Grading the Manchester United transfer window
Manchester United had a productive transfer window and look ready to challenge for the Premier League title.
Manchester United and Jose Mourinho have made this window a busy one, and it looks to be paying off in the early parts of the Premier League season.
INS: Victor Lindelof, Benfica; Romelu Lukaku, Everton; Nemanja Matic, Chelsea; Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Unattached
OUTS: Josh Harrop, Preston North End (free); Regan Poole, Northampton Town (loan); Wayne Rooney, Everton; Dean Henderson, Shrewsbury Town (loan); Adnan Januzaj, Real Sociedad (undisclosed); Sam Johnstone, Aston Villa (loan); Devonte Redmond, Scunthorpe United (loan); Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Leeds United (loan); Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Crystal Palace (loan); Guillermo Varela, Penarol (undisclosed)
The outs
As it is plain to see, there are plenty of names that have departed Manchester United, with many of them being on loan. However, there are a few names that have departed, and it has all paid off thus far.
The only four names on the list above that have departed on a permanent basis are Rooney, Januzaj, Harrop and Varela. Rooney is arguably past his prime, and wasn’t performing to expectations, and the latter two are right to leave as well.
Throwing in Rooney to finalize, and complete, the signing of Lukaku was a fantastic deal. You send Rooney back to his boyhood club, you secure a pure goalscorer and you get a hefty paycheck off the books. What more can you ask of when selling a player?
As for Januzaj, he’s a totally different story. He broke onto the scene when David Moyes was in charge, and the hype train behind him was strong. His runs down the wings were refreshing, and him taking on the number 11 formerly worn by Ryan Giggs added to all the promise.
Despite all of that, it just wasn’t meant to be. Januzaj couldn’t find any sort of consistency under former manager Louis van Gaal, being loaned out in the process. Mourinho realized Januzaj had likely hit his peak, and he’s now going to be playing his trade with Real Sociedad.
The other name on the list of permanent moves is that of Guillermo Varela. A name brought in by Sir Alex Ferguson, there was very little known about the full-back. Despite Ferguson finding a few steals in the transfer window, Varela never panned out and is heading back to where he came from.
Harrop was an unknown quantity, and some will be wondering what could have been. Nonetheless, Harrop is heading to the Championship to continue his career.
As for the multiple names on the loan list, they have all seemed to be good business for the club. The likes of Fosu-Mensah and Borthwick-Jackson have shown promise, but were very unlikely to have found any first team chances. Them being able to play regularly is pivotal to their development.
The ins
The first name that was finalized in the summer transfer window was that of Victor Lindelof. Lindelof is another relatively unknown name added to the back line by Mourinho.
If there were any United supporters out there still doubting Mourinho’s ability to judge defensive talent, Eric Bailly should put that to rest. And while Lindelof hasn’t solidified a spot in the first team quite yet, there is promise. And with the center-back having age on his side, the back line looks to be as strong as ever.
Going in line with the philosophy that Mourinho employs, he raided his former employer for defensive midfielder Nemanja Matic. Much like the last Nemanja to start for United, he has won the fans over. His ball winning ability and discipline have already proven to be fantastic for the Red Devils.
Along with being a solid purchase, even when taking into account his age, there are other benefits to the signing of Matic. The signing of Matic has allowed players like Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini and Paul Pogba to venture further up the field, and they’ve all benefited from this new development in the system.
The last signing, and arguably the most important, was that of Lukaku. Lukaku, while some argue against his abilities, is the true goalscoring striker United have been looking for. While his career has many years left, he has already proven to have a knack for putting the ball in the back of the net.
Lukaku has already started scoring for United, and if he can continue it, he would undeniably justify his massive transfer fee. Despite his acquisition being an expensive one, he’s still a solid purchase.
The last name on the list, and one that Red Devil supporters are familiar with, is that of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Ibrahimovic finished as the leading goal scorer in both the Premier League and across all competitions for United last season.
Next: FanSided live transfer deadline deal tracker 2017
While his role is going to be diminished due to the signing of Lukaku, Ibrahimovic could very well play a pivotal role in helping United to challenge for the Premier League title. It won’t be until closer to January that he is ready to return, but the Swedish striker looks ready to be the super sub striker that United need to win the title.
Transfer Window Grade: A