The once indecisive Red Devils seem to have shown a slightly cold efficiency during this summer's transfer period, which may also mark the official entry of Manchester United's transfer strategy into the era of pragmatism. The Athletic author Laurie Whitwell tells the story behind Manchester United's transfer operation this summer.
From many perspectives, Manchester United fully reflects the transfer ideas of Ratcliff's football management team in the deal between Hoylen and Sheshko.
Hoylen originally wanted to stay with Manchester United, where he had been a child, but CEO Bellada, football director Wilcox and head coach Amorin finally decided to sell him to sign a new striker and quickly put the plan into action.
It is hard to imagine that Manchester United's past management would be so decisive to a player who always showed professionalism and professional attitude. Hoylen sees his future through a series of signs: first, in the last match against Everton in the United States, he was abandoned, Cunha served as the single arrow, and he only played for 18 minutes on the bench; then in the friendly match against Fiorentina, he had no chance of getting the entire game; and then in the crucial battle against Arsenal in the first round of the Premier League, he didn't even make the roster. He was also excluded from away games against Fulham and Grimsby Town. During the preseason, Manchester United continuously emphasized the harmonious atmosphere in the team, claiming that all players worked hard to train and implement tactics, but this did not include the "bomb squad" excluded - Rashford, Garnacho, Sancho, Anthony and Maracia. In this case, the rejection that Hoylen encountered was even more ironic. Despite his slightly different situations, he always firmly hopes to fight for his position until the deal with Naples was reached last Saturday. Although he himself did not fully agree to the transfer, he flew to Rome for a medical examination on Sunday.
It was revealed that part of Hoylen's motivation was that he believed he was stronger than the center that Manchester United agreed to pay 85 million euros to introduce. He believes that proving this in training may allow Amorin to reconsider his departure, even if Sheshko has joined.
But Manchester United made this decision mainly based on Hoylen's poor performance last season, scoring only 10 goals in 52 games, of which only 4 goals in the Premier League. In the eyes of senior executives, Hoylen represents the past and is a player that Manchester United once introduced at a premium. He was labeled as "signed by his ex-recruitment team", and Zilkze, who joined last summer, did not have such a burden.
Hoylen joined Napoli on loan for 6 million euros for one season, with a buyout clause of 44 million euros. If Napoli qualifies for the Champions League, this clause will be mandatory.
It is said that Hoylen, 22, is heartbroken by the end of his Manchester United dream, especially as he was full of expectations at the beginning of the preseason. This incident shows how decisive and pragmatic Manchester United operates under Ratcliffe, Bellada, Wilcox and Amorin.
However, Manchester United also made some concessions. At a meeting in Chicago during the US trip, Hoylen was told United would look for a new striker, but the club did not directly say he would be sold. The gentle handling of the news is because he is considered a good person. At that time, Manchester United had narrowed their candidates to Sheshko and Watkins.
On July 29, Hoylen joined Luke Shaw and Onana to participate in the Chicago Flames community event. He played football with the kids, smiling occasionally, but outside the camera, he looked depressed. That night, Manchester United's intention to advance Sheshko's transfer had become clear.
The next night, Manchester United played against Bournemouth, and Hoylen scored twice, and then took the initiative to find the media in the mixed interview area to express his opinion: "My plan is very clear, that is, stay and fight for his position." Amorin's attitude was vague: "I don't know what will happen until the transfer window is closed."
This tension continued until the last weekend of the transfer window. Hoylen made it clear that his departure was against his wishes. Many clubs including Milan, Leipzig and Inter Milan have a strong interest in him, but he eventually chose Serie A champion Naples and will reunite with Ballon d'Or nominee McTominay. Conte pushed Hoylen's transfer after Lukaku suffered a thigh injury in August. Hoylen smiled as he was welcomed by fans in Italy.
Manchester United chose 22-year-old Sheshko instead of 29-year-old Watkins for age reasons, and Manchester United also supplemented players with Premier League goals through Cunha and Mbermo. The decision was made collectively, but recruitment director Christopher Viver felt special responsibility for working with Sheshko in Salzburg and Leipzig in the past.
When Liverpool began to contact Ekitic, Manchester United did make an inquiry, but it was too late. After Newcastle started negotiations, Manchester United's pursuit of Sheshko accelerated.
It was at this stage that Manchester United weighed the introduction of forwards or midfielders and discussed the potential price of the Barleba trade. The choice at that time was to sign a defensive midfielder or center. Some inside the club believe that the midfield should be a priority position, but Wilcox advocates signing a scorer because Manchester United scored only 44 goals in the Premier League last season, and Ratcliff supported the decision.
Manchester United had hoped to sign Drapp from Ipswich town with a 30 million pound termination fee in the early part of the summer window. But Drapp, 22, chose Chelsea and was persuaded to be their regular center, although Manchester United told him that Joao Pedro would also switch to the Blues from Brighton.
