Manchester United name John Murtough as Football Director and Darren Fletcher as Technical Director

[OmarUnited4ever]

Not to get ahead of myself, but with Hojlund deal already agreed, the club has basically completed 3 signings within the month of July (Mount, Onana and Hojlund).

Compared to last summer, only Malacia and Eriksen were signed by end of July, Martinez joined late July early August, Cas joined late Aug and Antony signed in early September.

Glad to see there is improvement in closing deals quickly and getting the targets in well before the season starts

 

[baskinginthesun]

Not to get ahead of myself, but with Hojlund deal already agreed, the club has basically completed 3 signings within the month of July (Mount, Onana and Hojlund).

Compared to last summer, only Malacia and Eriksen were signed by end of July, Martinez joined late July early August, Cas joined late Aug and Antony signed in early September.

Glad to see there is improvement in closing deals quickly and getting the targets in well before the season starts

Yeah. Things seem to be a bit more cleaner and bit more efficient. Glad to see some evolution in our transfer business.

 

[Castia]

They’ve done a really good job this summer. Deals have been done quickly and we’ve negotiated well.

Would be nice if we can clear a few players out now and maybe add 1-2 more

 

[Tom Van Persie]

Getting business done quickly. I like it.

 

[limerickcitykid]

Not to get ahead of myself, but with Hojlund deal already agreed, the club has basically completed 3 signings within the month of July (Mount, Onana and Hojlund).

Compared to last summer, only Malacia and Eriksen were signed by end of July, Martinez joined late July early August, Cas joined late Aug and Antony signed in early September.

Glad to see there is improvement in closing deals quickly and getting the targets in well before the season starts

How is Hojlund a July signing despite not being announced yet but Martinez who was announced and even played a match in July doesn’t count as a July signing?

 

[OmarUnited4ever]

They’ve done a really good job this summer. Deals have been done quickly and we’ve negotiated well.

Would be nice if we can clear a few players out now and maybe add 1-2 more

Agreed and the hardest bit is to ship players on high wages (Martial & Maguire) but I hope we can sell the likes of VdB & Fred relatively easy, Henderson will be loaned and his purchase option will be triggered soonish if NFFC and the club agree or come to a compromise, and hopefully AlNassr cough up couple of millions for Bailly as they did with Telles, and with Elanga sold hopefully we clear 6 or 7 players from the squad.

 

[OmarUnited4ever]

How is Hojlund a July signing despite not being announced yet but Martinez who was announced and even played a match in July doesn’t count as a July signing?

Damn I just checked and saw the BBC article on the same day as the club announced which made me assume the club announced later... My bad..

But the point stands to some extent

 

[Escobar]

Early, decent prices, not much noise. Lets hope for similar success on the sale side

 

[Tom Van Persie]

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[Idxomer]

How is he getting praised when he's overpaying for everyone? Even Woodward negotiated some deals much better.

 

[PlayerOne]

Let's see how the signings do before we can judge their work. I would like a few more unknown signings too

 

[Abraxas]

Not too bad. I'd give him a B on the buying side. He clearly seems to have got the manager's main targets as far as we can discern, Kane excepted, and Kane was ruled out very early so was no distraction at all.
As a manager you can't complain about getting clear information and the majority of your targets. You can complain if they get your eighth target on a list or it drags out and you can't plan.

Has he overpaid to do that? Almost certainly on this Hojlund deal, but not so much on the others. But at some point you have to look at the alternative options, work out how much they'd cost and whether the saving is really worth making. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't, probably on a striker it isn't.

 

[simonhch]

I think this summer we are seeing the first proper summer of Murtough and his full recruitment team, including data analysts. And it shows. Three top class signings in before the end of July, all three the top choice of the manager, and all in for reasonable fees. Onana 43m up front, Mount 55m up front, and Hojlund 56m up front. All wrapped up quickly, efficiently, without sagas, and at good prices considering the market.

Now on to the sales. If we can shift out Maguire, Fred, McTominay, Van der Beek, Henderson and Williams to go along with the releases of Jones, Tuanzebe and De Gea, and the 25m raised from selling Elanga, Telles and Bailly; we will be in a great position of having reduced the wage bill significantly, and improved the squad considerably.

Organise loans for Pellistri, Hannibal and Greenwood - maybe even sales with buy back clauses - and give fringe first team places to Amad and Mainoo; we can then use the raised funds from sales to add Amrabat and a fourth choice CB.

Next summer/January we should be looking for an elite attacking right back to compliment Antony, and rotate with a more defensive option in Wan-Bissaka. Moving Dalot on in the process. Next summer might also be the time, depending on how things go this season, to move on Sancho, and add another elite wide forward who can operate on either side.

