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Even before the opening of the transfer window, changes were being rung in at Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson, their longest-serving and most successful manager, decided to finally call it a day. The club chose to replace him with the-then Everton boss David Moyes.
The new man in charge chased many players throughout the summer, from Thiago Alcantara to Cesc Fabregas and even Mesut Ozil, if rumours were to be believed. Despite what was printed in the newspapers, Manchester United ended up signing only two players: Guillermo Varela and Marouane Fellaini. Let’s now take a look at the Red Devils’ latest recruits:
1) Guillermo Varela
Transfer fee: €2.8M (rumoured)
Position: Right-back
The young Uruguayan right-back only made one senior appearance for his home-town club Penarol in 2011. In May 2013, he went on trial for two weeks at Manchester United after his performances at the South American Youth Championship captured a few eyeballs.
Verdict: 6.5/10
2) Marouane Fellaini
Transfer fee: £27.5M
Position: Central midfielder
The Belgian was signed in a last-minute deal on Deadline Day for a transfer fee that was more than his release clause that expired in July. He is strong, athletic and is good in the air. He will add some steel to United’s midfield but can be erratic and inconsistent at times. However, he is versatile and can be deployed in the #1o position to utilise his aerial ability, especially while chasing games.
Verdict: 7/10
It’s also worth noting that England winger Wilfried Zaha will be a part of the squad from this season. He was signed during last season’s January transfer window and loaned right back to Crystal Palace for the remainder of the season. He will be a part of United’s first team this season.
Overall verdict:
The transfer window has been a slightly underwhelming one for Manchester United. While it’s true that the club managed to win the Premier League quite comfortably last season, the fact is that their closest title rivals (City and Chelsea) have significantly strengthened their squads during the summer.
United did well to hold on to Wayne Rooney amid Mourinho’s public courting but apart from maybe Fellaini, they made no marquee signings this summer.
They also failed to sign several high-profile transfer targets, most notably Cesc Fabregas, Thiago Alcantara and Ander Herrera.
As mentioned before, Fellaini adds some much-needed steel to the midfield. And while Varela might turn out to be a quality signing for the future, there are problem areas that needed to be addressed during this transfer window.
United’s current crop of wingers look far from convincing. Antonio Valencia, Nani and Ashley Young all looked poor last season. Zaha isn’t quite ready to be a regular at United just yet. Given that United rely heavily on their wingers to provide service to the strikers, it’s alarming that they didn’t sign another winger or two.
Overall performance in the transfer market this season: 5.5/10
