Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images
Manchester United’s transfer strategy confounded expectations this summer, and that hard pivot is being shown up by one deal in particular.
While the rest of the world zigged and spent like there was no tomorrow, Man Utd preached financial discipline.
Part of that is down to genuine financial difficulties after wasting away billions on mediocre talent, but Ineos have generally been more shrewd.
While that has its place in modern football, the £117m deal made last summer is showing up Ineos‘ hard pivot in an unflattering manner.
Chelsea v Leeds United - Carabao Cup Third Round
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Morgan Rogers shows fee is forgotten with good form
A major reason why United don’t want to spend too much on a single player anymore is that they don’t want the pressure of living up to that fee.
Simply put, there is a belief that there is no player who can ever “justify” a fee north of £100m, so he will always be playing catch-up and fighting the public narrative.
It’s why United are the only club among the traditional “top-six” yet to spend that fee on a single player, having once held the British transfer record (Paul Pogba).
However, Morgan Rogers is showing at Chelsea early in the season that it’s not always as simple as “high fee equals a failing player”.
If anything, he’s showing that the fee is quickly and conveniently forgotten by the public as long as the player looks good or hits the ground running.
You can’t protect a player from scrutiny by buying him cheaply, and a player bought for a large sum doesn’t automatically crumble under it.
It’s why even £40m for Manuel Ugarte looks like wasted money, but nobody cares to bring up £71m paid for Bryan Mbeumo last summer.
Ineos need to strike a balance
Financial discipline was long overdue at Old Trafford so nobody is blaming Ineos for being responsible, but their strategy has gone too far down the other extreme.
Ineos chief and Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford on May 01, 2019, in Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
Ineos chief and Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford on May 01, 2019, in Yorkshire, United Kingdom.
From giving selling clubs what they want to walking away when the asking price is even slightly beyond their parameter, there is no middle ground.
If you wanted Lewis Hall, why not go for him early in the window and get him for £70m? If you were not convinced about Mateus Fernandes’ desire, why spend a month negotiating for him, then act surprised?
Simply put, the financial discipline as an idea is nice, but the execution looks a bit iffy, especially this summer.
It seems simply a case of lack of ambition rather than financial discipline, because you can still buy difference-makers for huge sums.
If you are convinced a player will be that missing piece, then finances should be stretched. Buying a cheaper second or third option isn’t financial discipline, it’s lack of ambition.