How Manchester United Fared During The 2021 Summer Transfer Window?

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Welcome to September everyone, the transfer window is now officially closed! What English clubs have done, they have done and the summer full of wheeling and dealing is now behind us. Manchester United were one of those active clubs until the very end of the transfer window and at the start of new month, we will be taking a closer look at what Man United have achieved this summer. Tuesday’s deadline day has seen plenty of moves around Europe and England as well, but Man United did not bring in any new players, as it was expected.

Manchester United brought in four new players, some of them returned from last season’s loans and only one player was sold for a transfer fee. So here is the look at everything the club managed to do this summer.

New Signings Should Massively Improve The Team

When you look at the players Manchester United brought in, this team should be much better than last season. Raphael Varane, the four-time Champions League winner and current World Cup winner, joined from Real Madrid for around 40 million euros, to partner up with Harry Maguire. Already on Sunday we had the chance to see how well that partnership could work and the 28-year-old centre-back should still have several years of top football ahead of him to be a standout player for the Devils.

Jadon Sancho arrived in a deal worth 85 million euros from Borussia Dortmund, a year later since the talks between the clubs actually first started. Sancho will be expected to massively improve one of United’s perennial problems, i.e. the right wing, where he will get the freedom to do what he does best. Also, at 21, Sancho could be United’s star for the next decade.

Tom Heaton joined on a free transfer after leaving Aston Villa to become the third goalkeeper and improve squad’s quota for domestic players and that is the only role that should be expected of him. But then right before the end of the transfer window came Cristiano Ronaldo! Man United legend and the Champions League winner in 2008 returns to the club after 12 years, now as a 36-year-old and well past his peak, but eager to prove his critics wrong and have his ‘last dance’ in the Premier Leagu, the competition he won on three occasions. His deal is initially worth 15 million euros, but he will also be the highest paid player in the league. The only thing missing in this window is a new central midfielder which would improve the spine of the team…

Departures Show United’s Problem

Man United were in need of cash to improve their options for signing new players this summer, but also for their growing debt in the post-COVID era. And they had quite a few players they could have done with selling, but the clubs around Europe were not willing the pay. And that is the problem with United’s squad – when in need of raising cash, there are no players fringe players which could really attract much interest. Daniel James is this summer’s expection as he left for Leeds in a deal worth around 28 million euros, but Andreas Pereira had to go to another loan (Flamengo), as well as the younger players United still do not want to sell – Tahith Chong, Facundo Pellistri, Axel Tuanzebe, Brandon Williams… Also, goalkeepers Joel Pereira and Sergio Romero after their contracts ran out.

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