Omar Berrada clearly has a major part to play in Manchester United’s transfer strategy.
When the Red Devils walked away from a deal to bring Jarrad Branthwaite to Old Trafford – shifting their focus to Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro – the 13-time Premier League giants had already seen two bids rejected for the man who started the summer as their number one centre-back target.
Everton refused to budge on their £75 million asking price.
And Manchester United – determined to bring an end to the era of overpaying – quickly turned their back on Branthwaite after failing to with a second bid worth up to £50 million.
According to the Manchester Evening News, Berrada was central to that decision. United’s new CEO was renowned, down the road at Man City, as the man who would frequently bring an end to long-running transfer sagas if he felt the prices involved were just too high.
Berrada, for example, pulled City out of the running for Harry Maguire before United concluded a world-record £80 million deal back in 2019.
Omar Berrada playing big role in Manchester United transfers
That willingness to say ‘no’, meanwhile, is not the only market strategy Berrada brings with him from the Etihad to Old Trafford.
Man City would seldom invest massive fees in one player, instead opting to dot mid-range additions throughout their squad. The likes of Jack Grealish and Josko Gvardiol are very much the exceptions rather than the rule, with most of Pep Guardiola’s players joining in the range of £40 to £60 million.
With Leny Yoro the most expensive of Man United’s five Ineos-era signings at £52 million, Man United may also be looking to bring an end to the days of mega-money arrivals.
Reporter Ben Jacobs, speaking to Give Me Sport, believes that the Red Devils are unlikely to make a move for Crystal Palace talisman Ebere Eze for exactly that reason.
“Right now, I’m told that Manchester United will be looking at more economical options,” Jacobs explains.
“So I think, at this stage, it would be wrong to paint Manchester United as a concrete suitor for Eberechi Eze, because of the fact that the valuation is very high and the fact that Manchester United’s finances are very tight.”
Ebere Eze unlikely to join from Crystal Palace
The Standard reports that Crystal Palace want £70 million for the silky England international.
The approach at Old Trafford these days, however, appears to focus less on signing single players for top-level fees and instead spreading their budget around in an attempt to strengthen the squad as a whole.
If United had caved to Everton’s demands for Branthwaite, for instance, it is unlikely that Ten Hag would have been able to land another central defender. Rather than paying £75 million for one, United invested £90 million in two; De Ligt and Yoro arriving only a few weeks apart.
“As I embark on my new role as chief executive officer of this historic club, we are all extremely focused on working collectively to create a bright future, with football success at the heart of it,” Berrada told the official Man United website a few days ago.
“We are working towards greater financial sustainability and making changes to our operations to make them more efficient, to ensure we are directing our resources to enhancing on-pitch performance.
“Ultimately, the strength of Manchester United is driven by the passion and loyalty of our supporters. Our clear objective is to return the club to the top of European football.
“Everyone at the club is aligned on a clear strategy to deliver sustained success, both on and off the pitch, for the ultimate benefit of our fans, shareholders and hugely diverse range of stakeholders.”
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/pI2P8cr