Wot, no transfers? (2026)

[Mr Anderson]

A bit of a worry now, the depth is really there.

Only a Shaw injury away from Amass at left back, it’s not good enough. Need someone in there now and we’ve know this for awhile and not at all tackled. Fair Maz can play there but the Maz for Morocco and the Maz for United seem to be 2 different people!

Zirkzee is muck so a striker (backup or experienced) is needed.

Midfield is looking ok but still an injury away from shoehorning someone in for Santos since Ugarte is also out for an extended period.

Really needed 3 bodies in. Doesn’t have to be worldies, need to uncover talent and not just buy the lads that cut it at Brighton or Bournemouth and pay 3 times what they got them for

 

[UnitedSofa]

This post is contradictory as you start off by saying "If things change you have contingencies in place" and then say "now you gotta decide which direction to go in" and list a number of variables, a contingency plan would already factor in these variables.

A list of 3 players who all do different things isn't a plan, it's a shortlist.

If you arrive at the summer window and still need to answer basic, fundamental questions like "How much money do we have" or "what direction do we want to go in" that means you did not do any contingency planning.

It’s not contradictory at all.

Why would you waste time diving deeper into your third choice options, your contingency plans if you don’t need to? What a complete waste of time that would be.

So you get a player of Anderson’s quality in and Fernandes and you kind of understand what direction you want to go in for your 2nd and 3rd options for midfield.

Now both those options have changed and you now have 2 completely different midfielders in who were different to your first and 2nd choice. Now those 3rd options will look different because they have to complement two different players who you had originally planned.

You’re being incredibly reductive and making it sound simple, it’s not. Especially in terms of budget. The point being if you spent £80+M on Touchameni, do we have enough to cover LB position?

Because Rashford is looking likely to stay, which we had I would think have been fairly confident that he was going, now that’s changed.

Football is not as simple or reductive as us fans would like it to be. You make it sound like it’s an easy job. It isn’t. Things change in football and in life, it’s forever moving and you gotta change and move in all sorts of directions that you had planned.

You can’t plan for every single eventuality just to make it seem like football manager or Fifa. Things change all the time.

 

[dwd]

The discontent amongst the fanbase certainly seems to be rumbling again.

 

[Crimson King]

It’s not contradictory at all.

Why would you waste time diving deeper into your third choice options, your contingency plans if you don’t need to? What a complete waste of time that would be.

So you get a player of Anderson’s quality in and Fernandes and you kind of understand what direction you want to go in for your 2nd and 3rd options for midfield.

Now both those options have changed and you now have 2 completely different midfielders in who were different to your first and 2nd choice. Now those 3rd options will look different because they have to complement two different players who you had originally planned.

You’re being incredibly reductive and making it sound simple, it’s not. Especially in terms of budget. The point being if you spent £80+M on Touchameni, do we have enough to cover LB position?

Because Rashford is looking likely to stay, which we had I would think have been fairly confident that he was going, now that’s changed.

Football is not as simple or reductive as us fans would like it to be. You make it sound like it’s an easy job. It isn’t. Things change in football and in life, it’s forever moving and you gotta change and move in all sorts of directions that you had planned.

You can’t plan for every single eventuality just to make it seem like football manager or Fifa. Things change all the time.

Too many people have brain rot from playing FM, as you've pointed out

 

[Crimson King]

The discontent amongst the fanbase certainly seems to be rumbling again.

Probably only the chronically online, so those on here and the even bigger cesspool that is X/Twitter.

Although, I imagine there's a fair bit of crossover there...

 

[Lennon7]

He's a very good player - and he's only here because he had a buyout clause!

Sorry what's that got to do with anything? Would you rather we spent £80m on him, his true value?

 

[Utd heap]

The discontent amongst the fanbase certainly seems to be rumbling again.

August freaks everyone out as it normally means the season is close - not as dramatic this year.

