Sports
‘A Clear Idea’ – What Is Man Utd’s Transfer Strategy?
It’s been a busy few days at Manchester United.
From agreeing to sign Matheus Cunha, speaking with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, finding out Bruno Fernandes won’t be joining Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal and that Jadon Sancho will return from Chelsea, along with a £5m payment, it has been a whirlwind return from their troubled post-season tour of Asia.
So, where are they now and what is their transfer strategy moving forward?
What is Man Utd’s transfer strategy?
Fernandes took a bit of time mulling over the Al Hilal offer after United head coach Ruben Amorim said in Hong Kong on Friday he thought his captain would stay at the club.
The 30-year-old wanted to talk it through with his family as, after all, the sums being offered were truly staggering and could not just be dismissed out of hand.
At this point last week, many at United thought Fernandes would go. Now we know he won’t.
Lost amid his assertions about Fernandes, Amorim said something else that resonated.
Knowing nailing him down on individuals and specifics would be impossible, I asked Amorim if he knew what he wanted his squad to look like when pre-season training began at the start of July.
“Yes,” he said. “I have a clear idea what we want.
“As you know, we are bit limited and can’t do it all in one summer. But there is a clear picture for what we want.”
The initial approach – and as a guide it still holds – was to go for younger, hungry players, who can improve.
That is the basis on which 20-year-old Denmark international Patrick Dorgu arrived in a £25m deal from Serie A outfit Lecce in February to address the problematic left wing-back berth. It was the same with 18-year-old Arsenal central defender Ayden Heaven.
Both players made promising contributions, albeit in a struggling team.
However, some issues are so urgently in need of addressing, no time for development is available.
And, what Amorim wanted, as an absolute priority, was to reinforce his attack.
Time and again towards the end of the Premier League season, the United boss had lamented his side’s ability to make the most of the chances they were creating.
Between them, Wolves’ Cunha and Mbeumo scored 35 league goals last season. The campaign before, it was 21.
They are proven in England in a way Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee were not before moving to United for a combined fee of almost £110m in the summers of 2023 and 2024 respectively.
Two signings alone is a bit early to confirm a significant shift away from buying in from overseas – and the arrival of Mason Mount from Chelsea in 2023 is proof United had not completely ignored the domestic market before.
But it does take out some of the risk when you buy players who know the challenges that lie ahead.
“I think they are players who can come in and hit the ground running,” former United skipper Gary Neville told Sky Sports.
“United has become a very difficult place for new signings to operate in the last 10 years. Cunha and Mbeumo have got Premier League experience and lots of games under their belt.
“When I watch Manchester United’s wide players, they have to be able to get from box to box quickly, and they have to be able to travel with the ball and without the ball. Mbeumo and Cunha can do that, they both run forward with real intent and purpose.
“The players who are going to leave are more jinkers and play in smaller spaces.”
The great unknown is whether Amorim would play Cunha and Mbeumo – if he signs and, as yet, United have not made contact with Brentford – behind a number nine in the two ’10’ slots, or if one of them will operate as a main striker, or they will swap.
Who could leave and what are the challenges ahead?
Rasmus Hojlund ended the 2024-25 season with two goals in his final 13 games after the March international break
Amorim was adamant in Hong Kong that United could work around Fernandes staying at Old Trafford from a financial point of view.
However, the situation is not straightforward.
With no European football of any sort next season, finances will be tight. Amorim has already said he can operate with a smaller squad given there are fewer matches, so sales are inevitable.
Broadly speaking, there are three categories.
Players Amorim just does not want – so the likes of Sancho, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.
Players who have struggled and it would make sense to sell – Hojlund and Zirkzee fit into this group, as does Casemiro.
Then, the bulk are players who have something to offer and United would be open to keeping but would let go if the right bid came in.
Yet the major issue around all of this is how long would it take to do a deal and how much would it cost?
Take Sancho for example.
It has been established Chelsea would have signed him on reduced terms, which he was not prepared to accept.
If a Premier League club that has just qualified for the Champions League are baulking at Sancho’s wages, it is fair to assume most other clubs will reach the same conclusion.
If Sancho refuses to drop his demands and Amorim wants him out, United will have to negotiate some kind of compromise.
This puts them back in the uncomfortable position of paying a player to play for a rival. It is the kind of situation minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe finds so irritating and wants to end.
Yet, when you take a realistic approach to Sancho, Antony and Rashford in particular, it is hard to see how that situation is avoided. The same could also be said of many United players who remained at the club last season.
The matches may have finished but for United technical director Jason Wilcox and chief negotiator Matt Hargreaves, the hard work is just beginning.
It is how well they do, getting players in and out, that will determine how much progress Amorim can be expected to make.
Bbc.com
Atalanta put their PSG beating behind them with a dominant Serie A win, boosted by the return of Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman to the lineup for the first time in four months.
Atalanta have bounced back from a crushing defeat to PSG with a convincing Serie A victory, a match that saw the highly-anticipated return of Nigerian international Ademola Lookman to the pitch for the first time in four months.
The Super Eagles forward, whose recent absence was linked to a failed summer transfer and subsequent standoff with the club, came on for the final three minutes of the match against Torino, but it was his presence alone that signaled a shift in momentum for La Dea.
