Manchester United is very close to signing Casemiro’s Brazilian teammate Antony after a deal for him was already finalized. A agreement has been reached, according to BBC Sport
The two signings represent the best case scenario, especially in light of the fact that three weeks ago, United supporters were at their lowest point.
It seemed the team was preparing an immediate response after their 2-1 season-opening defeat to Brighton. It simply wasn’t what United supporters desired.
The club reportedly wanted to sign Marko Arnautovic, according to BBC Sport, and The Guardian reported that a deal had been reached with Juventus for midfielder Adrien Rabiot. How did United get to where they are now?
The switch by Manchester United to Casemiro and Antony from a potential Arnautovic and Rabiot transfer is a significant improvement.
Additionally, the two agreements cost United £140 million, as opposed to the £30 million it would have cost to recruit Arnautovic and Rabiot.
Every agreement fell through for a different reason. Arnautovic faced intense fan outrage, whilst Rabiot’s wage demands led to United’s withdrawal when John Murtough flew out to personally negotiate.
United’s shift in strategy was welcome. Instead of exploring other financial options, United increased their goals, loosened the purse strings, and spent lavishly on two players who were truly of the highest caliber.
Manchester United’s change in direction, brought on by a disastrous start to the season that included two straight losses, was the result of two important causes.
Erik ten Hag, the manager, is likely to have pressed hard for reinforcements behind the scenes. He was clearly restricted by Manchester United’s weak transfer strategy, since neither a top-tier attacker nor a midfielder had been added.
Given that Manchester United had devoted months to an unsuccessful pursuit of Frenkie de Jong, it was obvious that their decision-makers were at fault. Simply put, they were unable to pay for Ten Hag to receive the team they did. There would have been intense pressure on John Murtough and Richard Arnold to resign their jobs.
The worst-case scenario was that Ten Hag would have walked or that his enterprise would have failed within months. The season’s first two results served as a cautionary tale. United had to take a risk.
The supporters were the second component in the turnaround. Crucially, The 1958’s organized effort to protest ceaselessly and put pressure on the Glazers supported the vocal online resentment.
On that peculiar day, Elon Musk made jokes about purchasing United, and then Sir Jim Ratcliffe announced his intent to do it. Although it hasn’t yet resulted in a change in ownership, this did a lot to energize the fan base and fuel the simmering anti-Glazer resentment.
United uses the huge acquisitions as a means of distraction. While they may stir up excitement and help the team, they won’t be able to undo the club’s disastrous strategy to this transfer window or the strange route that led us here.
Rabiot and Arnautovic, not Casemiro and Antony, would have been lined up at Old Trafford if the Glazers had their way.
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