United think they have a chance to get Drapp, Berrada and Wilcox met him in Manchester on May 19. But two days later, Manchester United lost the final of the UEFA Cup and missed the Champions League qualification, which is an important factor. Some people also believe that Drapp spent five years at Manchester City and was unwilling to join his archenemy in the city.
At around this time, Manchester United seriously considered signing an experienced backup striker. It was revealed that Manchester United also discussed the conditions for bringing back Villebeck.
Tenhager wanted to sign Welbeck last year, but Manchester United couldn't advance due to the new management structure and uncertainty of the head coach. They considered this possibility again. Welbeck scored 10 goals for Brighton in the Premier League last season and was tied for the top scorer in the team with Joao Pedro and Santa Chou. Manchester United feels that he spent 16 years at Old Trafford and graduated from the youth training camp, which can add experience, technology and heritage to the team.
Manchester United considers offering Welbeck a contract to 2027, provided it reaches an agreement with Brighton on fees. He will be a low-cost signing to assist in blockbuster signing. But it is reported that Ratcliffe believes that Manchester United cannot approve a two-year contract for players who will turn 35 in November, and instead discussed the one-year option, but the offer was not officially proposed. Weirbeck expressed his happiness in Brighton in a recent interview.
Manchester United has Lewin as a free agent candidate, and Wilcox believes he may be a useful backup, but Manchester United refuses to make an offer. Calvert Lewin, 28, signed with Leeds United in mid-August.
As an alternative to Mbermo, Manchester United also negotiated Semeno, but Bournemouth's £70 million valuation is considered too high.
Before the last game last season, the second summer window plan under the influence of Ratcliffe was formulated in Monaco.
Two days ago, Manchester United lost to Tottenham in the UEFA Cup final and will prepare for the Premier League vs. Villa in 48 hours. The planned executive committee meeting was held at Ratcliff's main base to discuss how to transform Amorin's lineup without the economic boost to the Champions League. Amorin attended the meeting in a rare manner, with Bellada and Wilcox explaining the signing strategy to Ratcliffe, Joel Glazer and Afram Glazer and senior Ineos executives.
Ratcliffe, Bellada, Wilcox and Amorin all agreed to start with Premier League experienced players, as the results of signings from mainland Europe have been limited in recent years and they realized that selling players is crucial to supporting the investment they see as necessary. But there are different ideas between shareholders in the past and present. Ratcliff has implemented a strict cost-cutting system at Manchester United to dare to invest in on-field affairs. Although the Glazer family has approved large signings in the past, they have been extra cautious about the market recently and carefully reviewed every transfer. However, every transaction was approved by the British and US shareholders.
Ratcliff's risk tolerance was evident in the first summer window, and he was sometimes frustrated with profitability and sustainability rules. But Manchester United publicly stated that they remain committed to and comply with the Premier League PSR and UEFA Fiscal Fairness Act.
Manchester United spends more than £200 million on new players this summer, but expects FFP to be in good shape and PSR to be in better shape by next year.
In addition, it was revealed that staff are working on the "90 Plan" - an internal code name designed to improve Manchester United's balance sheet by £90 million a year. This may come from operational savings or increased commercial transactions, but better player transactions will result in bonuses and more broadcast revenue if successful.
In terms of cash acquisition - which has been a problem for Manchester United since the pandemic - the additional borrowing capacity of the revolving credit facility has been agreed, with a previous limit of £300 million. Of course, Manchester United had to pay interest on the borrowing, with the goal of making the balance zero and establishing its own cash reserves, but at least provided instant funding during this period when support for Amorin was crucial.
After the Iceland Summit, it can be felt that Manchester United has become stronger again in the market. The summit was held 72 hours before Manchester United's first pre-season friendly match against Leeds United on July 19. Bellada and Wilcox met with Ratcliffe to discuss business. On July 18, during the series of meetings, the agreement with Brentford on Mbermo was reached after a six-week stalemate.
followed by a pursuit of Sheshko, which is seriously upgraded before any sale on July 29. Manchester United, led by Ratcliff, made a judgment, sign the person first and then solve the funds, and confident that they can still recover considerable funds. Joel Glazer and Afram Glazer approved the strategy on July 31 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
After a carefully planned bidding process, Manchester United reached an agreement with Sheshko in the following week, with Viver and football negotiating director Matt Hargreaves having face-to-face talks in Leipzig. A race against time followed to sign all documents to introduce him to Old Trafford spectators before the August 9 vs. Florence. When all the rules are completed, the clock has passed midnight, hours before the kickoff. Speaking of which, this is also the norm for Manchester United's transfer period this summer.
Ideally, Amorin will also get Baleba. A vibrant midfielder has been on the agenda all summer, but resources have been used elsewhere. Amorin pushed Baleba internally, and Ratcliff also hoped Manchester United would try, but the club ultimately could not justify its price. In the early stages of negotiations through intermediaries, Manchester United felt that Brighton might be willing to sell at Joao Pedro (the latter who moved to Chelsea for £60 million). Manchester United agreed on personal terms with Baleba, who was eager to transfer and received positive messages from Onana, Mbermo, Cameroon national teammates and Yoro, who had worked with Lille.
