Assessing Manchester United's transfer window (slightly late)

It felt like I was experiencing some deja vu, as for yet another time, a manager had performed at or arguably above expectations at Manchester United and was not given the full backing by the Glazers in the transfer window. The board seem content with qualifying for the Champions League every year, as United make big strides to improve when they fail to achieve this target, but seem to almost disregard the manager's demands following a successful season where the targets have been reached.

Where else to start but with the saga that seemed to take up all the space on our Twitter, Instagram and Facebook feeds. 20 year old starlet Jadon Sancho was linked with Manchester United, and not for the first time either. Sancho had registered 20 goals and 20 assists in 44 games for Dortmund in the 2019/20 season, warranting strong interest from the Red Devils. Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward had come out and said that despite the financial hit caused by COVID-19, United WILL spend in the transfer window. And rightly so, following up on a 3rd placed finish in the 2019/20 Premier League season after a shocking first half to the season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had earned to right to be backed in the transfer window. Sancho was at the top of Ole's transfer list and it seemed inevitable that he would join United. United fans were getting excited with social media activity that seemed to point towards the transfer of the English winger. On Instagram live, Rashford said he'd love him to join United and Sancho himself posted a picture on instagram with the United attacker from their international duties together. It was as if it was written.

United approached Sancho's club, Borussia Dortmund, enquiring about the fee needed to prise one of their most promising young talents over to the North West of England. Dortmund simply set a €120 million price tag on him as a take it or leave it, at the start of August. This gave Manchester United more than 2 months to give Dortmund the money they wanted for him. He would be a sure-fire solution for their longing need and desperation for a top quality right winger, a problem that they had been trying to solve since Ronaldo had left the club if we're being honest. It was a no brainer. United had the money as one of the richest clubs in the world.

But Woodward decided to try and negotiate the price. He offered €70 million + add-ons, €90 million + add-ons,€100 million up front, but the valuation was always €120 million, take it or leave it. That was the message imposed on the Man United board by the Dortmund hierarchy. Yet the United board pondered at the valuation, deeming it too pricey during a pandemic. It left United fans screaming at their Twitter timelines upon learning the news from a seemingly incompetent board that was spearheaded by an accountant and absent of a director of football, one of the last elite clubs in Europe to have this position empty as of November 2020.

I was furious at the decision, as it made perfect sense in every way: He fit Solskjaer's philosophy of building a successful team (young with a British core), he fit in perfectly to United's fast paced attacking style and he would round off a deadly front three with Marcus Rashford (22 goals and 11 assists in 44 games) and Anthony Martial (23 goals and 12 assists in 48 games) as they just had personal record breaking seasons themselves. Mason Greenwood has been utilised on the right (to great effect) but it is obvious that he is not a winger, and the United coaching staff want to develop him into more of a centre forward as they progress.

Jadon Sancho snapped while playing for Borussia Dortmund.

Alas, it was not meant to be in this transfer window. I know the United fanbase are hopeful of a move by the club in the January window, or even the following summer window. The only signing made by the board pre-deadline day was Donny van de Beek, the midfielder was signed promptly from Ajax with the help of their CEO, former Reds keeper Edwin van der Sar. The other 4 of United's signings were all made on deadline day: Veteran striker Edinson Cavani, attacking-minded left back Alex Telles, and 18 year old right wingers Facundo Pellistri and Amad Traore, with the latter set to join up with the squad in January.

Cavani felt like a panic buy in the fact that he was a free agent all summer and we only chose to move for him in the last few days of the window. There's no doubt that he will improve our squad and add much needed depth, as a world-class striker that has only scored less goals than Messi and Ronaldo in the top 5 European leagues since 2007, playing for Napoli and PSG among others. I still feel like the board or Ole would have acted sooner if they really wanted him. Regardless, his first goal against Everton showed how clinical he can be, and the experience he can add to the young frontline.

Telles is a signing that I very much welcome to the club, giving Shaw some much needed competition in that left back position. Shaw's lack of confidence in attack comes to the fore a lot, especially when United come up against a low block and he often chooses not to take risks. Telles gives United an option as a left back or even a left wing back if Solskjaer plays 5 at the back, with his crossing accuracy, pace and free kick specialty adding to the team. This shows through his stats for Porto last year, with 13 goals and 12 assists in 49 games from left back at Porto. Now that is impressive. We saw what he can add to that left-hand side against PSG in the Champions League, putting in dangerous cross after dangerous cross, though he hasn't played since due to contracting COVID-19. There's no denying that United's first choice was the younger Sergio Reguilon, though Real Madrid insisting on a buy back clause seemed to put an end to that pursuit, forcing the club to go in for a last ditch deal in the last couple of days of the window, rushing a move that could have been compelted weeks before.

Donny van de Beek has been an interesting addition. His vision, range of passing and movement is top class, though his position is occupied by the talismanic Bruno Fernandes. This has limited Donny van de Beek's minutes for Manchester United and has restricted him to a bench role in the early stages of his United career. However, when he comes on, he seems to have a positive impact on the team and implements his quality to the game almost instantly. Van de Beek scored his first goal on his debut as part of a shocking United performance in a loss to Crystal Palace, showcasing his finishing instinct with a first time shot. He was the player who attacked deep into stoppage time during the Brighton game in September, winning the corner that won United the game winning penalty. He was on the pitch and was a part of 2 of the 3 last minute goals scored to beat Newcastle 4-1. He will have a bigger role to play in this team in the coming months while he finds his feet in the most demanding league in the world, I am very confident of this. My only worry is that he was a board signing, and Solskjaer never particularly wanted him. I hope this isn't the case as there is a very talented midfielder at his disposal that shouldn't be wasted.

The aforementioned signings in action for United.

As for Pellestri and Diallo, these are 2 very promising and talented young players. Solskjaer has said that Facundo Pellestri is a 'real talent for the long term.' as he acknowledged that he will take time to adapt to the English game, as he only has 37 senior appearances. He has time. As for the Ivorian Amad Diallo, club sources have been said to believe that he is a generational talent. He scored on his Serie A debut for Atalanta, the first of his 3 senior appearances so far. For Atalanta's U19 team, he managed 13 goals and 15 assists in 46 games, all before he turned 18. These signings show great promise for the future of the football club, but there was still nothing done to solve the very current issue of a lack of starting right wingers. United still don't have a sure-fire out and out right winger to complete their attacking line, with these 2 signings coming in on deadline day (again) it does seem like the club have panic bought and still haven't resolved the issue at hand. I sincerely hope that these wingers make their mark in the near future.

Yet it seems like the same problems still exist at Manchester United, a need for a commanding centre back partner for Harry Maguire, as Lindelof gets bullied too much by bigger opponent strikers, a top class right winger to compliment Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford without overplaying the young Mason Greenwood so early on in his career, and a defensive midfielder to balance the heart of the team without needing to play Fred and McTominay for a sense of defensive stability. A quality defensive midfielder could allow Bruno Fernandes to play with van de Beek or Pogba from the beginning of games without leaving too much open at the back, because, as good as Fred and McTominay can be, I don't think either of them can individually play in a single pivot.

Overall, I feel like the signings made in this window by Manchester United will improve the team, but I still don't feel like enough has been done, nor has any urgency been shown by the board to return the club anywhere near where it belongs: Back at the top of English football.

Stay tuned for my next post!