**Manchester United’s transfer window was a picture of calmness, perhaps a bit too much, so here are the regrets and masterstrokes from it. **
A window that started with a rejection from Elliot Anderson and a gazump of Mateus Fernandes by Spurs has ended fairly well.
Smart signings like Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans were joined by an audacious deal for Carlos Baleba, while youth ranks were also strengthened.
Here are the regrets and masterstrokes from a window where Man Utd stayed sane in a crazy market.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
United wanted to sign both Anderson and Fernandes, but as it stands, they were saved from themselves on both players.
Anderson, for the asking price of £116m, was always a dicey prospect, and despite City’s strong start to the season, looks like a limited player for that fee.
Fernandes, on the other hand, has been better individually, but if you’re a part of a losing team for the third year in a row, as Spurs have, then questions need to be asked.
Both players chose to sign blank cheques instead of arriving at Old Trafford, and that’s the mentality best kept away from United now.
If pulling out of the Anderson and Fernandes deals was a masterstroke, allowing Chelsea a free run at Danny Welbeck was madness.
United looked for an experienced striker to take some load off Sesko, and a homegrown model professional in great form was allowed to join their rivals.
Welbeck would have brought the calm confidence needed in the dressing room, and Michael Carrick would have loved his efforts on the pitch as well.
It was a no-brainer opportunity missed by United, and they end the window without getting that experienced striker through the door.
It took many years, but United finally realised the value of adding buy-back and hefty sell-on clauses for youngsters leaving the club.
From Radek Vitek to Toby Collyer, United inserted 40-50% sell-on clauses and maintained control over their futures despite letting them go.
The selling price shows there’s still a lot of work to be done on that front, but United are at least getting half the job done with clauses.
The midfield was a clear area of concern coming into the window, and that was sorted, but it’s clear that United overestimated how good Luke Shaw is.
The left-back as a priority kept getting shifted to the back, and by the time they realised they needed a proper one, it was too late.
Lewis Hall was the chief target, but Newcastle had already sold many marquee players, making him untouchable.
United will probably try for Hall again next summer, but they’ve left themselves short by waiting too long, and risk never signing one of the best in the league.
United’s approach on Hall is probably emboldened with what happened to Carlos Baleba.
The waiting game over the last two years culminated in a discounted fee for Baleba, who signed for United for an initial £65m.
United were quoted more than £115m for him this time last year, so if Baleba rediscovers his previous form, then they’ve got the best deal of the window.
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Marcus Rashford has renewed his Man Utd career with positive steps, but nobody is getting fooled into thinking that this was the club’s intention all along.
Rashford’s huge wages are a blot on the books, and Ineos wanted to shift him, expecting Barcelona to exercise their buy option.
Add Manuel Ugarte’s injury to the mix, and United regret not freeing half-a-million from the wage books, and getting at least £45m in transfer fees.
Ultimately, that could be the difference between another elite player arriving this summer.
The senior team might have a few holes left, but Ineos continued their youth movement this summer with the signing of Tynan Thompson.
The winger arrived from Spurs in a deal much like Ayden Heaven, and it would be a surprise if he doesn’t debut for Man Utd this season.
Thompson has started well for the U21s, and if this move is a success as well, United will be well-positioned to acquire more youngsters with the promise of a pathway.
Ineos showed last summer that they are not afraid of spending money for the right players, but their search for that player narrowed immensely this time.
From setting the British transfer record for Paul Pogba, United end the window as the only traditional “top-six” club not to spend £100m on a single player.
The rest of the Premier League zigged when United zagged, and it has left Man Utd fans with a feeling of being left out in the race for ambition.
United might still come out smiling at the end of the season, but the club’s record transfer still happening back in 2016 doesn’t bode well for their ambition.
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