Manchester United, like any other club, have a long list of “what ifs” in the transfer window but some hurt more than others depending upon how they age.
The chances of those misses happening will now reduce because Ineos are making a concerted effort to sign young and developing players before they explode.
However, that doesn’t mean misses and “what ifs” won’t happen, with one major scenario already unfolding in front of the eyes of Man Utd fans.
They had the perfect midfielder in their ranks but instead signed the player the selling club wanted to discard so they could sign him instead.
Harry Maguire of Manchester United celebrates scoring their second goal during the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match between Manchester United and...
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
The tale of Joao Neves and Man Utd
Joao Neves is lighting it up at Paris Saint-Germain for Luis Enrique’s side, filling the most crucial role of a deeper midfielder who circulates possession and also crashes the box.
That is exactly the kind of player Man Utd were looking for in the summer which led them to Neves, who had admirers at the club already in the form of Bruno Fernandes.
United bid for Neves but SL Benfica rebuffed their approaches, leading them to pivot early in the window, only to be blindsided.
That is because Benfica, who were directing United towards Neves’ £102 million release clause when they enquired, proceeded to do business with PSG for much less.
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To make the narrative even more convoluted, United ended up signing Manuel Ugarte, the player PSG needed to get rid of to be able to sign Joao Neves.
In summation, United signed the player PSG needed to sell so that they can buy United’s midfield target who is now among the best in Europe.
However, unlike many what-ifs, United didn’t emerge as complete losers from this scenario.
Manuel Ugarte has proven himself at Man Utd
That whole transfer domino could have been really bad for United and it was turning out that way when Erik ten Hag refused to give Manuel Ugarte an extended run in the team.
However, Ugarte has looked like a player reborn, and with Ruben Amorim’s arrival, the stars have aligned perfectly for United as well.
The Uruguayan’s fit under Amorim is so seamless that it almost became a conspiracy theory of United knowing they were signing players for Amorim in the summer.
Ultimately, Neves and Ugarte are completely different types of players. Neves probably suited Ten Hag’s formation more and Ugarte is perfect for Amorim.
As things have turned out, this is a what-if United have unintentionally benefitted from!