Why Manchester United didn't sign a left-back in the transfer window. Rob Dawson explains the recruitment strategy of Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox.

Manchester United spent the entire summer trying to avoid repeating past mistakes while making improvements for the future.

Transfer market errors have shaped much of the club's strategy in this window. The main objective is to strengthen the squad without making the same mistakes that have previously hampered the team.

Some fans might argue that Manchester United's reluctance to spend big this summer, while Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur all spent £100 million or more on a single player, shows a lack of ambition. CEO Omar Berrada and Football Director Jason Wilcox, however, would argue that caution is necessary given what has happened before.

Why? Because Manchester United finds it harder than most clubs to recover from the consequences of transfer mistakes.

Ugarte is one example. The Uruguayan midfielder joined Old Trafford in 2024 for a transfer fee exceeding £50 million. After two disappointing seasons, he was reported to be available for transfer in this window. The club knew they would need an offer of around £20 million to balance the books, but given his recent performances and wage demands, that was unrealistic.

The best they could hope for was finding a club willing to cover Ugarte's wages and take him on loan. Ultimately, a serious knee injury at the World Cup completely scuttled the move. Manchester United will receive compensation for Ugarte's wages through FIFA's Club Protection Program, which applies when players are injured on international duty.

However, the injury merely delayed the problem. Ugarte's contract doesn't expire until June 2029, meaning Manchester United still needs to find a solution for him next summer, or even further down the line. This problem could drag on for three more years, exactly the situation Berrada and Wilcox want to avoid.

Rebuilding Midfield

After rebuilding the attack a year ago, Manchester United's priority this summer was strengthening midfield.

Manchester United ultimately signed three players with Premier League experience – Santos, Tielemans, and Baleba – for a combined £155 million. ESPN sources said that in the context of ever-expensive midfielder transfers, these three signings were considered good value and lower risk. For comparison, the transfers of Elliott-Anderson to Manchester City, Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur, and Enzo Fernández to Chelsea totaled £341 million.

Manchester United were interested in Anderson but only up to Nottingham Forest's initial valuation of £70 million. They also monitored Tonali but felt investing a large sum in a player who had just received a lengthy betting ban was too risky.

Budget was also a factor, especially with few players to move on from the squad. Manchester City raised nearly £350 million this summer, while Manchester United's sale revenue remained under £50 million.

Barcelona were expected to trigger their purchase clause on Rashford, with those funds earmarked for Zirkzee. However, Barcelona opted to sign Anthony Gordon to fill that wing spot, and although Manchester United made contact with Fiorentina and Juventus about the Dutch striker, nothing materialized. By the time Everton called on deadline day, it was too late.

The financial reality for the club is that they cannot spend £300 million or £400 million in one window. Manchester United had the funds to match Tottenham Hotspur's £85 million offer for Matheus Fernandes, a midfielder who has long been on Manchester United's target list. However, the club ultimately didn't, partly because Fernandes never expressed a strong preference for Old Trafford during negotiations. Manchester United viewed this as a red flag they couldn't ignore.

Berrada and Wilcox have consistently emphasized that they want to recruit players who explicitly state their desire to play for Manchester United, such as Cunha and Mbeumo. Although they got their targets last summer, this time they had to be more flexible.

After a deal for Atalanta midfielder Ederson fell through due to medical issues, Manchester United accelerated talks with Chelsea for Santos. After missing out on Fernandes, they quickly activated Tielemans's £35 million release clause.

Days after Tielemans arrived, Manchester United also moved quickly for Skelly. But after Arsenal decided to keep him at Emirates, Manchester United turned their attention to Baleba. Brighton's initial valuation of £120 million was eventually negotiated down to £70 million.

Manchester United also faced other obstacles.

Mamadou Sangare was closely monitored by the club, with data analysis showing his Lens statistics last season were similar to Matheus Fernandes's performance at West Ham. However, Manchester United recently observed a trend where agents prefer to send players to mid-table Premier League teams first. This allows players to gain more game time, and in the future, when they move to a bigger top-six club, the transfer fee and wages will be higher.

Caicedo followed this path. He joined Chelsea for £115 million after one full season at Brighton & Hove Albion. Sangare and his team, however, chose to move to Brentford this summer for an estimated £40 million. If he has a good season at Brentford, his value – both transfer fee and wage expectations – will increase significantly by 2027.

No Need to "Win This Window"

ESPN sources said Manchester United's priority next summer is defense.

Berrada and Wilcox are pleased with the recruitment of Cunha, Mbeumo, Sesko, and Leny Yoro. Not making mistakes in this window allows the club to continue their plan to strengthen midfield. Avoiding mistakes this time will also free up funds to recruit center-backs and left-backs before the 2027-28 season.

A common phrase within the club is "building blocks" – gradually improving the squad over time while avoiding having to go back and fix problems that should have been addressed earlier.

ESPN sources said Manchester United acknowledged the team failed to address left-back shortage when the window closed on Tuesday (CEST). They could have signed Raum from RB Leipzig, as the club was told throughout the summer that he was available. However, Manchester United believe signing a 28-year-old for around £30 million and giving him a four-to-five-year contract could disrupt the next phase of their transfer plan.

Lewis Hall is Manchester United's primary target for this position, but Newcastle United refused to negotiate, making any deal impossible until next year. If Hall had been prioritized this summer, the Baleba deal likely wouldn't have been funded.

Manchester United also considered short-term solutions for this gap. In the final week of the window, Ait-Nouri's agent offered him to Manchester United. On deadline day, Manchester City also informed Manchester United that any deal would need to include a mandatory purchase clause. Manchester United withdrew their interest after learning a long-term commitment was necessary to complete the deal.

The club knows this isn't perfect, but their plan isn't just to win one window. The goal is to have a squad that can attract the players they want next summer.

Manchester United hopes this long-term approach will eventually pay off.

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