With the transfer window now done and dusted, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the business conducted by Manchester United this summer.
The summer transfer window that has just passed was the biggest test yet of the structure that has arisen in the sporting project under INEOS. After an underwhelming performance 12 months ago, the pressure was on the decision-makers to deliver the goods in the market and put the onus back on Ruben Amorim to produce the results on the pitch.
While last summer’s defensive signings have served Manchester United well since arriving at Old Trafford, Manuel Ugarte and Joshua Zirkzee have been unable to establish themselves as assets for the struggling Premier League giants. Additionally, Manchester United failed to find a lasting solution to the Jadon Sancho problem.
While news of a purchase obligation clause excited Manchester United fans and gave them hope that the club would finally get rid of the troublemaker, each passing month made it clear that he would not complete a permanent move to Chelsea. So, that was another blot on the INEOS-led decision-makers for the football operations.
However, much has changed in 12 months, with Dan Ashworth and Erik ten Hag departing from Old Trafford before 2024 ended. Ruben Amorim took charge at Old Trafford in November, and he has endured a nightmare spell thus far with Manchester United, with a winning run eluding the struggling Premier League giants thus far under his tutelage.
However, with the squad not suitable to perform in Amorim’s system or good enough to mount a charge for a top-four finish under any other manager, INEOS needed to deliver this summer, even though many may have argued that the Portuguese tactician did not deserve the backing from the decision-makers.
Nevertheless, Manchester United spent heavily in the summer transfer window, overhauling the offensive unit while signing a new goalkeeper. However, the midfield issues remain unaddressed, and they failed to sign a permanent solution to the Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford problems this past summer.
They should also have offloaded a goalkeeper, although that remains possible, as Turkish and Saudi clubs can still sign players. We now take a look at how the Red Devils have performed in the summer transfer window gone by earlier this week.
Ins and outs
Like recent summer transfer windows, a day rarely passed without speculation surrounding Manchester United. While it is not a case like Chelsea, where players come and go frequently, the news cycle cannot survive without daily coverage of arguably the most influential club in England.
However, the struggling Premier League giants were not as active as they would have liked in sanctioning departures in the summer transfer window, with almost all the exits coming in the final two weeks. Nevertheless, they took care of business as efficiently as they could have.
Marcus Rashford was the first notable player to leave Manchester United, completing a season-long loan move to Barcelona. The English international even accepted a pay cut to facilitate the deal instead of making things difficult for United or Barcelona despite his ordeal in the last six months.
The same cannot be said of players like Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, and Jadon Sancho, whose attitudes were incorrigible, as they waited until the last few days to seal their departures. Nevertheless, Ruben Amorim will be glad to have seen the last of at least Antony and Garnacho, even though the club could not recoup as much as they would have liked from their sales.
Unlike Antony, Garnacho, and Sancho, Rasmus Hojlund was a thorough professional and worked alongside Manchester United and Napoli to facilitate an amicable parting of ways, and the Red Devils would hope the conditional obligation clause in his loan deal becomes active next year. Meanwhile, a few players departed as free agents, with Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans, and Christian Eriksen calling time on their stints with the Premier League bigwigs.
Outs: Antony, Alejandro Garnacho
Free Transfers Out: Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans (retired), Christian Eriksen
Loaned Out: Harry Amass, Dan Gore, Ethan Wheatley, Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Hojlund
Unlike last summer, Manchester United made several impressive signings, particularly by revamping the offensive unit. The sporting unit needed to address the lack of goals in the team, and they attended to the issue by signing Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko.
With only one deal requiring protracted negotiations, the Red Devils took a step in the right direction while significantly upgrading Ruben Amorim’s options in the final third. Another impressive piece of business was the deadline-day deal for Senne Lammens.
While the Emiliano Martinez links left many concerned, the struggling Premier League giants kept their options open while prioritising Lammens’s acquisition. Eventually, United struck an agreement with Royal Antwerp to secure the 23-year-old Belgian goalkeeper’s signature, and they would hope he is much more reliable between the sticks than Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir.
However, that is as good as it got for Manchester United, as they could not sign Carlos Baleba despite chasing the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder for several weeks. A move for the Cameroonian international will likely materialise next year, and he remains a target for the Red Devils.
Ins: Senne Lammens, Diego Leon, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko
Marquee Signing
Benjamin Sesko
Picking one of the three offensive signings was not a straightforward task, as Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have produced promising signs in their first few outings as Manchester United players. However, we have picked Benjamin Sesko as the “Marquee Signing” for the Red Devils.
The Slovenian international has managed only 80 minutes of game time in the Premier League thus far, with Ruben Amorim easing him into the thick of things. Additionally, being the tenth player to take a penalty kick in the shootout against Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup second round would have stung.
However, the 22-year-old striker’s stature of being one of the most highly rated strikers in the world has earned him a spot in this section, and he should eventually become a talismanic attacker for Manchester United while potentially serving them for a decade and more. Expect a bright future for Sesko.
Value for Money Signing
Senne Lammens
Considering three of the four summer arrivals at Manchester United cost over €70 million, the player in this section picks himself. We are talking about Senne Lammens, who completed a deadline-day move to Old Trafford after protracted negotiations with Royal Antwerp.
Even if the Red Devils pay all the add-ons in the agreement with Royal Antwerp, Lammens will not cost more than €25 million. So, if the pundits who compare him with Thibaut Courtois have projected his trajectory correctly, the young Belgian should be a “steal” going by current market standards.
Considering Andre Onana cost nearly double of what Manchester United forked out to land Senne Lammens, the summer arrival may be a cost-effective signing for the Red Devils. He will hope to usurp Onana and Altay Bayindir as the first-choice goalkeeper before aiming to serve the Premier League bigwigs for a decade, if not longer.
Inevitable Departure
Marcus Rashford
Many players fit into this section, considering Ruben Amorim followed in Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca’s footsteps by creating a “bomb squad” for Manchester United. Marcus Rashford, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, and Tyrell Malacia were part of that group, and only the latter remains at Old Trafford after the summer transfer window.
The Big Miss
Carlos Baleba
Verdict – 7/10
Unlike last year, Manchester’s performance in the summer transfer window was much better. The Red Devils have offloaded several players who were no longer in the scheme of things while making the wage bill lighter with the loan departures of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho.
Crucially, the struggling Premier League giants seemingly have a much more competent offensive unit, with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo already showing promising signs. While Benjamin Sesko has not been at the races yet, the Slovenian international is bullish about his long-term prospects at Manchester United. Additionally, Senne Lammens promises a bright future between the sticks.
However, it has not been all hunky-dory, and some issues remain in Manchester United’s squad, as they needed an all-action midfielder to line up alongside Bruno Fernandes. With the Red Devils struggling in the middle of the pitch, neglecting the midfield problem may come back to haunt them. They also ought to have sold Rashford and Sancho, and the duo will likely return to Old Trafford next summer. So, that brings the rating down for them.