29 Jun 2026 18:35:50
The Utd hierarchy seem to be a lot more professional than of old. I am sure they have long been aware of the need to sign players for certain positions and have been working towards doing so for months now.
With such a limited market for top class players actually available, prices will be high and the players and selling clubs involved have the upper hand. Demand outstrips supply.
No club will want to pay over the odds, but City have already set a benchmark in buying Elliot for mega money. In fact, they score twice. Firstly, by getting a top top player their rivals would like and secondly, they have reduced the pool of proven top midfielders available to others whilst influencing the price upwards of other players who will now be sold.
I want Utd to sign top class players but not at stupidly overly inflated prices and especially when there is no guarantee that they will actually be as good as we need. This summer's transfer dealings are potentially the most important in a decade. Get them right and the club progresses. Get them wrong and not only does the club fail to win more trophies but the potential to sign more good players is gone too.
29 Jun 2026 19:47:37
Salford
All true and good thoughts. However, at the end of the window, if we are getting 4th choice CM, a Fred, and other 3rd or 4th choice players, where do you think we will finish in the league?
29 Jun 2026 21:34:37
I know, Red Man. What I am hoping is that Utd don't panic buy and spend a lot of money on players that may be better than we have, but that are not going to make us substantially better and closer to City, Arsenal and others.
I would rather they spent the money on two quality players than on four good but not top quality ones.
30 Jun 2026 07:34:31
Red Man, days gone by, I'd agree with you.
I just don't see any panics with this administration.
I believe they have several targets for each position, and they go and get them. For instance, 1st choice Anderson is unattainable, they move for the next, Fernandes.
There seems to be a completely different feel to how they do transfers now as opposed to the days of buying the likes of Fred.
30 Jun 2026 10:24:06
It's not just that we made poor purchases, but we also paid through the nose for them.
Maguire was EPL proven but £80M.
DVDB £40.
Sancho £70M.
Hojlund £70M.
Antony £85M.
Onana £40.
What an absolute waste of money.
Kane and Rice were worth £100M, I have no issue paying big bucks for the best, but often we pay big money for dodgy players.
30 Jun 2026 10:41:00
Yes, AJH. Plus, I believe we are not in a position to go out and buy a 100m+ player at present. I think we will see 250m spent over 5/6 transfers to try and build a better squad, more capable of playing, and hopefully challenging in more competitions.
Once the squad is built out, then we might see the picking and choosing of spending big money on targets.
30 Jun 2026 10:59:57
I would rather we overpay for the right player than sit on our hands and end up with the wrong one. That said, it's still early days. I'm sure we planned for the possibility of Anderson favoring City, or West Ham demanding silly money.
30 Jun 2026 11:41:58
Red seven, you would think they have selected players if they could not sign Anderson. I have no inside knowledge, but I can imagine that months ago Utd knew they had no real chance of signing Anderson and have been looking at other players.
30 Jun 2026 12:05:08
I think you'll see movement, mod, to end of July, when the World Cup has progressed.
30 Jun 2026 12:09:51
Not my players Ajh. ?
30 Jun 2026 13:56:46
There will be movement, as Angel says, but let's also remember that, whilst there are football targets, undoubtedly there will be financial ones as well. Don't kid yourselves; we have to suspect that profit and resulting dividends are part of any targeting, and that will likely make the really big transfers less likely.
30 Jun 2026 16:33:20
Red Man, that is just the reality for every football club.
It's not that we haven't spent money over the years, it's the fact that we have spent incredibly poorly.
Really big single transfers are less likely at the moment because we have a far greater need for more, smaller ones.
30 Jun 2026 18:31:44
Good points, Salford and Red Man.
Anderson chose City. City paid more than they wanted to, no doubt about that.
We are still in a position whereby, if City or PSG or now maybe Arsenal, amongst others, want a player, they see a better chance of winning at those sides just now than they do at United.
We are not 1st choice anymore and won't be until we are consistently challenging.
They can even offer the same silly wages we have players on.
As a result, we are now being charged top money for higher risk signings from just below the top, proven tier.
Red Man, you've been in business a long time. I can't understand your issue with dividends if there is a profit.
The owners are entitled to take dividends. It's not unusual.
They own the company and are entitled to take dividends if the company is profitable.
I don't think they will this year or next, but I've no way of knowing that, just a suspicion.
You don't like that they own the company and how they acquired it.
But they did nothing illegal, and taking dividends, as they have a legal right to given they own the company, is frankly none of your business.
You just don't like it, but it's their right, simple as that.
You would rather they didn't take them and reduced the debt or invested in players or infrastructure, but they don't want to, nor do they have to.
Your agenda is different to theirs, but yours is irrelevant because it holds no sway.
Dividends are for business owners when there are dividends available.
Morally you can argue that they are not entitled, but legally they are.
I get your right to moan about it, but they have a different agenda and, while they own it, imo there is nothing that can be done to rectify that until they sell up.
Knock yourself out, and I understand your disdain, but you just need to accept we have bad owners and their actions have made it very hard for the club to bounce back.
They don't care about you or I or what we think or want.
30 Jun 2026 19:13:00
Tw.
Nothing illegal. I never suggested they had.
Totally understand business and dividends.
My point is, there will be priorities. People need to understand that buying the top players may not be as high a priority as ensuring dividends are paid.
You will know owners issue what they regard as their priorities to the board.
Some owners don't take dividends, prioritise success on the pitch. As we watch, millions are going out on the loans, but also even more if we start paying millions in dividends. Tens of millions paid out each year. I bet, combined, it would buy a key player every year. They don't care what we think. You are right.
30 Jun 2026 20:27:47
Success for the company for them is profit not trophies. Ideally both, as that grows the former.
But profit comes before all, and, if it's there, they are entitled to take their dividends.
No point, imo, going on about it, as you can't affect it.
I don't think there will be dividends paid for the next couple of years. No inside knowledge, just a suspicion.
30 Jun 2026 21:21:01
Tw
Agreed on the dividends, but if it means we can't compete for the better players, it's not at all good.