Over the past decade, the Reds have spent vast swathes of money on new players only for many to be later deemed too expensive. Take for instance; Jadon Sancho at 73m, Antony at 82m and even despite his success last season, the 70m spent on Casemiro. All of these deals were unwise for differing factors.
Frustration only grows among the fanbase when they see their rivals spend similar or even lower amounts than United but still manage to find those diamonds in the rough. Brighton and Hove Albion&aposs business in particular has been infuriating when you consider their relatively modest budget in comparison to the Reds.
It is no surprise then that former scout Marcel Bout has chosen to hit out at United&aposs transfer strategy this week. In an interview with Algemeen Dagblad, Bout raised a crucial concern which has been overlooked previously but could be addressed simply.
He explained: “Manchester United is not only a fantastic club, but also a difficult club. Everything is politically and commercially driven.
“I have been critical (of United) internally. A major annoyance was the long lines (delays) within United to make decisions about interesting players. Other top European clubs now have top players that we had seen early on with the scouting staff.”
For a club of United&aposs size to discover they have missed out on players through dawdling is unacceptable. Fortunately the answer to solving this issue is relatively straightforward and can be implemented by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Clearly there has been a disconnect between the scouting department and those with the hands on the pursestrings, for too long. Thus, there needs to be a streamlined process introduced in the recruitment team which allows targets to be identified quickly and sanctions passed to get deals confirmed.
If this is introduced it should avoid us seeing United spend huge amounts on ageing stars or unproven talents. Currently the Reds are operating behind the market instead of ahead of it.
This should not be rocket science but clearly this tentative approach to spending on the future is seeing United slip down the global pecking order. Ratcliffe can and must arrest this situation quickly.
