Manchester United Transfers: Bargain Hunting or Just Missing Out? | OneFootball

Manchester United’s summer spending spree isn’t exactly going to plan. While two, perhaps even three, new midfielders sit at the top of the club’s shopping list, the Red Devils are yet to actually head to the till.

Worryingly, the shelves are starting to look a little bare. Two of their primary targets, Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, have already opted to join Premier League rivals, leaving United playing catch-up.

There are a few midfielders, Ederson and Andrey Santos, already in the shopping basket, but the club is yet to clear the checkout with their desired purchases. 

With rumours circulating that even one of those deals could stall, where do United currently stand in the market, and what remains in the bargain bucket?

The Ones That Got Away: The Anderson and Fernandes Sagas

England midfielder Elliot Anderson was United’s priority this summer as they looked to bolster a threadbare engine room following Casemiro’s departure. Unfortunately, the highly-rated 23-year-old was also at the top of the list for almost every club seeking an all-action midfielder.

Given United’s financial constraints and the need to fix multiple weak spots in the squad, the hierarchy was never likely to splurge their entire budget on a single player. 

In the end, Manchester City blew the competition away, handing Nottingham Forest a British record $155.5m fee—eclipsing the $154m Real Madrid paid for Jude Bellingham—to secure Anderson on a reported $400,000-per-week contract.

While missing out on Anderson was somewhat expected, losing out on Mateus Fernandes was not. United worked hard to bring the 21-year-old Portuguese international in from West Ham, but he opted for Tottenham instead. Yes. He chose Spurs over Old Trafford.

A Question of Mentality and Wages

Perhaps Fernandes, who has suffered relegation with both Southampton and West Ham, felt more comfortable joining a side that has hovered near the drop zone in recent seasons. Joking aside, his snub set alarm bells ringing. Why would a player turn down Champions League football for a potential relegation battle?

The obvious answer is money. Spurs paid a club-record $114m and handed Fernandes a reported $234,500-per-week wage. Manchester United were unwilling to match either. 

The fee for a player from a relegated side seems steep, and the salary for an unproven talent is even riskier.

By refusing to match these terms, United avoided undermining their recent efforts to slash an inflated wage bill. Under the Glazers, the club became notorious for overpaying players and then finding them impossible to shift—as is currently the case with Marcus Rashford. 

One could also argue that a player who chooses a Spurs payday over the prestige of Champions League nights at Old Trafford and a possible title tilt doesn’t possess the mentality manager Michael Carrick demands.

The Ederson Wait: A Spanner in the Works

Despite the refusal to be held to ransom, United will eventually have to take the plunge and actually sign someone. Which brings us to Atalanta’s Brazilian midfielder, Ederson.

The Red Devils moved quickly to agree personal terms and a fee of $45.5 million plus add-ons when the transfer window and hoped for a swift conclusion, but a late call-up to the Brazil squad for the World Cup in North America put a spanner in the works.

United are insisting on a full medical at Old Trafford before finalizing the paperwork and that is the current stumbling block. Despite the delay, Ederson is still widely expected to become one of the club’s first major acquisitions of the summer.

I say ‘major’, but the Ederson deal came a bit from left field, and it isn’t quite the headline-grabbing signing the fans are craving.

Andrey Santos: Scouting for Future Stars

United have also agreed a $67m deal for Chelsea’s Andrey Santos, pending a medical.

Again, the reaction has been one of being underwhelmed. Fans remain focused on star names like Real Madrid’s France international Aurélien Tchouaméni, who has been linked with a move to Old Trafford all summer.

Santos, 22, isn’t even the star name at Stamford Bridge.

However,  the young Brazilian can bring an energy that was desperately lacking in midfield last season. Crucially, he already knows the Premier League—a trait that served the club well with the signings of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo last year.

A New Strategy: Cutting Out the Middleman

United appear to be shifting their strategy: shopping for future stars rather than the “big names” who have repeatedly failed at Old Trafford: think Alexis Sanchez, Angel Di Maria, and Bastian Schweinsteiger.

Rather than waiting for clubs such as Brighton to develop players such as Moisés Caicedo or Carlos Baleba and then demanding $134m, the hierarchy is trying to cut out the premium and identify that talent early. 

Had Andrey Santos signed for another club and succeeded, his price tag would have doubled almost instantly and United would then have to break the bank to sign him.

It is undoubtedly a gamble.

Having finished third last season, are Santos and Ederson the calibre of players to help the club take the next step? Supporters will be desperately hoping for at least one more headline-grabbing arrival before the window shuts.