Growing Frustration At Manchester United’s Slow Progress In The Transfer Market

It was meant to be different for Manchester United this summer.

On the back of their worst ever season in the Premier League there was a hope and expectation the club would be quick and decisive in the transfer market.

The United board appreciated their squad needed a major overhaul, and while they did not endorse the view of their outgoing interim manager Ralf Rangnick who had suggested they needed 10 new players, there was an intent to make at least five signings.

But it is now a month since the transfer window opened and United have signed just one player: Dutch international Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord for a fee of around £12.9 million.

He could prove to be an astute signing, but he will probably not be in United’s starting line-up for their opening game of the season, and has been bought as a back-up who will provide Luke Shaw with competition for the left-back position.

It means there is currently a sinking feeling amongst many United fans that the expected rebuild is not happening at the pace they think is needed, and this could prove to be yet another disappointing summer.

The harsh truth is since the end of last season United have actually become significantly weaker with the departures of five first team players, who were all out of contract: Edinson Cavani, Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata.

There was no great angst from United fans at seeing any of these players leave, and the club themselves want a leaner squad for next season, but so far none of them have been replaced.

And while United have got demonstrably weaker, their biggest rivals have got stronger; Manchester City have signed three players, Erling Haaland, Julian Alvarez, and Kalvin Phillips, and Liverpool beat United to the signing of Darwin Nunez from Benfica.

United’s rivals for a top four position this season have also been quicker in the transfer market; Arsenal have signed Fabio Vieira and Gabriel Jesus; Tottenham have brought in Richarlison, Yves Bissouma and Ivan Perisic, and Chelsea are on the brink of adding Raheem Sterling to their already talented squad.

To compound the problem United have also had to deal with the unexpected problem of Cristiano Ronaldo, who has stated his desire to leave Old Trafford.

United had planned for next season with Ronaldo, who scored 24 goals in all competitions last season, and so if the Portuguese legend does manage to force a move they will need to find someone to replace him at relatively short notice.

While United have given the impression they have been standing still, there has been a great deal of activity behind the scenes as the club work hard to bring in new signings.

The best players have always been the hardest to sign, and these deals are complicated by having to negotiate with clubs who know United are desperate this summer, and want to extract as much money as possible from them.

United are determined to pursue a more sensible approach in the transfer market that does not allow selling clubs to take advantage of them.

United remain confident they will soon be able to announce the arrival of Christian Eriksen, who has verbally agreed to join, but still needs to have a stringent medical.

The fact Eriksen was a free agent this summer should have made this a relatively simple process, but the length of time it took him to decide whether to join United or resign with Brentford was a reminder to United about where they are in the transfer market now.

United are also currently working on deals to bring in Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona, and Lisandro Martinez and Antony from Ten Hag’s former club Ajax.

The opening day of the season is less than four weeks away, and the intention from United remains to provide Ten Hag with at least some of his requested players by then, but the pursuit of others could go on until the window closes on September 1.

In the summer of 2013, David Moyes never recovered from United’s failure in the transfer window, which saw him only provided with an overpriced Marouane Fellaini on deadline day. This sapped Moyes of any momentum and he didn’t last a full season.

United need to avoid making the same mistake again, and in the coming weeks begin to start properly strengthening Ten Hag’s squad for the new season.