there is no end in sight, and that uncertainty had a direct impact on the money available to new players, particularly the primary target. Jadon Sancho.
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United had what has been described as “lengthy discussions” with Marco Lichtsteiner, the outside agent Borussia Dortmund asked to handle the negotiations, but a compromise on a fee was never close. Dortmund was adamant that the 20-year-old was worth € 120 million; United, for their part, insisted the valuation was “unrealistic” in early March when the Premier League was suspended. There was renewed hope of pushing the ship a little further in late July, when UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested that supporters could be allowed to return to the stadiums in October, but once the plan was scrapped , Woodward realized that he was fighting a losing battle.
Ousmane Dembele, Kingsley Coman, Ismaila Sarr, Lucas Ocampos, Douglas Costa and Wilfried Zaha were seen as alternatives to Sancho, but United prioritized loan deals, which made negotiations difficult. Furthermore, a personal request from Solskjaer to test the waters with Aston Villa by Jack Grealish was ignored, and there was additional frustration among staff that Manchester City were allowed a free run over Bournemouth defender Nathan Ake.
It didn’t help that squad members who were deemed to be in excess of requirements weren’t discharging themselves to raise additional funds. United tend to have a difficult time getting rid of fringe players due to the high salaries they enjoy at Old Trafford (interested clubs generally struggle to match their salary packages) while the Glazers almost always demand a significant fee for any player under contract. . regardless of whether they are in the manager’s plans or not.
Ed Woodward, Man United president, has come under fire for Man United’s lackluster transfer windows, especially after the joy of clinching a place in the Champions League last season. Robin Jones / Getty Images
There was interest in goalkeeper Sergio Romero, now third after Dean Henderson’s return from a successful loan spell at Sheffield United, but both Aston Villa and Everton were put off by the £ 10 million asking price. Romero, who was not informed that Henderson would be returning before seeing the news for himself in the media, was puzzled and frustrated. He will continue to earn salaries of around £ 100,000 a week for at least another year despite having almost no prospect of playing, particularly after being left out of the Champions League squad.
Jesse Lingard was eager to explore options that would have allowed him to play more regularly, but despite having only a guaranteed year on his contract, he was told his price would be inflated because United tend to put a premium on their local players in the game. transfer market.
Phil Jones signed a new contract in 2019 that could keep him at the club until at least 2023, but like Romero, he is not registered to play in the Champions League this season. Victor Lindelof was awarded a new long-term contract last year, a little over two years after joining and largely in response to speculation about a move to Barcelona, a bond that the Spanish giants laughed at. United would also have been stuck with Chris Smalling, who received a new and improved contract in 2018, if Roma had not despaired after losing Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger, returning to United with a new 30-year offer. -old defense one hour before the Serie A deadline.
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At that time, the deadline day, the club was still in talks with Cavani’s representatives about image rights. Confirmation of a deal with the Uruguayan international did not come until 5:06 pm ET (10:06 pm UK time), 54 minutes before the deadline, despite the fact that he has been a free agent since leaving Paris Saint -Germain in June. (The club could have started negotiations for a pre-contract deal in January: Players 23 and older can speak to new teams within the last six months of their existing deals. However, Cavani did not need to be signed prior to the window closed, although it had to happen with the deadline for the registration of the Champions League).
Cavani’s late arrival and subsequent quarantine due to COVID-19 restrictions mean she cannot make her debut at St James’ Park on Saturday.
The arrival of a striker who was once considered one of the best in the world is intriguing to many fans, even if he’s in his 30s and hasn’t played a competitive game since March, but it comes with the bewildered feeling that the deal It was only done on the last day of the window.
The hiring of Cavani, plus midfielder Van de Beek, left-back Telles and 18-year-old wingers Pellistri and Traore, has left most fans feeling disappointed at the end of a summer they thought would take another step forward after finish third last season. . United contends that the € 300 million invested in the team in the last three windows demonstrates its commitment to backing the Norwegian, catching rivals Manchester City and Liverpool and competing for the biggest trophies, but many fans are not convinced.
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The theory remains that the Glazers are more motivated to invest significant funds when trying to return to the Champions League than when preparing for a season in it. It is a suggestion dismissed by those at the top of the club, but the numbers give it weight.
Since 2013, United has spent on average nearly double on transfers in the summer windows after missing a spot in the lucrative Champions League compared to summers after qualifying. Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal spent more this summer, while champion Liverpool was able to buy one of the best midfielders in the world in Thiago Alcantara.
Still, just weeks into the new season, United fans are left struggling with a familiar feeling of dread. The anticipated step forward has not happened and Solskjaer’s side have started with two losses in their first three league games, including a humiliating 6-1 home loss to José Mourinho’s Tottenham, leaving them in 16th place in the table. during the international break.
Off the field, Paul Pogba has again used the international break to flirt with Real Madrid, there are more doubts about Solskjaer’s position and five of the next seven games are against PSG, Chelsea, RB Leipzig, Arsenal and the first leaders of the Premier League, Everton.
Clouds are gathering over Old Trafford again.
Source: espn.co.uk
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