Manchester United have not had to rip up their summer transfer plans but, after a couple of setbacks, it has required more than a few tweaks. From Elliot Anderson (moved to Manchester City for £116 million) to Mateus Fernandes (joined Tottenham for £85 million) to Éderson (£35 million deal to sign him from Atalanta fell through), obstacles have been thrown up at almost every turn.
United CEO Omar Berrada said before the window that the club would need to be "flexible." It's turned out to be almost prophetic. Plans have changed, and rather than Anderson and Fernandes, the midfield rebuild has centered around new arrivals Andrey Santos (£48 million from Chelsea) and Youri Tielemans (£35 million from Aston Villa).
Sources close to United insist Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox have tried to show an element of calm amid the frantic dash for players. Too often the club have been guilty of panicking when things haven't gone their way. But this time, according to sources, Berrada and Wilcox have placed just as much importance on avoiding mistakes as they have on making the right signings.
United figured out early on this year that England star Anderson -- their initial top midfield target -- would probably be out of reach given Manchester City's interest and Nottingham Forest's insistence on getting an initial fee close to £120 million.
There was a lesson in January with Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo that even if United matched City's bid, salary expectations might be a problem. United thought they were among the frontrunners for Semenyo, particularly after positive conversations with his representatives, but the mood of the discussions changed once Semenyo had his first meeting with City. Wage demands increased to the point where United had to back away.
United were expecting Liverpool to be the strongest competitor for Semenyo's signature, but the framework of the deal changed markedly once City got involved and he eventually moved to the Etihad for £64 million. United didn't want to go down the same road with Anderson and cooled their interest early on.
Fernandes going to Tottenham has been another unexpected twist. Before the window opened, United budgeted between £80 million-£90 million to sign a midfielder and could have matched Spurs' offer. But sources have told ESPN that, during talks, United never got a clear indication that Old Trafford was Fernandes' preference. It meant that when the time came to decide whether to meet West Ham United's demands, there were doubts about whether Fernandes was fully committed to the move.
For Berrada and Wilcox, it was an attitude at odds with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha last summer. Despite interest from a host of other clubs -- some in the Champions League -- both players made it clear they only wanted to join United.
Sources have told ESPN that the recruitment team believe it was a key reason why Mbeumo and Cunha were able to fit in so quickly. There are staff at the club who still think £73 million-winger Jadon Sancho struggled, in part, because he was never fully sure about swapping Borussia Dortmund for United in 2021.
It was a box Tielemans ticked immediately. Not only has the Belgium midfielder got a vast amount of Premier League experience, he made it clear very quickly that he wants to play for United.
The move for Tielemans came just days after United decided to halt their deal with Atalanta for Éderson. An agreement with the Serie A club worth around £35 million was reached before the World Cup. But that was before medical tests highlighted an issue that meant United felt unable to proceed.
Club sources have not ruled out revisiting the deal later in the summer, but it's off for now.
Despite boosting the transfer budget with revenue by qualifying for this season's Champions League, United are not in a position to waste money. They initially had Fernandes in a category of players they thought could transfer for between £40 million-£50 million this summer -- particularly if West Ham were relegated. That his move cost nearly double that caused worry internally that it could inflate fees across the market. Santos -- at £48 million (plus £2 million in add-ons) from Chelsea -- was viewed as a more financially responsible deal.
Ahead of the summer, there was little expectation that Tottenham would spend a combined £185 million to bring in Fernandes and Newcastle United's Sandro Tonali, another midfielder United looked at ahead of the window. As well as formulating their own transfer plans, United's recruitment team also try to predict what other teams might do. But Tottenham's early spending caught many at the club by surprise.
The hope, initially, was that outgoings -- including Rasmus Højlund (£40 million to Napoli), and potentially Marcus Rashford, Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee and Altay Bayindir -- could raise around £90 million and cover the cost of the main midfield arrival.
But Barcelona chose not to sign Rashford permanently for £25 million, and Ugarte won't move after suffering a serious knee injury playing for Uruguay at the World Cup which could keep him out for the best part of a year.
Budget limitations change constantly throughout the summer -- something that is also having to be managed carefully. Berrada is known to like deals for players who have release clauses because it eliminates what is known at Old Trafford as "the United tax." So Tielemans' release clause of £35 million made him an attractive option.
United, according to sources, have not ruled out making a third midfield signing, particularly in the wake of Ugarte's injury.
There's interest in Bournemouth duo Alex Scott and Tyler Adams, and Fulham's Sander Berge. Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton has also been monitored extensively, as well as Wolves' João Gomes, AS Roma's Manu Koné and Morocco's 18-year-old breakout World Cup star Ayyoub Bouaddi, who plays for Lille.
Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga has also been offered to a number of Premier League clubs and while United made an enquiry for Brighton & Hove Albion's Carlos Baleba last summer, Brighton made it clear the initial fee required would be similar to the £100 million fee that Chelsea paid to bring in Moisés Caicedo in 2023.
Other areas of the United squad also need attention. The club are also in the market for a left-sided player -- either a full back or a winger -- and a second striker. Wales international Karl Darlow, 25, is expected to arrive from Leeds United as an experienced back-up goalkeeper to current No.1 Senne Lammens.
Not only does the overall quality of the starting XI need to be raised to build on last season's third-placed finish, but the depth of the squad also needs to be improved as the stress on the players' bodies will be much greater next season after Champions League qualification.
Still, sources have told ESPN that United are relaxed about their window so far. There has been some frustration from supporter that a marquee midfield signing has not arrived, but United sources have been consistent in their belief that the summer's transfer business should only be judged once the deadline has passed.
There are still six weeks before the start of the new Premier League campaign on Aug. 22, and seven before the market closes on Sept. 1. In a summer of setbacks, United are having to adapt quickly to ensure their recruitment aims are met before the end of the window.
Best-laid plans have changed, but work to improve the squad continues.
