Manchester United’s summer transfer business is currently at a stalemate.
The Mirror report Ed Woodward has put all deals on hold until the Jadon Sancho situation is resolved, while also refusing so far to meet Dortmund’s asking price.
So what can change the situation? There are a few things. One is a transfer request from Sancho, another is pressure from fans and criticism from the media.
The third, and this could be applied to all potential transfer targets, is misfortune in United’s squad, more specifically, injuries.
The Times reports that there are concerns that the short summer break will lead to a spate of injuries next season for players, amid an intense fixture schedule.
United’s rest time is reduced by Europa League involvement, and even if we begin the season at a delayed date, it just condenses the time frame between fixtures in 2020/21 and reduces recovery time between them.
With the transfer window remaining open until October 5, a month into the season, there is a chance that United may be reactive in the transfer market due to our own injury bad luck as opposed to being proactive.
It has happened before
United’s desire to sign Harry Maguire was obvious throughout last summer, but the club refused to pay up.
Eventually we did meet Leicester’s asking price, but negotiations only appeared to intensify after Eric Bailly sustained a knee injury in pre-season which ruled him out for six months.
Perhaps United would have paid up for Maguire anyway, but the injury to Bailly put extra pressure on Ed Woodward to get the deal done.
Back in January, United appeared shellshocked and without a plan after missing out on Erling Haaland.
They appeared content to stick with the existing options, before a back injury to then top scorer Marcus Rashford sent our recruitment team into a final day panic to find a new striker to ease the pressure on Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood. A final hour loan deal for Odion Ighalo was struck.
Even the deal for Bruno Fernandes was only done because United had to endure six months of inferior and sub-standard play from Jesse Lingard and Andreas Pereira in the attacking midfield role.
United were essentially forced into the move, with our position in the league table plummeting after the 2-0 loss to Burnley.
It’s a shame
It is a shame that United are not being so proactive and aggressive in the transfer market so far, when this feels like a moment we should be capitalising on Champions League qualification.
We hope there will be no injuries in the remainder of this Europa League campaign, and at the start of the next Premier League season.
Nobody wants misfortune to befall the players representing their football club.
But at the same time, circumstances like these might be the only scenarios which end up forcing United’s hand and becoming more determined to find solutions in the transfer market.
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