Did Manchester United Do Enough Transfer Business In The January Window?

Of the PremierPINC
League’s ‘Big Six’ clubs, Manchester United have done the least business in the January transfer window. Chelsea have spent big on numerous targets while Arsenal signed Leandro Trossard from Brighton and showed interest in Moises Caicedo before making a late move for Jorginho.

Tottenham Hotspur signed Arnaut Danjuma on loan from Villarreal with Pedro Porro also expected to put pen to paper on a deal to join the North London club before the window closes. Liverpool spent around £45m to capture Cody Gakpo from PSV Eindhoven while Manchester City moved to sign talented youngster Maximo Perrone from Velez Sarsfield.

Meanwhile, Manchester United completed just one piece of business in January with Wout Weghorst signed on loan from Burnley. Erik Ten Hag was desperate to add another centre forward to his squad after the exit of Cristiano Ronaldo and Weghorst was the best short-term solution the Old Trafford club could find.

This could leave Ten Hag short of squad depth as he attempts to keep United in the top four of the Premier League table. The Old Trafford side are also in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, the fifth round of the FA Cup and have two matches against Barcelona in the Europa League to look forward to – they need options in all areas of their team.

Ten Hag is still working out the quality of his squad. He has settled on a starting lineup good enough to compete near the top of the Premier League, but United remain a work-in-progress in defence, midfield and attack. And yet January has come and gone without the club addressing many of their squad’s problems.

It should be noted that Manchester United spent a significant amount on new signings last summer. Indeed, the club splurged close to £200m on the signing of Antony, Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Tyrell Malacia with Christian Eriksen also signed as a free agent. Now that the Glazers are looking to sell the club, though, the purse strings appear to have been pulled tight.

It’s not always about spending the most money, but there are gaping holes in United’s squad that could cost them by the end of the season. The loan signing of Weghorst will help to a certain extent with the Netherlands international already performing in the Manchester United first team, yet Ten Hag also needs defenders and midfielders.

Jadon Sancho’s return to the squad will help provide additional depth in the attacking area of the squad with the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof and Fred all improving under the stewardship of Ten Hag. The Dutchman is Manchester United’s greatest asset and he will get the most out of the squad he has. Ten Hag must surely rue his employers not giving him more help in January, though.