Manchester United have spent the summer trying to avoid the past as much as they've tried to fix the future.
Errors made in the transfer market have shaped much of the club's strategy in the window. The aim above everything else has been to move the squad forward -- but without the kinds of missteps that have previously set them back.
Some fans will argue that an unwillingness to spend big in a summer when Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have all spent £100 million or more on a single player represents a lack of ambition. CEO Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox would say that a degree of caution is necessary given what's happened before.
Why? Because Manchester United find it harder than most clubs to move on from recruitment mistakes.
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Manuel Ugarte is one example. The Uruguayan arrived at Old Trafford for a fee of more than £50 million in 2024 and after two underwhelming campaigns, he was available for transfer in this window. The club knew that to balance the books, they would need a bid of around £20 million -- something that was unlikely given his recent form and wage demands.
The best they could hope for was to arrange a loan with a club willing to cover Ugarte's salary. In the end, a serious knee injury at the World Cup ended any hopes of a move, and United will have Ugarte's wages paid by the FIFA Club Protection Programme for players injured while on international duty.
However, the injury only kicks the issue down the road. Ugarte has a contract until June 2029, which means United will be left looking for another solution next summer and possibly beyond. It's a problem that could potentially drag on for another three years, and it's exactly the type of situation Berrada and Wilcox want to avoid.
Midfielder makeover
After revamping the forward line a year ago, the priority this summer was to fix the midfield.
United opted for three players with Premier League experience -- Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba -- for an overall sum of £155 million. Sources tell ESPN that the trio were considered cost-effective, low-risk deals, when set against the backdrop of a market which has seen midfielders Elliot Anderson (to Man City), Sandro Tonali (to Tottenham) and Enzo Fernández (to Man City) move for a combined £341 million.