Manchester United’s transfer window might well be defined by one swoop they look to be going all-in on.
Having struck out on Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes, the latter of which was a surprise, Man Utd are in a unique position.
The insistence on not overpaying is appreciable, but the players won’t come out of thin air either, which leads to their most ambitious deal of the summer.
If all of these snubs lead to United saving money for that deal, then the all-in gamble will pay off spectacularly.
Mateus Fernandes is set to join Tottenham for £85m: What is your INSTANT REACTION?
WHO do you want Man Utd to sign instead?
Man Utd saving money for Aurelien Tchouameni
Man Utd are operating in the window with a clear parameter, where they set a value for what they think a target is worth.
If that matches with the selling club’s idea of the fee, then the deal goes ahead, and that, too, only if the player wants to join Old Trafford.
The desire to join is where Elliot Anderson’s deal collapsed, and the fee/wage parameters are where Fernandes hit a snag.
According to Rio Ferdinand, all of this is leading up to a strong chase for French superstar Aurelien Tchouameni.
He said: “I think Man Utd are holding their money back for Tchouameni. If he becomes available in this market, Man Utd are not going to miss. They can’t afford to miss with that one.”
Ineos will break the bank for the right player
So far, Tchouameni’s availability isn’t entirely clear, as Real Madrid will listen to offers for him, but Man Utd are wary of the finances involved.
How much should Man Utd pay to sign Aurelien Tchouameni? What would you consider a fair fee?
Do you think he would be the right fit for Man Utd?
However, having seen the insanity of the English market, even a £100m deal for Tchouameni looks like a bargain, considering his pedigree and reputation.
Ineos have shown that they might plead poverty in public, but they will break the bank for the right player, as seen last summer with Benjamin Sesko.
They went above and beyond their budget when the opportunity to sign him arose, and they did the same with Leny Yoro in their first summer.
If Tchouameni shows an inkling of being open to leaving Spain this summer, Man Utd fans can rest easy knowing that “we don’t want to pay” won’t be a reason for him not signing.
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