01 Aug 2026 11:07:29
Three weeks today until it starts and the below is today’s report in the main press. Maybe not attributed to anyone but have to say it is what we are seeing.
“The club are still assessing market movements, checking who is available at the right price, before deciding on their next priority position.”
Looking for bargains. Manchester United.
01 Aug 2026 13:12:52
Sadly, the club is being run by idiots. Or that's how they appear. The club shouldn't be looking at who is available at an acceptable price. They should know who they want and go get them.
01 Aug 2026 13:36:43
This statement could be attributed to most clubs. Yes, we are looking for value, but will go big if the right player is available.
The club will be working on multiple deals, and we should be pleased with how little is coming out of the club, unlike previous years.
We need to see how the window closes.
01 Aug 2026 13:46:56
Fallguy, a lot more idiots in our fanbase than in the boardroom.
01 Aug 2026 16:25:44
Tumble, I assume from your reply, you disagree with my post, and you instead refer to me as the idiot. I have never claimed I'm not an idiot. Very good chance I am. But luckily I'm not in charge of United.
But nonetheless, it doesn't change the fact I'm entitled to an opinion on an open fans forum, just as you are.
01 Aug 2026 14:48:10
Firstly, it's almost certainly guess work by the media. Unlike when we had Woodward running things, the press seems to get very little from the club now about targets or movements.
We've seen this multiple times recently with them not having a clue what is going on until the players are practically driving to Carrington for the medical, case in point all our signings so far this summer. By the time the media get a whiff of it the deal is practically signed.
So in all likelihood any media report is just guess work and/or click bait.
Secondly, the transfer market is a very fluid and constantly changing market, it is notoriously unstable and reactive. Therefore, the club SHOULD always be open to change and be ready to react if needed. Which means the club should be assessing options and have fluid plans.
We have complained in the past about the club being too rigid and refusing to alter or change plans, to the point of massively over paying for players. A reluctance to walk away from a deal to the point of stupidity.
For the second time in a week it seems I am saying that you can't have your cake and eat it.
We can't complain the club won't walk away from deals when they become too expensive or complicated, then also complain that the club is "assessing market movements" and being adaptive to the market. That would be very hypocritical, and I'd like to think we aren't hypocrites.
Reading between the lines, and what I would hope is happening, I expect the club have a list of potential targets for a range of positions, and depending on how things pan out they will move between potential targets for various positions.
For example, we all agreed before the window opened that we needed to sign 2 or 3 midfielders, that we needed a LB, a LW, a ST, and a CB. We also needed a back up keeper, and possibly an upgrade at RB.
That's potentially 9 players, which we were never going to sign all 9 players, obviously. The question then is which of those positions do we sign players in?
Is it better to sign our 5th choice LB because we are unable to get any of our preferred options, or does it make more sense to instead move on and sign our first choice RB instead? Despite LB being a higher priority. Then reassess the LB market and maybe get a preferred option next summer.
Would that be a bad thing? Would that be poor club management. Sure it's almost the complete opposite to the shambles that came before, but then isn't that a good thing.
It's not even just the case of reacting to the players we fail to sign, but also to the ones we fail to sell.
Whether we like it or not, if the club cannot find a suitable solution to move Rashford on, then signing a LW even a ST becomes less vital this summer as those are positions that Rashford will cover. Which probably explains why we signed a young lad in Thompson who is more for the future, but could potentially play a role this season. It might also explain why we haven't made a move for a back up ST, especially as we haven't found Zirkzee a new club yet.
If both Rashford and Zirkzee stay, along with out current LW/ST options (Dorgu, Cunha, Thompson, Sesko, Mbeumo) then that's 7 potential option for two positions. It no longer makes sense to spend a significant amount of money (30-40) on a back up ST, or invest heavily in another LW option this summer.
That's an example of how a the club will have to react to the market due to us being unable to move a couple of players on.
Likewise, if there is no interest in Mount and he's fit and playing well in a deeper midfield role, then that also reduces our need to spend heavily on a third midfield signing.
It does seem that the club are now pushing more towards a new LB, than a midfielder, LW or ST right now. However, if Rashford and/or Zirkzee leaves then I expect we'll shift our focus to sign another forward.
Similarly if a potential Tchouameni or Baleba deal is going to be too expensive then it's best to park those deals. Maybe explore other options, or focus on other positions and maybe come back to those deals later in the window if the prices become more reasonable.
The whole market seems a little slow right now. The world cup and players being unavailable has slowed the market, along with not many big deals yet having a domino effect and greasing the wheels of the market. I expect we'll see a late flutter of activity in the final couple of weeks of the transfer market after the season starts (for all clubs not just ourselves).
We just need a little patience, let's wait until after the window closes before we judge our transfers.
01 Aug 2026 17:57:47
Fallguy, they are smart people trying to get on with their jobs.
You don't know what their jobs are, or their brief, or their plan, or what's going on at all.
So, in my opinion, it's idiotic to call them idiots just because they are not, or can't, and probably never will do what you want them to.
You've no idea what plan or constraints they're working to.
Try to up your tolerance levels, and hope for the best.
01 Aug 2026 20:58:32
The quote (which is by a journalist who has proved he has no idea what our plans are) doesn't say anything about bargains. It says we are looking to buy players at the right place. Or maybe we should buy average players like Antony for £80m again, as that's really worked out well for us in the past.
01 Aug 2026 21:11:52
I don't think we're run by idiots, the opposite, actually. We're turning into a well run club who won't be held to ransom. The signings we've made over the last 2 years have proved that.