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Manchester United's £62.5m signing of striker Matheus Cunha from Wolves has attracted particular attention. |
In the past, Sir Alex Ferguson and former chief executive David Gill always prioritised recruiting players with Premier League experience to Old Trafford whenever possible. However, after both left the club in May 2013, this policy was largely forgotten.
In the past 11 years, excluding loan deals, free transfers for senior players or reserve goalkeepers, Manchester United have only spent money on 10 players from Premier League teams: Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata, Luke Shaw, Morgan Schneiderlin, Romelu Lukaku, Nemanja Matic, Alexis Sánchez, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire and most recently Mason Mount.
The return of policy
Statistics from Transfermarkt show that since the summer of 2020, only 8% of Manchester United's total transfer spending of 778 million pounds has been on Premier League players - the lowest level among the top 6 teams in the league.
In contrast, Arsenal spent 54%, Tottenham 43%, Chelsea 36%, Manchester City 31%, and Liverpool 18% - double the amount the Red Devils spent on players from the Premier League. Buying from Premier League rivals is often expensive and complicated, but Manchester United's past success has relied heavily on it.
However, when they started buying players from abroad, the red half of Manchester was not successful. They spent lavishly on over-age stars like Casemiro, Raphaël Varane, Bastian Schweinsteiger; players from weaker leagues who were not suited to the Premier League like Antony, Donny van de Beek, Memphis Depay (from the Dutch league).
The Red Devils also wasted money on young talents from leagues with lower competition than the Premier League, such as Anthony Martial, Jadon Sancho, and Rasmus Hojlund. Although buying players from the Premier League does not guarantee success - typical cases include Harry Maguire (overpriced), Wan-Bissaka (inappropriate price), or wrong choices such as Fellaini, Schneiderlin, and Sanchez, the risks in these deals are lower.
United can also recoup capital from Premier League deals. Man United hope Cunha, and possibly Mbeumo, will mark a turning point in the club's transfer business in the Premier League.
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Mbeumo is MU's next target. |
Risk Reduction
After successfully recruiting Cunha from Wolves for £62.5m, Manchester United director of football, Jason Wilcox, said: "Cunha has demonstrated his ability and ability to succeed in the Premier League."
It is a clear sign of a strategic shift in Manchester United's approach to the transfer market under the leadership of Wilcox, along with director of recruitment Christopher Vivell and CEO Omar Berrada.
This is also almost the first summer transfer window that the board appointed by Ineos has planned systematically and had time to prepare. Previously, former sporting directors Dan Ashworth, Berrada and Vivell only officially took office last July, when the 2024 summer transfer window had already begun.
This contributed significantly to MU's ineffectiveness in the summer transfer window of 2024, leading to the team's worst season in more than half a century. With more time to prepare for this summer, Manchester United are determined to start strong, and recruiting Cunha is the first step.
The Red Devils hope the deal will pave the way for another Premier League goalscorer and creative forward - Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo, who is valued at at least £60m.
Obviously, the effectiveness of Cunha and possibly Mbeumo at Old Trafford remains a question mark, because every deal comes with risks, especially at a club where pressure and expectations are always high. However, the ability of MU's new recruits to adapt to the Premier League has been reduced.
Last season, Cunha and Mbeumo contributed 48 goals or assists in this tournament. In addition to the above names, Tyler Dibling (Southampton), James McAtee (Manchester City), and Viktor Gyokeres (experienced from Brighton, Swansea, Coventry) are also in the sights due to their experience in England.
This shows that Manchester United are focusing on reducing risk and optimizing efficiency by prioritizing bringing in new players who understand the Premier League well.
Source: https://znews.vn/mu-hoc-lai-cach-mua-sam-post1560473.html
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