Omar Berrada is about to give Manchester United exactly what was lacking under Richard Arnold

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Manchester United have found a new CEO, hiring Omar Berrada away from rivals Manchester City.

Ineos have got their man, surprising the football world by tempting Omar Berrada to leave his equivalent role at Manchester City to join Manchester United.

It is a real statement from United, hiring a CEO to fill the role made vacant following Richard Arnold’s resignation last year.

Arnold was always an odd fit. He worked as head of commercial under Ed Woodward before being promoted into a role he had no experience in. This shouldn’t be how it works at Manchester United.

This time United have gone out and landed one of the best in the business. It’s how it always should have been.

Richard Arnold biggest transfer mistake

One of the areas Manchester United have got it badly wrong in recent seasons is in the transfer market.

Not only signing the wrong players, but often paying too much in transfer fees and in wages.

A clear cut example of this was the deal Arnold negotiated for Antony, agreeing to pay Ajax in excess of £80 million for the winger, way above his market value.

The Athletic reported that just a year earlier, Manchester United had placed a valuation of £25 million on Antony.

Omar Berrada negotiating limits

Manchester City have had more success in the transfer market than Manchester United, helping their subsequent success on the pitch.

While Berrada is just one voice in their brain-trust, and will be at Old Trafford, his view on transfers and player contracts is one with strict limitations.

The Athletic reports a source speaking on Berrada: “Omar (Berrada) knows what’s the best offer we can place at every moment.

“If with what he offers we can’t convince a player to stay here, it is what it is. We’ve done our best.”

This is the kind of thinking Manchester United need to apply with transfer incomings and outgoings.

It’s the failure to apply this correctly, under Ed Woodward, which saw United locked into paying Anthony Martial a highly paid contract.

And likewise the decision to make Jadon Sancho one of the club’s most highly paid players in 2021.

That’s not to say United must be cheap, but there must be a line, with limits, which must be stuck to.

Berrada comments on Harry Maguire

Berrada’s red line on transfers is one Manchester City applied to a Manchester United signing, the 2019 move to sign centre-back Harry Maguire.

City viewed Maguire as too expensive and went on to sign Ruben Dias for £25 million cheaper than the £80 million United spent on the Leicester defender, with Ed Woodward signing off that deal at Old Trafford.

Berrada told The Athletic in 2020: “In terms of Harry Maguire, we have shown very clearly over the last few seasons that we will only go for a transfer if we feel it is the right valuation. So we look at the player’s quality, age, experience, what he can bring to the team, and then decide the correct valuation.”