Rasmus Hojlund: Unfinished dream at Old Trafford
Rasmus Hojlund once visited Man United in joy. He believes he will stay with the club for a long time, but after a disappointing season with only 10 goals in 52 matches (4 goals in the Premier League), Hojlund has become a symbol of the mistakes of the scouting system.
In the US tour, there were signs of being left out when Hojlund lost his starting position to Matheus Cunha and was only allowed to enter the field from the bench. He was then left out of the list when Man United met Arsenal, Fulham and Grimsby. Finally, the board of directors including Omar Berrada, Jason Wilcox and Ruben Amorim finalized the sale of Hojlund to make way for a new centre-forward.
Hojlund was once confident that he was better than Sesko, who Man United accepted to spend 85 million Euros to bring home. He hopes his performance on the training ground will change Amorim's mind. But no, the deal with Napoli ended on the last day of the transfer window with a one-year loan clause of €6 million, with a buy-in clause of €44 million if the Serie A champions reached the Champions League final.
Why did you choose Sesko and ignore Watkins?
In the shortlist for strikers, Man United consider Benjamin Sesko and Ollie Watkins. Finally, prioritizing their age and development potential made them choose Sesko. Christopher Vivell Recruitment director plays a key role, having worked with the Slovenia striker in Salzburg and Leipzig.
Previously, the "Red Devils" approached Liam Delap but failed because he chose Chelsea. Notably, Amorim's side are even considering an iconic option, which would be to bring Danny Welbeck back to Old Trafford. Although Welbeck scored 10 goals for Brighton last season and was considered experienced, Sir Jim Ratcliffe did not agree to sign a long-term contract with a player who is 35 years old.
target of missing Carlos Baleba
Along with hunting for the striker, Amorim repeatedly urged the leadership to bring Carlos Baleba from Brighton. He believes the 21-year-old midfielder has speed and the ability to break through, a key factor for the "number 8" role in the 3-4-2-1 system.
Man United have even reached an individual deal with Baleba, receiving active counseling from Andre Onana, Bryan Mbeumo and Leny Yoro. However, when Brighton closed the £115 million price, the deal collapsed.
In the context of not being able to buy a midfielder, Man United was in trouble when Kobbie Mainoo asked to leave on loan. However, the England star's offer was not accepted and Amorim confirmed he would give Mainoo more chances this season.
The story of goalkeepers: Lammens, Martinez and Onana
One of the biggest highlights of the transfer window was the Senne Lammens deal from Royal Antwerp (21 million Euros + 4 million Euros in add-ons). This was a turning point decision after Andre Onana made consecutive mistakes while Altay Bayindir was not trustworthy enough.
In fact, Amorim initially wanted Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa. However, financial barriers (wanes higher than Onana, transfer fees exceeding 30 million pounds) have caused Man United to give up. Donnarumma (PSG) and Diogo Costa (porto) were also considered but not feasible.
Lammens is only 23 years old and has only had one starting season in Belgium as a risky choice. However, statistics show that he is among the goalkeepers with the highest number of expected goals conceded to prevent defeat in Europe. In the eyes of experts, Lammens has enough potential to become the number 1 goalkeeper of the Belgian national team after Thibaut Courtois.
Rashford, Garnacho, Antony and Sancho
To balance finances, Man United has a strong policy of clearing. Marcus Rashford was loaned to Barcelona, saving about 15 million pounds/year in salary. Alejandro Garnacho joined Chelsea for £40 million, lower than the market value but was forced to sell due to fierce conflict with Amorim.
Antony returned to Real Betis, this time in a sell-off with a fee of 22 million Euros + 3 million Euros in add-ons, with a 50% resell clause. Sancho went to Aston Villa on loan, the Villa Park team will pay 80% of his salary.
In total, Man United earned about 80 million pounds (including loan fees and resell terms). If Napoli activates the purchase of Hojlund (38 million pounds), the figure will exceed the target of 100 million pounds.
Bruno Fernandes, Project 90 and financial strategy
Bruno Fernandes has received a huge offer from Al Hilal of €100 million in transfer fees, with a salary of €40 million/year. However, the Portuguese midfielder was determined to stay.
In terms of finances, Man United is implementing a "Project 90" - a plan to increase the budget by 90 million pounds per year. This comes from cutting operating costs, boosting trade and especially improving player trading. In addition, the Old Trafford team has expanded the revolving credit limit from 300 million pounds.