 

[dwd]

Probably only the chronically online, so those on here and the even bigger cesspool that is X/Twitter.

Although, I imagine there's a fair bit of crossover there...

How dare you!

 

[always_score99]

It’s not contradictory at all.

Why would you waste time diving deeper into your third choice options, your contingency plans if you don’t need to? What a complete waste of time that would be.

Because that is the literal definition of a contingency plan. They exist precisely so you don't have to scramble when things go wrong, and calling it a "waste of time" when the club is currently in this exact situation is a pretty massive logical failure.

So you get a player of Anderson’s quality in and Fernandes and you kind of understand what direction you want to go in for your 2nd and 3rd options for midfield.

Now both those options have changed and you now have 2 completely different midfielders in who were different to your first and 2nd choice. Now those 3rd options will look different because they have to complement two different players who you had originally planned.

Airlines plan for crashes, tech companies plan for server meltdowns and football clubs plan for missing out on targets. In every major industry organisations spend thousands of hours planning for scenarios they hope will never happen.

United employs dozens of data analysts, scouts and administrative staff whose only job is to deep dive into these options.

You’re being incredibly reductive and making it sound simple, it’s not. Especially in terms of budget. The point being if you spent £80+M on Touchameni, do we have enough to cover LB position?

Because Rashford is looking likely to stay, which we had I would think have been fairly confident that he was going, now that’s changed.

Football is not as simple or reductive as us fans would like it to be. You make it sound like it’s an easy job. It isn’t. Things change in football and in life, it’s forever moving and you gotta change and move in all sorts of directions that you had planned.

You can’t plan for every single eventuality just to make it seem like football manager or Fifa. Things change all the time.

You fundamentally misunderstand what executive planning actually is, describing preparation for worst-case scenarios as a "complete waste of time" is the exact opposite of how elite, multi billion-pound organisations operate. Things changing all the time is precisely why major industries model out so many different scenarios.

Too many people have brain rot from playing FM, as you've pointed out

Ironically it's you who seems to view football recruitment like a casual game of fantasy football.

 

[ManhattanRed]

This is quickly turning into a bit of a mess. First week of August gone and we’ve only signed 2 first team players. I do think we will end up signing more players but to not have them in earlier isn’t the smartest strategy.

We need to make moves now and be fast.

 

[Gabriel Djemba-Bebe]

I have a feeling we're waiting on Rodri to sign for Madrid before we make our 3rd CM signing. Hopefully it's Tchouameni, but I can see it being Camavinga.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

We are going to sign more players, I don’t understand all the hysteria that our window is over.

The club isn’t going to spend a fortune and I think when the window shuts it will likely be viewed as underwhelming overall but there is plenty of time left.

"I don't understand why people are annoyed that the club has seemingly fecked up a prime opportunity to upgrade the squad to a level that can see them challenge on multiple fronts while continuously misreading market movements and being unable to complete any deal that doesn't involve paying sticker price or a release clause."

 

[Overhaul FC]

The goalpost moving in the funniest part from those defending the clubs management making so few signings.

Most people estimated we needed 6-10 new players given who was leaving/going to be sold/released.

We're currently at 3, being two mids and a backup GK.

Anyone that isn't calling for 3-7 more players is lying to themselves, or has forgot how they felt at the end of last season.

 

[Overhaul FC]

"I don't understand why people are annoyed that the club has seemingly fecked up a prime opportunity to upgrade the squad to a level that can see them challenge on multiple fronts while continuously misreading market movements and being unable to complete any deal that doesn't involve paying sticker price or a release clause."

Some people are just suckers that buy propaganda. Some can't read between the lines. We're either broke or don't want to compete in 4 competitions. That's the truth.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

The discontent amongst the fanbase certainly seems to be rumbling again.

Understandably so, considering what Carrick managed to do to save INEOS ass in the spring and the opportunity to push ourselves further forward in the pecking order this summer. No one was going to be happy with some 30m net spend window where we've bowed out of making any sort of signing that might cost more than our "best in class analysis" says a player should cost.

