LvG and Mourinho have both talked about transfer shortlists at United. Whether it's currently Costa and Traore or somebody else is irrelevant.
In 2013, Woodward pursued Fabregas right up to the final day despite it being clear he wouldn't come. For all this other faults, this season he's already moved on from Sancho and got Van de Beek.
In Moyes' own words:
https://www.sportbible.com/football...marouane-fellaini-signing-for-united-20171013
Moyes wanting Fabregas and Bale is not a bad thing.
The error was at the negotiation level from Woodward. Any decent negotiator needs to know when to walk away if a deal is impossible. They also know not to be backed into a corner to the point when you're forced into a panic. Woodward was guilty of both.
He should have worked from a shortlist the way we do nowadays. I question our competence competence in doing so, but that's a different point I've talked about that further up.