Manchester United’s recruitment continues to be a huge issue and Ineos have been given a damning assessment of the current squad.
One of the biggest criticisms of Manchester United in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era is that the club have recruited terribly and overspent on countless players.
Since the takeover, Ineos have improved recruitment, but it is yet to translate into on-pitch success under Ruben Amorim.
This summer, United have spent close to £200m on four new major signings, while Marcus Rashford is the only significant departure and the Red Devils won’t even profit from that move until next year.
Ultimately, Ineos need their new signings to be a success at Old Trafford, but history suggests that has not often been the case.
Jason Wilcox, Director of Football at Manchester United and Omar Berrada, Chief Executive Officer of Manchester United
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
Man United’s squad value drop is the worst in the Premier League
There has been a bit of surprise at the size of United’s summer spending considering reports last season that United were near their PSR limit.
Ineos chose to back Amorim financially and provide him with some big-money signings. The value of United’s squad suggests they should be finishing inside the top six.
Via Sky Sports and information from Transfermarkt, United’s squad cost a total of £1.1 billion to assemble, but the current value of those players is only £769m.
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Those figures suggest United have suffered the biggest deficit of any Premier League club when it comes to the value of their players dropping after signing.
United have suffered a deficit of £323 million, implying that the club is either overpaying for signings, or players are shockingly dropping in value after joining.
Man United are selling players well under valuation
Unlike their ‘Big Six’ rivals, United are not maximising the transfer window when it comes to player sales.
The likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City have brought in huge amounts of money by selling players on the fringe of their squad.
Meanwhile, United are failing to sell first-team players, and the fees received are well below what most fans expected.
A £26m buy option for Rashford is a huge drop from his previous valuation of over £100m a few seasons prior.
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Recent reports suggest United would sell Kobbie Mainoo for £45m, despite the 20-year-old being one of the most exciting Carrington graduates in the past decade.
The timing of United’s sales certainly doesn’t help. The Red Devils have often held onto players too long or refused to cash in when a big-money offer is on the table, only to regret it and sell for much less later down the line.