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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has made significant improvements at the club. However, the bad habits of the previous regime are still here. The negotiation of transfer fees and squad planning remains a significant question mark at Old Trafford.
Although the Red Devils improved last season, their season ended severely as they saw their local rivals, Manchester City, win the treble. Looking at the difference in their squad planning and negotiation team, you can say that the Blue side of Manchester deserve what they are getting. Despite the improvement, Manchester United is still far from challenging Pep Guardiola's men for the big titles.
The reason behind the difference between both clubs is enormous. In this article, we will give examples of why Manchester United is the worst-running club, not just in Manchester but probably in Europe.
Player Sales
Last summer, Manchester City made more money from player sales than Manchester United have in the previous decade. That statistic alone should explain how badly the Red Devils are run. Guardiola's men made £143m on the sales of Oleksandr Zinchenko, Raheem Sterling, and Gabriel Jesus, respectively. They managed to land Erling Haaland and Kalvin Phillips for £95m. Hence, they made a profit and also elevated their first team.
On the other hand, Manchester United made just £11m on their player sales last summer. Moreover, they splashed out £208m on player sales, which included £85m on Antony alone. Pereira enjoyed a fantastic debut campaign at Fulham, having ten goal contributions. On the other hand, Antony scored only eight goals in his first season at Old Trafford. The difference between the value for money is massive between both clubs. And it is shown by their positions on the Premier League table.
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The Harry Maguire saga
Harry Maguire's transfer saga becomes hilarious every day he spends at Manchester United. The former Leicester City man was a target for Jose Mourinho in 2018 when he was only available for £60m, but the club refused to buy him then.
Maguire's transfer value increased after his fantastic season at the King Power Stadium the following season. Moreover, Manchester City were interested in acquiring his services. However, Guardiola pulled the plug on this deal after Leicester City demanded £100m for him. City drew the line at £70m, and United agreed on the price of £80m.
As the Red Devils had paid more for Maguire than Liverpool did for Virgil van Dijk, it was expected that England International would impact the team the same way as the Dutchman. However, the reality was reversed as Maguire became the fifth-choice central defender.
Manchester United would be happy to offload the former Hull City man this summer and have put a price tag of £50m this summer. He has two years left on his deal at Old Trafford, which allows the club to ask for a decent amount of money. However, even if a club goes for their desired fee, United will face a loss of £30m.
The David de Gea saga
David de Gea is one of many big-profile players to leave the club as a free agent. Last summer, Paul Pogba walked away from Old Trafford without a selling value. Manchester United's pursuit of Mason Mount and Andre Onana have overshadowed the treatment they have given to the Spaniard. The club reportedly agreed on a new contract with the former Atletico Madrid man, and he was set to join the team on the pre-season tour in July. However, the agreement was taken away from him in a shocking development.
Onana is an upgrade on De Gea on several metrics. However, it doesn't mean that you treat a club legend like that. The treatment of the Spaniard wasn't the first mistake that the club made. In 2019, they offered him a ridiculous £375m per week contract, making him the highest-paid Premier League player. The lack of class shown by the Red Devils goes way back. There is a reason why Cristiano Ronaldo, Ander Herrera, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Pogba have all criticized Manchester United for their ambition and infrastructure.
