According to Ed Woodward, the January transfer window was pushed by the seller’s hurry rather than the buyer’s. Manchester United is desperate for a striker.
Anthony Martial has been absent with a sickness for three weeks, and Rasmus Hojlund, the de facto No.9, broke his Premier League drought last week at the 15th attempt. Hojlund has performed admirably for a lanky 20-year-old attacker, and United must relieve him of that burden.
The injured Hojlund was not present at the City Ground, where United lacked a true striker on the field. Amad was trialed as a false nine in friendlies by Erik ten Hag, and he returned to the matchday squad for the first time since December 2021.
United downplays expectations every year as New Year’s Eve approaches. Nonetheless, three of the most significant United transfers in the recent decade occurred in January: Juan Mata, Alexis Sanchez, and Bruno Fernandes.
Sir Alex Ferguson saw Stan Collymore, Les Ferdinand, and Andy Cole as the midpoint of the 1994-95 season. United made an incomparable offer to Newcastle for Cole, and did the same for another No.9, Louis Saha, who was grabbed from Fulham nine years later.
The fact that United’s best and worst signings since Ferguson have occurred in January exemplifies the club’s haphazard approach. United had ruled out a deal for Fernandes months before he was brought into Carrington, and the summer rumor mill in Portugal infuriated some in the club’s publicity department.
Ten Hag compared the probable mid-January comeback date of five players to “new signings.” United should have a more complete squad by the conclusion of the winter window, especially with only three games in a month.
Last season, United made three loan acquisitions during the winter window, all of which were enforced. After Newcastle recalled the unpredictable Martin Dubravka, United signed Jack Butland. Cristiano Ronaldo’s farewell chat with Piers Morgan prompted a bid for Wout Weghorst, while Christian Eriksen’s long-term injury prompted an 11th-hour bid for Marcel Sabitzer.
Sabitzer was an excellent addition. Weghorst, on the other hand, was not one of them. Due of Martial’s brittleness, Weghorst’s two goals in 31 games were tap-ins, and he failed to score in 18 Premier League appearances. Hojlund has managed to prevent such disgrace.
United has won the majority of its games by a single goal, as it did in the first half of last season. Only one of their ten league wins has been by more than a single goal.
Weghorst was a washout at Burnley, who had no plans to reintegrate him into the club after promotion, and is now on loan at Hoffenheim. Weghorst did not score until his eleventh game of the season.
United must monitor any key decisions made by the Ineos Group as they await Premier League regulatory approval for their stake, which may climb to 29%. Domestic and European financial fair play restrictions will have an impact on business, especially given United’s lack of European football for the remainder of the season. If United finishes last in Group A of the Champions League, they will lose around £28 million.
Sir Dave Brailsford was at Old Trafford on Boxing Day.
There is a lot of selling going on in January. United were willing to cut ties with Jadon Sancho in the penultimate week of the Saudi Pro League window, and they had four months to find a suitable replacement for their persona non grata. Sancho’s agent, Emeka Obasi, has done the same. Donny van de Beek’s tenure at Manchester United is coming to an end, with an agreement in principle reached with Eintracht Frankfurt.
United has until January to agree on a price for Martial. The club has stated that they will not activate his one-year contract extension and will release the 28-year-old in the summer.
Martial was last seen staggering around the pitch against Bournemouth on December 9, after his substitution was applauded by a big portion of the Old Trafford crowd. He was loaned to Sevilla in January 2022, and his agent Philippe Lamboley should start yapping if he wants to return to France.
The day before he was fired, Lamboley openly insulted Jose Mourinho, and Ralf Rangnick had only been 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 and Bebe both had the same number of goals.
While United awaits approval for Ineos to join their board of directors, funds for a significant signing may be scarce, but there are sellable assets to help fund a smart acquisition.
Sell
Van de Beek, Donny
Van de Beek, the meek, should have started packing a long time ago. He has played 19 minutes this season, and Eintracht may extend the loan for £12.5 million.
Martial, Anthony
Martial has experienced more injuries than goals in the last three and a half years, and he has not played 90 minutes in the Premier League since January 2021. United must find a buyer for him this month because he is out of contract in the summer.
What about Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, and Hannibal Mejbri?
United has yet to announce whether the one-year options for the aforementioned trio will be exercised. Logically, the bulk should be kept only for resale value. However, if a taker is found in January who is ready to offer an acceptable price, a departure may occur sooner rather than later.