But over time, Brighton explicitly asked for a fee close to Kesedo. Baleba did not put pressure on the transfer. On Brighton, CEO Paul Barber is aware of all the conversations. Manchester United called Brighton politely on August 15 and directly stated that they would not pursue the transfer, but expected to buy Baleba again in the future.. His youth and lack of experience may be worrying, but in Belgium, he is seen as the national team's potential goalkeeper in the future, taking over Courtois.
is expected to compete for No. 1 position, and Onana is also said to be confident that she can regain the starting position.
How to raise funds for lineup restructuring is a question that has been continuously thought about throughout the summer. United have planned to sell or deal with Rashford, Garnacho, Anthony, Sancho and Marasia for many months, but only started to work in the last week of the window.
Garnacho sold to Chelsea for £40 million, ending the longest-rumored transfer this summer. Garnacho told his friends before the UEFA Cup final that he wanted to go to London and targeted Stamford Bridge, but Chelsea held on until the deadline to pressure Manchester United to lower the initial £70m but followed the window to £50m. Chelsea only provided player exchanges for several weeks, and finally submitted a £25 million offer. Manchester United's negotiations increased, plus a 10% second transfer share.
Manchester United's position was influenced by Amorin, who made it clear that Garnacho was not welcome when he spoke to the players in Carrington the day before the game against Villa and confirmed that he remained in office. Amorin told Garnacho in front of his teammates: "You'd better have a good agent this summer."
Garnacho's remarks after the Europa League final angered Amorin, but the potential rift has been around for months, dating back to the December victory against Bilson. Amorin felt that Garnacho looked straight ahead when he accepted the order before taking the bench on the 81st minute, and did not listen to him. Four days later, he was left out of the Derby roster with Rashford.
This so-called disrespect is exacerbated by Garnacho's incomplete fit with the Amorin system, despite his 58 appearances last season. Garnacho's social media posts have angered fans, most notably he is wearing Rashford's Villa jersey. He is responding to the feeling that Manchester United pushed him to Villa.
Despite the situation being lower than the market price, Garnacho remains the fourth highest sale in Manchester United history.
He left the team and another long-rumored departure, with Anthony joining Real Betis on the deadline. Returning after a successful loan is possible, but Betis waits for the best deal. At some stage of the weekend, despite an agreement on €25 million plus €3 million surcharge, they stopped the transfer due to Anthony's 6 million euro salary payment. The club actually shared the differences and agreed to pay 22 million euros plus 3 million euros. Betis bears the payment. United secured a 50% share of any future resale fees for Betis, not only the purchase price profit, which could be worth millions given Anthony's 25-year-old. Still, that's a sharp drop from the 100 million euro deal that Manchester United agreed to pay Ajax in 2022.
Manchester United started the summer with £5m from Chelsea, and the Blues enforced the penalty clause in Sancho's loan agreement instead of completing the £25m buyout option. This option (an unusual addition) was added by Chelsea late in negotiations last summer.
Sancho has several clubs interested this time and even had video calls with Roma - but decided not to transfer to Serie A. Just when he seemed likely to stay at Manchester United for the final year of his contract, Villa made a loan offer, which he accepted. Villa is expected to pay Sancho about 80% of his weekly salary of £200,000. There are performance bonuses that may allow Vera to cover the full amount.
Last season loan Villa provided a platform for Rashford, ensuring his dream Barcelona transfer and saving Manchester United about £15 million annual salary. Manchester United have always been convinced that Rashford and Garnacho will find their next home because they want to compete in the US World Cup next summer. Manchester United is expected to receive about £100 million in player sales revenue, although it is currently only £59 million, but with his loan fee and second transfer terms of Carreras, Ellanda and Oyedelai (total of about £15 million), Manchester United has reached about £80 million. If Hoylen's permanent deal (worth £38 million) passes, they will far exceed their target.
Originally, Maguire might also leave the team. Several clubs including Juventus and Cuomo have asked for his transfer, but all inquiries were rejected.
B fee was a strong focus for Saudi Arabia, especially in May, when Riyadh Crescent hinted that he would offer 100 million euros if he agreed. It was revealed that even on the day B Fee held a press conference that he would stay in the team, Riyadh New Moon raised its offer again, reaching an astonishing annual net income of 40 million euros plus 10 million euros bonus. Riyadh Crescent President Naffel uses Paris as a recruiting base before the club's World Cup in case B's fee agrees.
Amorin praised B for rejecting a generous offer when facing staff on Monday before the start of the Premier League season. Amorson said he wanted the team to focus on the game and mentioned players going out and training late as an example of poor discipline. He did not name the name, but solving this problem is also an important reason for Manchester United's frequent operations this summer.
Manchester United has done a lot of work for this.
They filled their target positions, mostly before the season, keeping their contracts within the salary structure and recovering a lot of money on leaving the team. Time will tell whether the reconstruction move will be successful this summer.