 

[M Bison]

Done a great job getting these over the line imo. The club has backed EtH and it sets us up nicely for next season.

Looking forward to season kicking off

 

[Stobzilla]

How is he getting praised when he's overpaying for everyone? Even Woodward negotiated some deals much better.

The only.one we have presently overpaid for is Anthony as far as I can tell?

Everything else seems about right from a market value stand point, the Mount one was weird if only because Chelsea genuinely don't care if they lose him for nothing because he cost them nothing to begin with.

 

[Morpheus 7]

Why is the man getting any praise, deserves to be absolutely hammered for the fees this summer for players. The United got a good deal, garbage. He's pissed from Barcelona last Summer and gone to Italy for Arnold again negotiating ha.

Lack of movement with selling players. We got our players in before August will start now in here. That's normal for a club that actually know who there targets are.

 

[BBer13]

Woodward used to get deals done, very big deals in fact but nearly every signing under him had very little in the way of planning. As director of football you need to be in sync with the manager and recruitment department to get the players who best fit the team. If Murtough gets every player the manager wants backed by scouts and proper recruitment process, in my eyes he is doing a decent job. Some will never be happy because of the legacy left to him by Woodward which stuck to him from the start of his tenure.

 

[Rightnr]

So we got the asking price down from €90m to €85m for someone who's less proven than Nunez. Don't get me wrong, I like the signing but wtf is this negotiation.

People were joking that the Atalanta negotiator was the guy who scammed us for £80m for Maguire but he's done it bloody again.

Granted, Hojlund is a striker, prices are inflated and the market is short of these players but come on. Don't anyone praise this guy as if he's rewriting the transfer negotiation book.

 

[Andycoleno9]

Does this guy even negotiate? We are ending up with paying close to what selling club wanted (and way above our starting valuation).
You don't fecking need to buy every player which you manager wants. Move on to another target then and there. Now every club in Europe know that when Murtough is coming he will pay whatever is needed.

Good thing is that this is his last summer as Dof at least.

 

[Idxomer]

The only.one we have presently overpaid for is Anthony as far as I can tell?

Everything else seems about right from a market value stand point, the Mount one was weird if only because Chelsea genuinely don't care if they lose him for nothing because he cost them nothing to begin with.

I disagree. I think we overpaid to different degrees for all the big transfers under his watch so far, except maybe Martinez. Even if those were really market value, he doesn't seem like he can find any bargains. I wouldn't praise him for his negotiation skills either way. It's good though he got Ten Hag's main targets earlier this summer.

 

[dutchred]

As I understand it the DOF does not negotiate the price. If I understand correctly how it worked at Ajax. ETH wants an attacking midfielder preferably leftfotted. He informs Marc Overmars, who uses his scouts to find the right player within the price ranged determined by the Finance people. In the end ETH and Overmars select the player they want at a price the Financial people are hapy with.

 

[mu4c_20le]

Good thing is that this is his last summer as Dof at least.

Is this confirmed, or are you just assuming because of the sale?

 

[UnitedSofa]

Does this guy even negotiate? We are ending up with paying close to what selling club wanted (and way above our starting valuation).
You don't fecking need to buy every player which you manager wants. Move on to another target then and there. Now every club in Europe know that when Murtough is coming he will pay whatever is needed.

Good thing is that this is his last summer as Dof at least.

Ffs 3 signings in the space of a month and it’s STILL not good enough, feck me.

 

[alexthelion]

Why is the man getting any praise, deserves to be absolutely hammered for the fees this summer for players. The United got a good deal, garbage. He's pissed from Barcelona last Summer and gone to Italy for Arnold again negotiating ha.

Lack of movement with selling players. We got our players in before August will start now in here. That's normal for a club that actually know who there targets are.

Wrong on just about everything you've said.

 

[Andycoleno9]

Ffs 3 signings in the space of a month and it’s STILL not good enough, feck me.

Mate, lets be honest here; these kind of signings me and you could deliver. Manager pointed out who he wants and John payed what is needed.

 

[Morpheus 7]

Wrong on just about everything you've said.

Really, okay explain why?

 

[Andycoleno9]

Is this confirmed, or are you just assuming because of the sale?

Rumours were that both Jassim and Jim have their guy for that job. Every new owner hires his people on most important jobs (Dof, CEO) inside a club.

 

[Escobar]

Moaning non stop. But no other team would have gotten these players cheaper, he’ll even PSG got rejected

 

[mu4c_20le]

Rumours were that both Jassim and Jim have their guy for that job. Every new owner hires his people on most important jobs (Dof, CEO) inside a club.