 

[Roboc7]

"I don't understand why people are annoyed that the club has seemingly fecked up a prime opportunity to upgrade the squad to a level that can see them challenge on multiple fronts while continuously misreading market movements and being unable to complete any deal that doesn't involve paying sticker price or a release clause."

The window hasn’t shut so there is no need for all the panic and too many Goldbridge impressions around. Everyone buys into the clickbait and made up rumours and now people complaining there aren’t enough of them as well.

If this is still our squad when the window shuts I completely understand but plenty of time left.

 

[red_de_pologne]

This is quickly turning into a bit of a mess. First week of August gone and we’ve only signed 2 first team players. I do think we will end up signing more players but to not have them in earlier isn’t the smartest strategy.

We need to make moves now and be fast.

Well, we might've thought we're well equipped for the start of the season so we can "afford" a couple late August signings due to market opportunity, implications of other deals etc. I'd be stunned if we don't make at least two first team level signings

 

[NewGlory]

The whole point of every corporate structure is to minimize the impact of intangible factors like luck.

So if our strategy is hoping we get lucky and players like Mount, Shaw, Martinez, De Ligt, Maguire remain largely injury free, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary over the last few years, then that's not only poor planning but quite frankly deserving of a poor season.

This!

And you said it much more calmly and politely, than I would have. Our fecking management is playing roulette with our club. It is infuriating

 

[Herman Toothrot]

You probably don’t even hear it when it happens.

 

[Rooney1987]

Some people are just suckers that buy propaganda. Some can't read between the lines. We're either broke or don't want to compete in 4 competitions. That's the truth.

Suckers for propaganda? It's football transfers not North Korea. Who the feck talks like this, you lot let this shit get to you to easily. Today is suckers propaganda yesterday I got called an Ineos cult because I said the window isn't shut yet lets leave the panic for a few more weeks. No Im not saying you can't be worried even I am a little but this full panic mode your all Ineos shills if you call it out needs to stop.

 

[Roboc7]

Some people are just suckers that buy propaganda. Some can't read between the lines. We're either broke or don't want to compete in 4 competitions. That's the truth.

What is the propaganda?. Isn’t it fairly obvious the club isn’t awash with huge transfer funds?.

I would argue it is the opposite, too many have bought into the idea we would be spending fortunes or paying ludicrous sums for players and are now buying into any negative story even though the window hasn’t shut.

 

[Crimson King]

Ironically it's you who seems to view football recruitment like a casual game of fantasy football.

How have you come to that conclusion?

 

[Sarni]

There'll always be injury risks though, it's the same with other clubs as well. Arsenal won the league and got to the UCL final they had important players getting injured across the season. There's no guarantee any new addition wouldn't have injury issues as well.

Rashford is more than fine as a rotational option. People like to talk about Zirkzee like he's actually the second pick for the 9 role when he's actually 3rd or 4th pick. Dorgu started 3 games under Carrick and got like 3 goals and an assist. For a rotation option he's more than fine. Check out the competition options to get a clearer picture.

Martinez and de Ligt are not injury risks, you pretty much know both will be out for half a season or so based on existing evidence. Their availability is a bonus rather than something you can count on. Shaw’s availability has been inconsistent but at his age, and given his fitness record, you should not count on him for more than 30-35 games a year in my view.

I’m not really advocating to bring backups for odd, unlikely injury crises which is why I think our midfield and attack are fine. Most players, Mount aside, are quite reliable and I don’t think you need to be prepared for when 3-4 of them are out because you can pretty much never be prepared for that anyway. We don’t need two XIs but we should not be relying on injury prone players.

 

[RedRover]

Sorry what's that got to do with anything? Would you rather we spent £80m on him, his true value?

It highlights a point that a lot of fans are concerned about - that the club are shopping at a level lower than other top clubs in terms of fees.

