MU is learning how to buy players again.

Manchester United's signing of striker Matheus Cunha from Wolves for £62.5 million has attracted considerable attention.

In the past, Sir Alex Ferguson and former CEO David Gill always prioritized 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.

Over the past 11 years, excluding loan deals, free transfers for older 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 £778 million transfer spending has been on Premier League players – the lowest among the top six teams in the league.

Conversely, Arsenal spend 54%, Tottenham 43%, Chelsea 36%, Manchester City 31%, and Liverpool 18% – double the amount spent by the "Red Devils" – on buying players from the Premier League. Buying from Premier League rivals is often not cheap and is complicated, but Manchester United's past success has relied heavily on this.

However, when they started buying players from abroad, Manchester United were also unsuccessful. They spent lavishly on aging stars like Casemiro, Raphaël Varane, and Bastian Schweinsteiger; and players from weaker leagues who were not suited to the Premier League, such as Antony, Donny van de Beek, and Memphis Depay (from the Dutch league).

Manchester United also wasted money on young talents from less competitive leagues than the Premier League, such as Anthony Martial, Jadon Sancho, and Rasmus Hojlund. While buying players from the Premier League doesn't guarantee success – as exemplified by cases like Harry Maguire (too expensive), Wan-Bissaka (unreasonable price), or poor choices like Fellaini, Schneiderlin, and Sanchez – the risk involved in these deals is lower.

MU could also recoup their investment from Premier League signings. Manchester United hopes that Cunha, and possibly Mbeumo in the near future, will mark a turning point in the club's transfer activity in the Premier League.

Mbeumo is MU's next target.

Minimize risks

Following the successful signing of Cunha from Wolves for £62.5 million, Manchester United's Director of Football, Jason Wilcox, stated: "Cunha has proven his ability and potential to succeed in the Premier League."

This is a clear indication of a strategic shift in Manchester United's approach to the transfer market under Wilcox, along with Director of Recruitment Christopher Vivell and CEO Omar Berrada.

This is also almost the first summer transfer window in which the management 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 ineffective 2024 summer transfer window, leading to the team's worst season in over half a century. With more time to prepare this summer, Manchester United are determined to start strong, and signing Cunha is the first step.

Manchester United hope this deal will pave the way for the signing of another goalscorer and creative forward from the Premier League – Bryan Mbeumo of Brentford, who is valued at least £60 million.

Obviously, the effectiveness of Cunha and possibly Mbeumo at Old Trafford remains questionable, as every transfer comes with risks, especially at a club where pressure and expectations are always high. However, the chances of these new Manchester United signings adapting to the Premier League have been reduced.

Last season, Cunha and Mbeumo each contributed 48 goals or assists in this league. Besides the names mentioned above, Tyler Dibling (Southampton), James McAtee (Manchester City), and Viktor Gyokeres (with experience from Brighton, Swansea, and Coventry) are also on the radar due to their experience in England.

This shows that Manchester United is focused on reducing risk and maximizing efficiency by prioritizing bringing in new players who are familiar with the Premier League.

Source: https://znews.vn/mu-hoc-lai-cach-mua-sam-post1560473.html