If the Glazers stay, then he's going nowhere. He just got the job and is probably 'delivering' according to them.

 

[Tiber]

Onana signed on a free transfer 12 months ago. Hojlund signed for 15m 12 months ago. We had the chance to sign Caicedo for a pittance a couple of years ago.

Positive we are getting deals across the line, but maybe we could start spotting them a little earlier.

 

[K Stand Knut]

Mate, lets be honest here; these kind of signings me and you could deliver. Manager pointed out who he wants and John payed what is needed.

And you’d have done what differently, Einstein??

Not sure what anybody’s problem is.

EDIT - bar being a keyboard warrior on the Internet and having nothing else to whinge about

 

[SAF is the GOAT]

Rasmus Højlund deal structure:

- €70m guaranteed fee

- €5m in easy add-ons

- €10m in difficult add-ons

 

[Andycoleno9]

As I understand it the DOF does not negotiate the price. If I understand correctly how it worked at Ajax. ETH wants an attacking midfielder preferably leftfotted. He informs Marc Overmars, who uses his scouts to find the right player within the price ranged determined by the Finance people. In the end ETH and Overmars select the player they want at a price the Financial people are hapy with.

And that is exactly how things should work. Exactly like that.
In United manager is the one who names player and say to DoF; "Fetch, boy"

 

[Maureen-yo]

Why is the man getting any praise, deserves to be absolutely hammered for the fees this summer for players. The United got a good deal, garbage. He's pissed from Barcelona last Summer and gone to Italy for Arnold again negotiating ha.

Lack of movement with selling players. We got our players in before August will start now in here. That's normal for a club that actually know who there targets are.

So you admit he’s done a good job by getting in the players that the manager identified he wanted in before the end of August. Hence him getting praise

 

[Andycoleno9]

If the Glazers stay, then he's going nowhere. He just got the job and is probably 'delivering' according to them.

They will sell.

 

[Van Piorsing]

If United didn't pay that money, PSG could. Risk was on every side of the coin, it seems.

It's done, and Hojlund is United striker. On to the next target.

 

[Andycoleno9]

And you’d have done what differently, Einstein??

Not sure what anybody’s problem is.

EDIT - bar being a keyboard warrior on the Internet and having nothing else to whinge about

If you don't see it then i can't help you. And your tone is completely out of order.

 

[K Stand Knut]

If you don't see it then i can't help you. And your tone is completely out of order.

Wow!!! Not sure you’d do much better than anyone at the negotiating table if you think my tone is out of order. What would you do, walk out fighting the tears back if someone told you that they didn’t agree with your first bid.

I dont see it, no. I see a lot of people getting upset because we’ve secured our third summer signing, which in some people’s opinions, are the manager’s first choice signings.

And then whinging about the price, which clearly the media don’t really know what is or isn’t correct. There are 3 or 4 different priced quoted on the last page alone.

Then there is you claiming that you could have done the same deals but then getting upset at the tone of the first reply to your post.

 

[Andycoleno9]

So you admit he’s done a good job by getting in the players that the manager identified he wanted in before the end of August. Hence him getting praise

For quickness i give him praise this year. The fact that manager will have full team this early in season IS a huge thing. Respect for that.

 

[Howl]

Really, okay explain why?

You expect us to sell players easily? Where is this confidence coming from? How is anyone supposed to sell a player like Maguire for, lets say, 30 million, when he's on 200k a week. West Ham are supposedly interested right? That 200k a week makes him their highest earner. Nobody in their right mind is going to go for that, as he isn't going to lower his demands, and quite frankly why should he? Its the same for players like Henderson, who is on 120k a week. Forest want him but at 120k he becomes their highest earner, as a goalkeeper. You must be living in La-La Land to just expect them to snap their fingers and magically sell players. What you say is just not based in reality. What we paid for Onana wasn't too bad, Ederson signed for City in 2017 for about the same. Kepa signed for Chelsea in 2018 for 80 million. Allison signed the same year for 62 million. The 45 million for Onana doesn't sound that bad in context. Mount, maybe was a bit much considering his 1 year left, but compared to Rice for 105 million, Maddison for 46 million, or Tonali for 64 million, or even Szoboszlai for 70 million, it's again not that bad. And that's without even talking about Havertz.

Then your going to complain about 75 million or w/e for Hojlund, and I'm sure you will say we should only have paid like 50 million. Well, lets see what that number gets you. Matheus Cunha was 50 million, Richarlison was 60 million, Abraham was 40 million etc. Hell, we signed Martial in 2015 for 50 million. The striker signing in particular we were always going to get raked across the coals for. Everyone and their dog knows we desperately need one because Martial is a crock, MG is an idiot, and then we have no one else other than those two.