It's a good deal, but absent of more being done in this window to address obvious issues in the squad, it doesn't represent evidence of any real ambition.

 

[RedRover]

The whole point of every corporate structure is to minimize the impact of intangible factors like luck.

So if our strategy is hoping we get lucky and players like Mount, Shaw, Martinez, De Ligt, Maguire remain largely injury free, despite plenty of evidence to the contrary over the last few years, then that's not only poor planning but quite frankly deserving of a poor season.

I reckon Jim doesn't accept top people in his business being able to do their job, maybe, 50% of the time and simply hope that's enough to keep the share price high.

 

[Keanohat]

I think what some people calling for patience are failing to see... this was a big summer with UCL secured and considering all the manager changes in PL top sides plus Bruno form and age at 32, prob have 1 or 2 seasons at peak before dropoff. He deserved his club going all out to build best possible team challenge for titles in next 2 seasons.

That hasn't been the case, no matter what people say about value for money etc when the whole market has moved, then you have to move with it or get left behind.

If the club really thought Mat Fernandes was worth £80m and that's 1st choice target at CM.. then you still have to get it done at £85m. 22 y o with some PL exp, if it works you have a CM for 10 years if it doesn't.. still can sell within 2 seasons for ~£30m-£40m.

It wasn't a one off - Tonali (26) /Bruno G (29) all going for similar money, Rogers at £117m is 4th most expensive transfer in history! We are being naïve if we think somehow found magic recruitment formula that will take us to the top whilst City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool are making £100millions+ signings every summer.

Santos is gd young player but remember Chelsea let him go as they had better options. Tielemans was a good deal but he is 29yo with release clause wasn't exactly difficult to pull of.

The briefs to the press and signings so far suggest a club ambitions are limited to top 4 spot rather than challenge for titles.

 

[Lennon7]

It highlights a point that a lot of fans are concerned about - that the club are shopping at a level lower than other top clubs in terms of fees.

It's a good deal, but absent of more being done in this window to address obvious issues in the squad, it doesn't represent evidence of any real ambition.

I just don't get this logic, though. We've overspent on shit players for years. Are we actually annoyed that we've found an absolute bargain in a quality, experienced midfielder and it's an issue because we only spent £35m?

Would you rather we'd have spent £85m on M Fernandes, an unproven kid?

I'm actually glad we're not being dumb in the market anymore. We've been by far the worst, bar maybe Chelsea, and something needed to change.

 

[Ali Dia]

The goalpost moving in the funniest part from those defending the clubs management making so few signings.

Most people estimated we needed 6-10 new players given who was leaving/going to be sold/released.

We're currently at 3, being two mids and a backup GK.

Anyone that isn't calling for 3-7 more players is lying to themselves, or has forgot how they felt at the end of last season.

No serious club is ever going to go out and sign 6-10 new players for their first team in any summer and not expect a total and utter car crash of a first 6 months bedding in and eventually a hell of a lot of waste and if you're really unlucky a squad that dont like each other. This is why I said we were playing a blinder yesterday. The signings are clearly under financial constraint but they are considered and still of high quality and the right kind of profile.

Squad Balance is the key. If you really thought we'd go out and spend 5-600 million on players when we already owe a billion and only lost one real first teamer in Casemiro and a player who never played in Ugarte then I don't think anybody should be taking what you say seriously, to be totally fair.

Do we urgently need a backup left back while Shaw is fit and Amass is still at the club and there's Leon in the 23s and Maz and Dalot can both step in too? Calm down. Transfers clearly will happen when there's a good opportunity. Can you name me a few better LBs than Shaw at the monent apart from Hall off the top of your head? The last real chance we had to get someone better to actually take over from Shaw was Nuno Mendes and I was all for it. There's no point buying someone worse than your starter and developing them when you already have similar options

 

[devilish]

No serious club is ever going to go out and sign 6-10 new players for their first team in any summer and not expect a total and utter car crash of a first 6 months bedding in and a eventually a hell of a lot of waste and if you're really unlucky a squad that dont like each other. This is why I said we were playing blinder yesterday. The signings are clearly under financial constraint but they are considered and still of high quality and the right kind of profile.

