Man Utd set the standard with Paul Pogba which has been torn through by each Premier League rival

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Manchester United have made a hard pivot in their transfer strategy under Ineos, but have they turned too much to the other extreme?

If the Glazers’ regime was a poor imitation of the “Galacticos” era of Real Madrid, then Ineos are the masters of financial discipline.

Going too much in either direction is troubling, as the Glazers plunged the club into massive debt, and Ineos are staring at a new world order in the transfer market.

Man Utd’s Paul Pogba standard is the perfect example of that order, as United have gone from standard-setters to those who are struggling to match them now.

Man Utd set the standard with Paul Pogba

Ed Woodward’s time at Old Trafford is something Man Utd fans will never wish to return to, but it did give the club a memorable window.

The world record was broken by Man Utd for Paul Pogba in 2016 as the club that had battened down its hatches for years finally broke free.

At the time, breaking the world record felt like the usual modus operandi for Real Madrid or Barcelona, and PSG were starting to emerge.

For United to do that during a season where they didn’t even have Champions League football was immense, and a new standard was set.

United were going to be shopping among the elites, with or without European football, and they were coming back for their status at the top of the food chain.

Of course, the move for Pogba didn’t work out, and he remains United’s record signing to this day.

While United have stood still, the rest of the footballing world has moved so far ahead that the club have gone from standard-setters to tail-chasers.

Man Utd yet to breach the £100m mark

There was 2016, and there is 2026, and the world has left Man Utd behind in the transfer market.

There have still been marquee signings, but at the time of writing, Man Utd are the only club among the traditional “top-six” not to spend £100m on a single player.

They had the chance to do so on Declan Rice, but baulked at it, and already this summer, their transfer targets – Sandro Tonali and Elliot Anderson – have moved for that fee.

Both of Chelsea’s starting midfielders cost north of £100m, while United bought the player who was benched by those two.

There is no guarantee that a big fee represents a better player. In fact, in United’s case, the opposite might be true.

However, it still says a lot that United are being left behind in the market by failing to do what has become usual for their rivals.

How many gems can they continue to discover without loosening their pockets for genuine star quality?