Manchester United have yet to make any moves to strengthen the team since the transfer window opened at the beginning of January.
With Manchester United sitting seventh in the Premier League, it remains to be seen if any new signings will arrive after it became clear that the club would miss out on Antoine Semenyo.
The Bournemouth talisman is on the verge of joining Man City, even though Semenyo’s advisors are concerned about snubbing United.
It may be more difficult for United to attract targets this month following Ruben Amorim’s dismissal on Monday, as it will be difficult to convince top targets to join without knowing who will be in charge of the team in the summer.
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Amorim had targets he wanted at United, but Ineos were no longer prepared to spend any more money on players to suit his preferred system, when the board believed that Amorim’s tactical approach needed to change.
This created friction between Amorim and club chiefs, with a public outburst from the former United head coach leading to Ineos making a big decision to part ways with the 40-year-old.
Man Utd’s main reason for not signing new players in January
United fans will understand Amorim’s desire to sign new players because the team requires strengthening in multiple areas.
The priority department in 2026 will be United’s midfield, with Casemiro facing an uncertain future at Old Trafford, but most of the targets for that position won’t be available midway through the season.
That includes Nottingham Forest ace Elliot Anderson and Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, who have both overtaken Kobbie Mainoo for places in the England squad after recent call-ups.
Sky Sports reporter Rob Dorsett now explains why United won’t be signing any players in January. There is an internal belief that targets will cost £20m more than what they will be worth in the summer.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe would rather wait to get players at a lower price.
“The people that I’ve been speaking to said Manchester United I’d expect the price tag of those players to be £20 million higher if you try and sign them in January than you do in the summer,” Dorsett said.
“And they won’t do that under Jim Ratcliffe.
“They’ve just been, you know, cutting costs in terms of the free lunches that the staff get in terms of ticket concessions.
“Really, their entire business plan is to crack down on wastage.
“So they’re not going to waste £20 million getting a player in January that they can get for £20 million cheaper in the summer. They’re just categorically not going to do it.”
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The only reason why United considered a January swoop for Semenyo was due to the release clause in his Bournemouth contract.
United signed two players last January when Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu arrived as Amorim’s first signings on deadline day.
Man Utd seeking value in the market
In previous years, United’s recruitment team has been subjected to lots of criticism.
They haven’t always got value in the market but Ineos have attempted to change the club’s strategy when signing players.
There is more emphasis on signing younger players with value to grow in the market. That is why they spent big on Leny Yoro during their first summer transfer window in control of football operations.
It looks like United are looking to avoid wasting money that could be put towards signing more players in the summer when they will know who will be the head coach for the 2026/27 campaign.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/wpjhBJX