Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim (Image: Getty)
Manchester United are regularly accused of being a club without a clear transfer strategy and there's plenty of evidence to suggest that's not an entirely baseless accusation.
However, a look back over the last eight summer transfer windows would tell you the club are often very steady when it comes to the number of significant summer arrivals they target.
The summers of 2022 and 2024 are the big exceptions to the rule given they followed the worst United campaigns of the Premier League era. Erik ten Hag splashed out more than £220m in the former, with the total spent in 2024 set to top the £200m mark once add-ons are included.
Away from those two summers, United have tended to favour three significant signings in the summer transfer window. Romelu Lukaku, Victor Lindelof and Nemanja Matic arrived in 2017, before the abject failure that was the 2018 summer transfer window that proved to be the beginning of the end of Jose Mourinho's time at the club.
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The following summer Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire arrived, while Donny van de Beek, Edinson Cavani and Alex Telles were recruited in 2020. Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane were the big-name recruits in 2021, with Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund the significant 2023 summer arrivals.
The problem United have got is if they think their transfer rule of three big summer signings is going to be enough to provide Ruben Amorim with the tools he needs then they're very much mistaken.
Ten Hag's summer spending sprees followed disastrous campaigns and while there's still time for Amorim to make a success of his first season in England, the Portuguese is looking to implement a totally different style of football at Old Trafford and he needs the players to make it work.
A centre-back needs to be signed despite two big-money defensive arrivals last summer and a new left wing-back will be needed given Luke Shaw's shocking injury record. United will need at least one midfield signing next summer and a new striker is a must, and that's even before any outgoings have been taken into account.
Three big summer signings being made has often signalled the end of United's hefty summer business but that can't be the case come summer 2025.