Ed Woodward famously said that the January transfer window was driven by the seller’s urgency rather than the buyer’s. Manchester United are in desperate need of a striker.
Anthony Martial has been out for three weeks due to illness, and Rasmus Hojlund, the de facto No.9, broke his Premier League duck at the 15th attempt last week. Hojlund has gone above and beyond the call of duty for a lanky 20-year-old attacker, and United must relieve him of that load.
The ailing Hojlund was not present at the City Ground, where United lacked a true striker in their matchday roster. Erik ten Hag trialed Amad as a false nine in friendlies, and he returned to the matchday squad for the first time since December 2021.
Every year, as New Year’s Eve approaches, United downplays expectations. Nonetheless, three of the most significant United transfers in the last decade – Juan Mata, Alexis Sanchez, and Bruno Fernandes – occurred in January.
Sir Alex Ferguson considered Stan Collymore, Les Ferdinand, and Andy Cole as the 1994-95 season’s halfway point. United offered Newcastle an unbeatable offer for Cole, and did the same nine years later for another No.9, Louis Saha, who was snatched from Fulham.
The fact that the best and worst signings of the post-Ferguson period have occurred in January illustrates United’s haphazard tactics. United ruled out a move for Fernandes months before he was dragged into Carrington, and the summer chatter in Portugal irritated some in United’s media department.
Ten Hag compared five players’ expected mid-January return date to “new signings.” United should have a more complete team by the end of the winter window, especially in a month with only three games.
United made three loan acquisitions in the winter window last season, all of which were enforced. United signed in Jack Butland after Newcastle recalled the erratic Martin Dubravka. Cristiano Ronaldo’s farewell interview with Piers Morgan inspired a move for Wout Weghorst, and Christian Eriksen’s long-term injury triggered an 11th-hour approach for Marcel Sabitzer.
Sabitzer was a welcome addition. Weghorst, on the other hand, was not. Weghorst’s two goals in 31 games were tap-ins due to Martial’s brittleness, and he failed to score in 18 Premier League outings. Hojlund has avoided such humiliation.
Similarly to the first half of last season, United has won the majority of its games by a single goal. Only one of their ten league victories has come by more than one goal.
Weghorst was a washout at Burnley, who had no intention of reintegrating him into their team after promotion, and he is now on loan at Hoffenheim. Weghorst did not score until the tenth game of his career.
United must oversee any major decisions made by the Ineos Group as they await regulatory permission from the Premier League for their stake, which could increase to 29%. Domestic and European financial fair play regulations will have an impact on business, especially with no European football on United’s schedule for the rest of the season. United will lose about £28 million if they finish last in Group A of the Champions League.
On Boxing Day, Sir Dave Brailsford was at Old Trafford.
In January, there is a lot of selling going on. United were open to severing connections with Jadon Sancho in the final week of the Saudi Pro League window, and they had four months to arrange an exit route for their persona non grata. Emeka Obasi, Sancho’s agent, has done the same. Donny van de Beek’s time at Manchester United is almost up, with a loan deal to Eintracht Frankfurt agreed in principle.
United has until January to negotiate a cost for Martial. The club has indicated that they will not activate the one-year extension in his contract and will release the 28-year-old in the summer.
Martial was last seen hobbling around the pitch in the defeat to Bournemouth on December 9 after his substitution was hailed by a sizable part of the Old Trafford crowd. He was loaned to Sevilla in January 2022, and if he wants to return to France, his agent Philippe Lamboley should start yapping.
Lamboley openly criticized Jose Mourinho the day before he was fired, and Ralf Rangnick was only in charge for two weeks.
Buy/loan
A goalkeeper
United made a mistake by settling for a potential goalscorer rather than a proven option. Weghorst was an enticing recruit in January, having scored twice for the Netherlands against Argentina in an engrossing World Cup quarter-final a month earlier.
Weghorst had the same number of goals as Bebe.
While United awaits clearance for Ineos to join their board, funds for a large signing could be scarce, but there are sellable assets to help fund a prudent deal.
Sell
Van de Beek, Donny
Van de Beek, the meek, should have packed his belongings a long time ago. He has played 19 minutes this season and Eintracht might make the trade permanent for £12.5 million.
Martial, Anthony
In the last three and a half years, Martial has suffered more injuries than goals, and he has not played 90 minutes in the Premier League since January 2021. Because he is out of contract in the summer, United must find a buyer this month.
What about Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, and Hannibal Mejbri?
United has yet to confirm whether or not the aforementioned trio’s one-year options will be exercised. Logically, they should keep the bulk only for resale value. However, if there is a taker in January willing to submit an acceptable price, a departure may happen sooner rather than later.