Ed Woodward, as usual, is looking to sign a big name player for big money. Never mind that his dithering means it will probably require the whole of the transfer window to make that one signing! In his eyes it will improve the team and that’s all that matters.
After all look at how his other big money signings have markedly upped United’s stature as a club.
There was Angel Di Maria who, despite wanting to go to PSG, was sweet talked by silver-tongued Ed into joining Manchester United and this despite the nearest tower being 70 miles away in Blackpool! This little arrangement didn’t last too long as Angel soon became disillusioned, firstly with Louis van Gaal and then with some burglars who didn’t even have the decency to wait until he was out of the house to try and rob him.
He belatedly got his wish to join PSG and prove what this publication always said, that he should never have been signed in the first place and only used United as a stepping stone until PSG could afford to buy him.
Another big name, big money signing which Ed has to take credit for is Paul Pogba. We are reliably informed that he is a world class midfielder but are yet to see any actual proof of this on the pitch. This was another of Ed’s sneaky deals because Pogba was actually a United player but Sir Alex Ferguson wouldn’t guarantee him first team football so he ran his contract down and went to Juventus for free. Good move Ed! When it was finally decided that, actually, he was quite good at football, it cost United around £89 million to get him back!
A world record defender!
The signing of Harry Maguire was also an “Ed special” because he managed to break the world record for a defender who he could have bought for peanuts from Sheffield United or Hull if the club had any decent scouts. But that’s not Ed’s way. No he preferred to spend around £80 million to get his man.
Now it’s Jadon Sancho of Borussia Dortmund on the radar. The transfer window has opened, for United at least, in the usual way in that they are haggling over a player. They will, no doubt, haggle for the next 3 months and then pay Dortmund exactly what they were asking to begin with.
Many pundits are of the opinion that, when Manchester United express interest in a player, the price goes up because, well, it’s United. We prefer to think the price goes up because it’s Ed at the wheel, still with the green ‘L’ plates on and still looking smug as a bug in a rug.
The thing is that if you take the word “smug”, which does actually suit Ed to a tee, and rearrange the letters you come up with “mugs” which is exactly how other teams now view United in the transfer market.
Borussia Dortmund want €120 million for Sancho. We are currently experiencing a virus pandemic which has cost football clubs millions in lost revenue. Manchester United are the only club showing any interest in Sancho, so Dortmund cannot even rely on a Dutch auction as there are no other interested parties, yet they are holding out for the full fee.
They will probably get it. It may be structured over a period of time and it is very unlikely that more than €60 million will be paid up front, but they will probably get it. As we said, for SMUG read MUGS!
And finally…..
Manchester City and Chelsea, who both have Directors of Football, have already signed players which leaves United, as usual, trailing in their wake.
WHY SAY ANYTHING? 