Manchester United’s swift actions across the January transfer window are evidence of the English giants finally operating in the manner that a big football club should, according to Manchester Evening News chief United writer Samuel Luckhurst.
It wasn’t so much who #mufc signed in January but hot they signed them that made it an impressive month under a new regime finding its feethttps://t.co/rubOAAER7R
— Samuel Luckhurst (@samuelluckhurst) February 1, 2023
Despite the Red Devil’s not parting ways with a single pound across the last month in the post-2022 World Cup landscape, United did exceptionally well to quickly identify available targets of opportunity to suit an immediate need across a number of positions in the first team.
United boss Erik ten Hag was desperate to land a striker after the fiasco that was Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure and a subsequent big-money move to Al Nassr, with the club wasting little time to secure Dutch international Wout Weghorst once it was clear the 30-year-old was available to be prized away from Burnley on loan.
The English giants operated under similar pretenses when they brought in both Jack Butland from Crystal Palace and an expert capture of Austrian star Marcel Sabitzer from Bayern Munich on deadline day due to the long-term injuries suffered by both Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek.
According to Luckhurst, “A well-placed source at United said earlier this season the club have the wherewithal to ‘push a button’ and reveal a list of potential players to strengthen a position. The swiftness with which they have secured three loan deals tallies with that proclamation.”
“With an authoritative manager, a football director with his feet under the table, and a chief executive content with taking a back seat and empowering heads of department, United resemble a proper football club.”
These steps forward by the club will now see United go into the upcoming summer transfer window with confidence of being able to secure transfer targets smartly, rather than throwing money haphazardly at positions of need, as they did when they shelled out ~€100m for Antony.
Luckhurst added further; “United plan to welcome a new goalkeeper, a younger midfielder, and a striker in the summer as permanent arrivals. Bankrolling inflated deals for imperfect options would have been senseless. There were no panic-stricken inflated fees paid as there were for Casemiro and Antony when United’s hand was forced by their denuding at Brentford. This was a window where United were wiser and wilier.”
Given how Premier League rivals Chelsea have comported themselves since the arrival of Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, United are looking to structure their own project in a manner closer to Arsenal and arguably Newcastle rather than aggressive financial carpet-bombing, and many will hope the club will be the better for it in the long run.
