Manchester United did their summer transfer business early and properly, making for an extremely quiet deadline week. That’s just the way Jose Mourinho likes it, as it gives his additional time for new players to settle in with the squad. Three games into the season, they look like a much stronger unit overall. However, don’t read too much into that when assessing their overall strength, and the summer business they did to get there.
United haven’t faced any strong competition yet in league play, and last year they started 3-0 as well against lesser competition, only to stumble to a sixth place finish.
Man United supporters have every reason to be excited right now, but there’s also an element of “taking the punch bowl away when the party gets too raucous” that’s needed here as well. Excitement needs to be mellowed a bit, like when your enchiladas are too spicy, you need to throw a tiny bit of sour cream on it.
Summer Transfer Window Major Additions: Striker Romelu Lukaku, Holding Midfielder Nemanja Matic and Central Defender Victor Lindelof
Did they overpay for Lukaku? Is “overpayment” even a thing that exists in the INSANE transfer market anymore? Lindelof has has had trouble making it into the team, so we’re really only analyzing two players here, but wow, are they excellent pick-ups.
Matic may end up being the signing of the summer, because of the whole Gestalt he provides both the team and the title race dynamic itself. Mourinho taking his former player from his former club gives him a coach on the pitch, who then makes everyone behind him and in front of him that much better.
Most importantly, he helps Paul Pogba now realize his potential and live up to his transfer fee, which was once world-breaking, but now seems “cute” in this summer’s market. Secondly, the Matic addition weakens Chelsea, the reigning league champions, and that turns the whole title race dynamic on its head. Earlier in the summer United hijacked Chelsea’s Lukaku pursuit. The two sides will play twice on the pitch this season, of course, but in the summer transfer window, United absolutely routed Chelsea.
Manchester United Summer Transfer Window Major Subtractions: Striker Wayne Rooney
Here’s the portion of the article where we would usually poke fun at Rooney, and his decline on the pitch. However, in light of the news today, it just seems kind of wrong to do that. Mourinho was very vocal publicly about wanting four new players this summer, and he settled for three. That’s the only reason we’re giving Old Trafford an A- instead of an A; because they couldn’t close that final deal and reach their goal.
That said, they don’t really need a new attacking wide player in the end, because they have so much depth there. You’re seeing a major position battle (a pleasant problem to have) going on between Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial on the left wing.
Manchester United Summer Transfer Window Grade: A-
When you’re grading United’s transfer window, you’re essentially grading three different windows. This summer window now makes us rethink last summer window, given the huge positive impact of Matic on Pogba. The re-signing of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who will return to action in January, makes him a de facto winter window addition. Mourinho has even hinted as much, by implying that MUFC won’t buy anyone come January.
That’s expected as Old Trafford added nobody the last two January windows, and in 2015 they brought in no one except back-up goalkeeper Victor Valdes. They have become a summer business only kind of club, and that’s totally fine because they take care of business quite well during those months.
The Sports Bank Summer Transfer Window Grades
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, which is partnered with News Now and Minute Media. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV and Chicago Now.
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