Squad Balance is the key. If you really thought we'd go out and spend 5-600 million on players when we already owe a billion and only lost one real first teamer in Casemiro and a player who never played in Ugarte then I don't think anybody should be taking what you say seriously, to be totally fair.

Do we urgently need a backup left back while Shaw is fit and Amass is still at the club and there's Leon in the 23s and Maz and Dalot can both step in too? Calm down. Transfers clearly will happen when there's a good opportunity. Can you name me a few better LBs than Shaw at the monent apart from Hall off the top of your head?

Shaw in his prime was a great player though overrated. This Shaw is a mid table EPL player at best. He had lost most of his speed and he lacks the stamina to constantly go up and down the pitch. On top of that he's a ticking time bomb.

 

[Ali Dia]

Shaw in his prime was a great player though overrated. This Shaw is a mid table EPL player at best. He had lost most of his speed and he lacks the stamina to constantly go up and down the pitch. On top of that he's a ticking time bomb.

He might be a ticking time bomb fitness wise but he's not a midtable fullback. He's as good as Hall currently is. He plays for the team in 3rd going into the champions league after one of his best seasons here and he deserves a chance to continue playing well

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

The window hasn’t shut so there is no need for all the panic and too many Goldbridge impressions around. Everyone buys into the clickbait and made up rumours and now people complaining there aren’t enough of them as well.

If this is still our squad when the window shuts I completely understand but plenty of time left.

No the window hasn't shut. But I had issues with how we were approaching the window a month ago, when the same thing was said. Even in June, before the window was "officially open".

Even if we panic sign a couple of more players (god knows who that will be at this point, I'll puke if it's Adams and Robinson), the process from INEOS has reeked of them believing in their own intelligence/"best in class" BS when the truth is we've made maybe one marginal upgrade to our starting XI (Tielemans) and have still yet to show any sort of competence in selling players or negotiating well in tougher deals.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

He might be a ticking time bomb fitness wise but he's not a midtable fullback. He's as good as Hall currently is. He plays for the team in 3rd going into the champions league after one of his best seasons here and he deserves a chance to continue playing well

Defensively yes probably. Attacking wise absolutely not. He doesn't have the mobility to burst forward and it hinders our left wide (which is compounded by not having a wide specialist either on that side).

 

[devilish]

He might be a ticking time bomb fitness wise but he's not a midtable fullback. He's as good as Hall currently is. He plays for the team in 3rd going into the champions league after one of his best seasons here and he deserves a chance to continue playing well

He really is. A modern LB must have the pace and the stamina to be able to bomb forward and then defend quickly. Gary Neville himself said that he'd probably struggle in the modern game because of it. That's what made Shaw great back in his prime but that time is over. Don't take me wrong, he can still do a job as a CB cover or as a LB cover but that's the extent of what he can do. We're talking of a guy with just 1 EPL assist last season and that's within a campaign were we played just 1 game a week which gave him ample time to recover.

 

[Ali Dia]

Defensively yes probably. Attacking wise absolutely not. He doesn't have the mobility to burst forward and it hinders our left wide (which is compounded by not having a wide specialist either on that side).

The stats and eye test say they are currently similar players. Shaw in his prime was a much better player and he's now a leader in the dressing room. I think a smart club waits for an even better LB to come along whether that's Hall after the season of his life and a year less on his contract or if someone emerges from abroad but I am currently pretty underwhelmed by the options mentioned. I feel like It's just a process of elimination these links and muppets need their fix

 

[Ali Dia]

He really is. A modern LB must have the pace and the stamina to be able to bomb forward and then defend quickly. Gary Neville himself said that he'd probably struggle in the modern game because of it. That's what made Shaw great back in his prime but that time is over. Don't take me wrong, he can still do a job as a CB cover or as a LB cover but that's the extent of what he can do. We're talking of a guy with just 1 EPL assist last season and that's within a campaign were we played just 1 game a week which gave him ample time to recover.

