Manchester United need to move fast in transfer market or risk becoming mid-table club | OneFootball

Manchester United are plummeting towards a dark future if they do not speed up their transfer work, and it’s not something that can solely be blamed on INEOS.

The issue with Manchester United in the market is they are still paying for the mismanagement of the Glazers, Ed Woodward, and, to a lesser extent, Richard Arnold and John Murtough over a ten-year period.

Reshaping the opinion of the club within the market was never going to be easy, and the new regime has found that out so far this year. A deal for Matheus Cunha was straightforward due to the fact it had a release clause, but the club is finding it difficult to get a deal done with Brentford for Bryan Mbeumo, with negotiations for the player now going into their 36th day, despite the winger’s making it clear his prime desire was to join Manchester United.

Brentford are said to be notoriously difficult to negotiate with, but you can rest assured if this was any other top six club negotiating with the Bees for Mbeumo, a deal would be done. United’s reputation in the market has been that of a spoilt billionaire starved of fame, spending and smashing his money, about to try and get back to the top but falling further and further back into mediocrity with every uncalculated pound they spend.

United letting Amorim down

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 08: Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United, looks on prior to the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 Semi Final Second Leg match between Manchester United and Athletic Club at Old Trafford on May 08, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Ruben Amorim wanted his players in for the first day of preseason. He wanted a full squad to choose from to plan for a season of rebuilding. Instead, he only acquired one player and did not sell any players he did not want. It’s the kind of planning and preparation that would force a manager, who was never equipped with the necessary tools to succeed in the first place, to resign. Given Ruben Amorim’s previous comments, he appears to be a man who will not tolerate this lack of planning. Remember, Amorim wanted to start his job at Manchester United now. Not 8 months ago. There’s no doubt that during those negotiations, INEOS would have promised Amorim the sun, moon, and stars if he left his post at Sporting CP when he did, and now they have to deliver on their promises soon.

As previously mentioned, United’s slowness in the market is not solely down to INEOS, but of course they have to take some of the blame due to the fact they are in charge. Another factor in United’s negotiations is that due to the sheer size of the club, negotiations for players are more openly reported than at any other club in the Premier League. Every single factor of a United transfer saga plays out before the public eye, which makes it difficult for the hierarchy to move in silence and give the illusion of a deal done quickly like other clubs do.

Glazer hangover still evidenta

Avram (L) and Joel Glazer talk before the UEFA Champions league first leg quarter-final football match between Manchester United and Barcelona at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on April 10, 2019. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP) (Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Another factor in the issue is the Glazer’s immature spending over the last decade, which was never going to be fixed within 18 months of taking over a football club.

Spending £90m on Antony despite valuing him at £25m three months prior has led to this. Spending £70m on a 30-year-old Casemiro has led to this. Giving ridiculous wages to players who did not warrant the fees they were being paid has directly led to this. That family in Tampa has committed gross misconduct at this football club, and the fact they are still clinging on to this dying, bleeding horse is one of the most selfish acts in the history of football ownership.

It’s too hard to offload an underperforming Jadon Sancho on £200k-plus wages when he does not want to take a wage cut to facilitate a move. It’s hard to offload a player like Antony, who, while talented and having improved his stature at Real Betis in a league that suits him more, still demands a strong fee to be sold and again has that heavy wage that most clubs cannot match.

This makes it hard for INEOS to move fully, but they must also be creative with their links and targets if that is the case. United needs players now. Not in 4 weeks, not in two months, now.

Ed Woodward once declared other clubs can only dream of doing what Manchester United can do in the market. I’d counteract that by suggesting other clubs could not stomach being so utterly foolish and incompetent in the market to sanction some of the deals United has done recently. Why would they dream about sending their club to the brink of extinction?

Slowness could be catastrophic

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 25: Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa during the Premier League match between Manchester United FC and Aston Villa FC at Old Trafford on May 25, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Last season is the single biggest failing of any major club in football history, taking everything into account.

A club that failed that miserably last season HAD to hit the ground running in this transfer window. They haven’t. And if the first day of the season comes and United are still haggling over £5m for Bryan Mbeumo to try and improve their battered reputation in the market and have not signed an adequate striker to address the goalscoring issues in the side, next season will be even bleaker than the last.

Links have been levelled at Dominick Calvert-Lewin and Jamie Vardy, with the former genuinely not being a bad option. But these are not the signings United should be making a priority if they have any true dreams of getting back to the top. These links, driven by agents, are both timely and advantageous. However, if United chooses to sign one of these players as their primary center-forward this summer, they risk losing their status as a major club.

If Manchester United wants to wake the sleeping giant any time soon, INEOS needs to find that £5m to land Bryan Mbeumo tomorrow. They must sign an exciting striker. Ollie Watkins, Hugo Ekitike, or Moise Kean, who has established himself as the attack’s focal point at Fiorentina, are potential candidates.

Calvert-Lewin should be signed as a backup to a highly rated striker at the end of the window after Manchester United has done all their business as a bonus. Then he can absolutely add serious value to a squad, particularly if he can manage to stay fit.

The club needs to be creative. Lucien Agoume is on the market. The midfielder would slot into Ruben Amorim’s system and provide the type of physical presence needed to help the side move forward tactically. Amadou Onana has always been of interest; Alejandro Garnacho is for sale. Can they negotiate a PSR deal with Villa that would allow Garnacho to be transferred in exchange?

Ollie Watkins is of interest. The Villa striker needs to be signed as a priority if the club cannot get their hands on a Sesko, a Kean, or an Ekitike. This is a vital summer. This summer could potentially be the most significant in the club’s history. Liverpool has won the league and signed Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, and Jeremy Frimpong and, according to our sources here at AttackingFootball, is anticipated to pursue a move fully for Marc Guehi in the coming weeks. Manchester United has signed one player after finishing 15th. It’s unforgivable.

Ruben Amorim cannot begin the season unprepared, as he will likely depart before Christmas, and it won’t be his fault if the window doesn’t improve. Manchester United is facing a critical period internally. The club must establish its identity this season to avoid becoming a club without a future.