'A clear idea' - what is Man Utd's transfer strategy?

It's been a engaged fewer days astatine Manchester United.

From agreeing to motion Matheus Cunha, speaking pinch Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo, uncovering retired Bruno Fernandes won't beryllium joining Saudi Arabian broadside Al Hilal and that Jadon Sancho will return from Chelsea, on pinch a £5m payment, it has been a whirlwind return from their troubled post-season circuit of Asia.

So, wherever are they now and what is their transportation strategy moving forward?

Fernandes took a spot of clip mulling complete nan Al Hilal connection aft United caput coach Ruben Amorim said successful Hong Kong connected Friday he thought his skipper would enactment astatine nan club.

The 30-year-old wanted to talk it done pinch his family as, aft all, nan sums being offered were genuinely staggering and could not conscionable beryllium dismissed retired of hand.

At this constituent past week, galore astatine United thought Fernandes would go. Now we cognize he won't.

Lost amid his assertions astir Fernandes, Amorim said thing other that resonated.

Knowing nailing him down connected individuals and specifics would beryllium impossible, I asked Amorim if he knew what he wanted his squad to look for illustration erstwhile pre-season training began astatine nan commencement of July.

"Yes," he said. "I person a clear thought what we want.

"As you know, we are spot constricted and can't do it each successful 1 summer. But location is simply a clear image for what we want."

The first attack - and arsenic a guideline it still holds - was to spell for younger, quiet players, who tin improve.

That is nan ground connected which 20-year-old Denmark world Patrick Dorgu arrived successful a £25m deal from Serie A outfit Lecce successful February to reside nan problematic near wing-back berth. It was nan aforesaid pinch 18-year-old Arsenal cardinal defender Ayden Heaven.

Both players made promising contributions, albeit successful a struggling team.

However, immoderate issues are truthful urgently successful request of addressing, nary clip for improvement is available.

And, what Amorim wanted, arsenic an absolute priority, was to reenforce his attack.

Time and again towards nan extremity of nan Premier League season, nan United leader had lamented his side's expertise to make nan astir of nan chances they were creating.

Between them, Wolves' Cunha and Mbeumo scored 35 convention goals past season. The run before, it was 21.

They are proven successful England successful a measurement Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee were not earlier moving to United for a mixed interest of almost £110m successful nan summers of 2023 and 2024 respectively.

Two signings unsocial is simply a spot early to corroborate a important displacement distant from buying successful from overseas – and nan presence of Mason Mount from Chelsea successful 2023 is impervious United had not wholly ignored nan home marketplace before.

But it does return retired immoderate of nan consequence erstwhile you bargain players who cognize nan challenges that dishonesty ahead.

"I deliberation they are players who tin travel successful and deed nan crushed running," erstwhile United skipper Gary Neville told Sky Sports.

"United has go a very difficult spot for caller signings to run successful nan past 10 years. Cunha and Mbeumo person sewage Premier League acquisition and tons of games nether their belt.

"When I watch Manchester United's wide players, they person to beryllium capable to get from container to container quickly, and they person to beryllium capable to recreation pinch nan shot and without nan ball. Mbeumo and Cunha tin do that, they some tally guardant pinch existent intent and purpose.

"The players who are going to time off are much jinkers and play successful smaller spaces."

The awesome chartless is whether Amorim would play Cunha and Mbeumo - if he signs and, arsenic yet, United have not made interaction pinch Brentford - down a number 9 successful nan 2 '10' slots, aliases if 1 of them will run arsenic a main striker, aliases they will swap.

Amorim was adamant successful Hong Kong that United could activity astir Fernandes staying astatine Old Trafford from a financial constituent of view.

However, nan business is not straightforward.

With nary European shot of immoderate benignant adjacent season, finances will beryllium tight. Amorim has already said he tin run pinch a smaller squad fixed location are less matches, truthful income are inevitable.

Broadly speaking, location are 3 categories.

Players Amorim conscionable does not want – truthful nan likes of Sancho, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.

Players who person struggled and it would make consciousness to waste – Hojlund and Zirkzee fresh into this group, arsenic does Casemiro.

Then, nan bulk are players who person thing to connection and United would beryllium unfastened to keeping but would fto spell if nan correct bid came in.

Yet nan awesome rumor astir each of this is really agelong would it return to do a woody and really overmuch would it cost?

Take Sancho for example.

It has been established Chelsea would person signed him connected reduced terms, which he was not prepared to accept.

If a Premier League nine that has conscionable qualified for nan Champions League are baulking astatine Sancho's wages, it is adjacent to presume astir different clubs will scope nan aforesaid conclusion.

If Sancho refuses to driblet his demands and Amorim wants him out, United will person to discuss immoderate benignant of compromise.

This puts them backmost successful nan uncomfortable position of paying a subordinate to play for a rival. It is nan benignant of business number proprietor Sir Jim Ratcliffe finds truthful irritating and wants to end.

Yet, erstwhile you return a realistic attack to Sancho, Antony and Rashford successful particular, it is difficult to spot really that business is avoided. The aforesaid could besides beryllium said of galore United players who remained astatine nan nine past season.

The matches whitethorn person vanished but for United method head Jason Wilcox and main negotiator Matt Hargreaves, nan difficult activity is conscionable beginning.

It is really good they do, getting players successful and out, that will find really overmuch advancement Amorim tin beryllium expected to make.