It's not fm, who are these full backs with loads of assists in the PL? There isn't a better LB in the PL at the minute. If he wasn't injury prone this wouldn't even be a debate. Yes he'll need rotation but as I said above we actually have options at the club to fill in. Not to take over but enough to fill in next season.

You'd swear we finished 15th again lads. We don't need to replace the whole squad that got us into the Champions League.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

The stats and eye test say they are currently similar players. Shaw in his prime was a much better player and he's now a leader in the dressing room. I think a smart club waits for an even better LB to come along whether that's Hall after the season of his life and a year less on his contract or if someone emerges from abroad but I am currently pretty underwhelmed by the options mentioned. I feel like It's just a process of elimination these links and muppets need their fix

Then I clearly rate Hall much higher than you. I think he's one of the best young LB prospects in Europe and most of the time those players aren't ever up for sale. Can play in different roles and systems, young, athletic, and also homegrown which is a bonus.

 

[romufc]

The stats and eye test say they are currently similar players. Shaw in his prime was a much better player and he's now a leader in the dressing room. I think a smart club waits for an even better LB to come along whether that's Hall after the season of his life and a year less on his contract or if someone emerges from abroad but I am currently pretty underwhelmed by the options mentioned. I feel like It's just a process of elimination these links and muppets need their fix

Its funny because over the last few days, Its almost as if Hall is the best LB in the world, missing out on him would be end of the world.

People go on as if he is Nuno Mendes.

I really rate Lewis Hall but 70m+ for him is excessive.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

It's not fm, who are these full backs with loads of assists in the PL? There isn't a better LB in the PL at the minute. If he wasn't injury prone this wouldn't even be a debate. Yes he'll need rotation but as I said above we actually have options at the club to fill in. Not to take over but enough to fill in next season.

You'd swear we finished 15th again lads. We don't need to replace the whole squad that got us into the Champions League.

We aren't replacing hardly anything mate. That's everyone's complaint. We've signed two midfielders while getting rid of one. Our left side of our attack from wide isn't good right now, no matter how much you rate Shaw. He's more of a width holder and recycler than anything more dynamic and he doesn't influence nearly as much in the final third as he did 5 years ago.

 

[devilish]

It's not fm, who are these full backs with loads of assists in the PL? There isn't a better LB in the PL at the minute. If he wasn't injury prone this wouldn't even be a debate. Yes he'll need rotation but as I said above we actually have options at the club to fill in. Not to take over but enough to fill in next season.

You'd swear we finished 15th again lads. We don't need to replace the whole squad that got us into the Champions League.

Gary Neville had played in the EPL from 92 till 2011. I think he knows a thing or two of what a fullback needs. Shaw lost a yard of pace. That wouldn't be a problem back in the 90s when FBs were basically makeshift CBs. It's a problem today were FBs are expected to carry the role of the traditional winger while concurrently still have fuel in the tank to quickly defend. You're probably the only United supporter (or one of the few) who think that Shaw can do the job as first team LB.

Also who mentioned 15th place?

 

[devilish]

Its funny because over the last few days, Its almost as if Hall is the best LB in the world, missing out on him would be end of the world.

People go on as if he is Nuno Mendes.

I really rate Lewis Hall but 70m+ for him is excessive.

That's fair enough and something I kind of agree with though tbf we'll be spending 70m on potential rather then what he'd be offering at present time. However its equally wrong to say that Luke Shaw is still good enough to be United's no 1 LB. Many underestimate what 2 games a week would do to the legs. We'll be lucky if he can be a squad player without breaking down as he usually does in such circumstances.