While Lookman watched from the bench, the team, under manager Ivan Juric, dominated the first half, taking a commanding 3-0 lead.
The attacking trio of Nikola Kristovic, Ghana’s Kamaldeen Sulemana, and Lazar Samardzic was in blistering form, putting the game to bed before the halftime whistle.
Kristovic was the star, bagging an impressive brace, while Sulemana found the back of the net once and provided an assist. Samardzic also contributed with a key assist, demonstrating the attacking firepower that Atalanta has at its disposal.
The emphatic win is a welcome relief for the club, which was humbled in a 4-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain just days earlier in the Champions League.
That result highlighted how much the team had missed the attacking spark of players like Lookman.
His return, even for a brief cameo, suggests that the club and player have mended their relationship, and he is now set to be a key figure in the team’s push to regain form and challenge for a top spot in Serie A.
Nottingham Forest new head coach Ange Postecoglou has revealed that he was looking forward to working with Nigeria defender Ola Aina before his injury.
The 28-year-old played 87 minutes against Rwanda at the Godswill Akpabio Stadium in the first of Nigeria’s two games during the September International break.
However, he had to be taken off inside ten minutes at the Free State Toyota Stadium in Bloemfontein as the Super Eagles played a 1-1 draw against South Africa, as Nigeria’s World Cup hopes hit the rocks.
Aina’s injury came as a big blow for Ange as he missed his first game in charge against Arsenal. After the extent of the injury was confirmed, the former Australian manager mentioned he’s looking forward to working with the Super Eagles defender.
Atalanta fans are furious with Ademola Lookman, unveiling banners condemning his attempted move to Inter Milan
The Super Eagles forward has been excluded from Atalanta’s 23-man Serie A squad amid escalating tensions
Club director Tony D’Amico confirms sanctions and future decision pending when the transfer window closes
Ademola Lookman’s once bright relationship with Atalanta fans has turned sour after the Nigerian forward’s failed attempt to force a move to Serie A rivals Inter Milan.
The 27-year-old Super Eagles star has become the target of intense criticism from the club’s ultras, and supporters have unveiled demeaning banners and even mocked the Nigerian forward with the new nickname “Guipiman,” a street cleaner.
The outrage has reached a point where some fans have boldly declared they would rather see Atalanta relegated to Serie B than watch Lookman don their shirt again, This Day reports.
Curva Nord 1907, one of the most vocal supporter groups, displayed a banner reading:
“The shirt must be honoured. Another piece of b*llshit will not be tolerated,” Nigeria Stories interpretes in a post.
This hostility stems from Lookman’s attempt to push through a summer transfer to Inter Milan, a move seen by fans as a betrayal given the fierce rivalry between the two clubs.
Lookman’s fallout with Atalanta escalated when Inter Milan submitted a €45 million bid earlier in the summer, only for the Bergamo club to reject it.
Frustrated, the 2024 CAF Player of the Year winner filed a formal transfer request and accused the Bergamo club of broken promises and poor treatment both professionally and personally, after Inter walked away from the deal.
In protest, Lookman reportedly went AWOL, abandoning training sessions, further souring relations with Atalanta’s management and fans.
Despite returning to pre-season training, the Nigerian forward was left out of Atalanta’s 23-man squad for their opening Serie A fixture against newly-promoted Pisa.
This exclusion signals how deeply fractured the relationship has become. Sports director Tony D’Amico confirmed that Lookman is not training with the group and admitted Atalanta’s disappointment with the situation, per Score Nigeria.
What next for Lookman and Atalanta?
The saga has cast a shadow over Atalanta’s preparations for the new season.
According to Daily Post, Sporting director D’Amico stressed that the Bergamo club will evaluate Lookman’s future only after the transfer window closes on September 1. Until then, the Nigerian forward remains in limbo.
“Right now, there’s disappointment. We are sorry for everyone, but we will make assessments at the end of the transfer window,” D’Amico said.
Inter Milan have since pulled out of the move to sign Lookman after failing to meet Atalanta’s €50 million valuation, leaving the forward’s options limited.
With two years left on his contract, the forward risks facing heavy sanctions from the club, including possible fines or prolonged exclusion from the squad.
For Atalanta fans, however, the damage appears already done. Whether Lookman stays or leaves, his once-celebrated status in Bergamo has been tarnished by a transfer saga.
Click to see Nigeria Stories interpretes in a post here
BREAKING: Atalanta supporters have erected a banner with a clear message targeted at Nigerian footballer Ademola Lookman after his return to training earlier this week saying :
“Honour the jersey, more bulls*** will not be justified.” pic.twitter.com/v5EklU4Nz9
— Nigeria Stories (@NigeriaStories) August 23, 2025
Join Our WhatsApp Channel https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb6MjoWICVfrgvYOI845
For Hot Breaking News, Business, Political, Entertainment, Lifestyle and Sports…telling it as it is…. Visit – www.dailyvoice.ng
Email: infodailyvoiceng@gmail.com
Atiba Varsity Tasks New Staff, Places Premium On Academic Excellence
Tell Trump This: Primate Ayodele Sends Warning To Donald Trump In New Prophecy
