Manchester United need to be more forward-thinking in the transfer market. City are one step ahead.
Two years ago Ralf Rangnick lamented Manchester United’s refusal to try and sign Julian Alvarez at his request. The young River Plate wonderkid signed for City, and the Red Devils already regret this failure.
Alvarez is now a World Cup winner, and has swept the table in club trophies for City too, making an immediate impact.
Heading into 2024, it appears little has changed, although Ineos‘ arrival at the club may herald a brighter future.
City strike early to sign Echeverri
City have returned to River Plate to strike an agreement to sign 17-year-old wonderkid Claudio Echeverri.
The Guardian report City will pay £20 million and loan him back to River until he turns 18. City showed the same patience with Alvarez, loaning him back, even though he was a little older.
It is a smart move from City, who frustratingly seem to be making a habit of it. Echeverri is a midfielder who starred for Argentina at the recent under-17 World Cup, with a hat-trick against Brazil.
According to 90Min, Echeverri was a player Manchester United’s scouts were aware of. But that was as far as it went.
As usual, United were either non-committal or simply too slow, and City have acted shrewdly to agree a deal, for a player who they hope will prove a worthwhile investment.
Manchester United playing catch-up
As long as Manchester United are playing catch-up off the pitch, the team will continue to struggle to keep pace on the pitch.
The past decade has been littered with missed opportunities in the transfer market, and incoming new investors Ineos need to ensure the decisions made are a lot smarter.
City’s deal for Echeverri is the type of move United need to wise up to, but these deals need to be done properly, with a vision to integrate them into the team.
You need only look at Chelsea’s scattergun approach to recognise that simply buying talent is not the answer. A joined-up structure from top to bottom is needed, from CEO to manager, which City appear to have got right.
This time, United were too slow to sign Echeverri. But next time a top young talent hits the market, hopefully we will be more proactive.
It’s no use relying on loan deals for veterans, or paying five times the price for players once they have proven themselves elsewhere.
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