Manchester United are above Liverpool in the Premier League table after nine games and are heading in the right direction.
An impressive move for Bryan Mbeumo in the summer was exactly what Manchester United needed, signing a proven Premier League player ready to rise to the next level.
The transfer was reminiscent of one United famously missed out on to Liverpool, who landed Sadio Mane from Southampton back in 2015.
10 years on, United are acting more sensibly in the transfer market under Ineos than they ever did under Ed Woodward and Richard Arnold.
Meanwhile Liverpool have gone down the old Manchester United route of overpaying for players.
This has been crystallised by United’s latest transfer target, Kevin Filling.
Manchester United target Kevin Filling
Manchester United are on the hunt for the best young players in the world to add to the club’s academy, who could later strengthen the first team.
The latest name is AIK wonderkid Kevin Filling, who has been dubbed the ‘next Alexander Isak’.
United still face a challenge to land Filling, who can’t join until he turns 18, but United are in the mix and can work out a solution where he possibly heads to Nice or Lausanne.
Sky Germany report United are battling Bundesliga clubs to sign Filling, who would cost at least £2 million.
But the very fact United are in the mix demonstrates the shifting strategy that Sir Jim Ratcliffe laid out.
Sign the next superstar
Liverpool splashed out a Premier League record to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle, paying a £125 million fee.
It is a move that has not yet paid off, with disastrous Arne Slot overseeing six defeats over the past seven, piling on the pressure.
Meanwhile Manchester United are targeting a more sustainable approach by comparison.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe was quoted via ESPN in 2024: “I think in a way what I would rather do is try to sign the next Mbappe than spend a fortune trying to buy success.
“It’s not that clever buying Mbappe, anyone can figure that one out. What’s much more challenging is to find the next Mbappe or Bellingham or Roy Keane.”
That is exactly what Manchester United are doing, trying to sign the next Isak, instead of throwing around £100 million plus bids.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/RqzdZpW