26 Sep 2025 15:57:27
The global talent search continues.
Cristian Orozco, a very highly rated 17 year old defensive midfielder who plays for Fortaleza, in Colombia has signed a pre contract agreement and will become a United player when he turns 18, next July. A deal similar to that of Diego Leon who signed last summer.
He recently captained his country to the final at the South American U17 Championships, but were beaten by Brazil.
This drive for worldwide talent is being led by Jason Wilcox and Head of Recruitment Christopher Vivell who discovers the talent.
Even if all these signings don't become first team regulars it is hoped that a pool of talent will be created and sold to help finance new signings.
A very solid business strategy, if successful!
27 Sep 2025 09:46:14
Over the last decade we have spent over a billion on players most of which haven't even come close to being value for money. Huge fees, huge wages and underwhelming performances.
Many of these players we have ended up stuck with after they've flopped as no other clubs are willing to match their wages.
I'm not saying we shouldn't spend big on some signings, but we need a more balanced approach.
I really like the idea of scouting the world for the best young talent at academy level and looking to bring them into the club.
The signings of Sekou Kone, Ayyden Heaven, Chido Obi, Diego Leon, and Enzo Kana-Biyik have all happened under the new ownership. If even one of them becomes a regular first team player then that represents the best investment in players our club have made in over a decade. With the club having spent only a few million in total to bring them ALL into the club. While their low wages and high potential means even the ones who ultimately don't make it, we will still be able to sell them for a profit.
We have actually seen this model used at our club before the INEOS take over. We signed young players like Hannibal, Kambwala, Alvaro Fernandez, Harry Amass, Toby Collyer, the Fletcher twins, and Garnacho from other academies both in England and abroad, with us selling Hannibal, Kambwala, Fernandez, and Garnacho all for a profit. If Amass and Collyer don't make it to the level we need, then no doubt they will also sell for far more than we paid to bring them in.
With the tighter financial regulations in football this has to be seen as a sensible way to run the club both from a financial perspective and a footballing one.
It allows us to bring in some of the best young talents from around the world, players who maybe initially flit between the under 21's and the first team while they settle, they may even go out on a loan or two (look at the new role for Jonny Evans), or provide squad depth for the first team. Quality depth, who aren't being paid a fortune, and who are happier to be a rotation option.
If they take their chances then they become first team regulars, if not then after a 2-3 years we sell them at a profit and reinvest that money into the first team squad.
If every year we spend 3-5m on a handful of young academy players, but we sell 3-5 ex-academy players for 20-50m then we are making huge profits. Occasionally we will get a first team regular out of it, or maybe a player like Garnacho who has talent but isn't the right fit for us who we can sell for a huge fee on their own.
Over the past decade our best value for money transfers haven't been brought into the club through the front door with the big fanfare, but quietly slipped in through the backdoor into the academy before flourishing into the first team.
It's not the only approach we should look to do, but definitely an important one that we can and should be exploiting far more.
27 Sep 2025 10:19:42
I was confused when INEOS were banging on about this, this was United’s transfer policy for years under Fergie.
We all remember the famous remarks he made about no value in the market and then some random 20year old would turn up from some unheard of country and not last long, or be shipped off to Antwerp. Occasionally he would get one big spend like a Berbatov, van Perise or a Cole.
It wasn’t until Fergie retired that the Glazers started throwing money at the problem, obviously not their money, and it hasn’t really created a stable side and long term success.
27 Sep 2025 18:08:53
Global search for a decent manager would be a good start….
Then get the club all teams to play same way under that managers direction.
What we got now is just bordering on insanity, if this kid is special talent, he leaves, that’s 100%.