Man Utd transfer window: Sancho scramble, Sesko interest – and a new way of business

It is not uncommon for Manchester United to still be active in the transfer market by the time the deadline draws near, but it is not always the case that they are the ones still holding the cards.

Once Manuel Ugarte’s arrival in an initial €50million move from Paris Saint-Germain was announced late on Friday evening, all the priority incomings were over the line and the only real outstanding item of business concerned the future of Jadon Sancho.

Talks were held with Chelsea and Juventus over a player United had been hoping to shift all summer long, but not at just any price.

As the clock ticked down, United held out for either a permanent sale or a loan with an obligation to buy. A conditional obligation, with a sale triggered after Sancho made a set number of appearances, for example, would also be considered.

Finding an agreement with Juventus was thought to be a more realistic and straightforward prospect, but talks with the Serie A club failed to reach an agreement on terms. And Sancho’s preference, in any case, was Chelsea.

Joe Shields, Chelsea’s co-director of recruitment and talent, was a youth scout at Manchester City when Sancho arrived from Watford in 2015 and has a good relationship with the player’s agent, Emeka Obasi.

Initial negotiations with the Stamford Bridge club earlier this week discussed the prospect of a swap involving Raheem Sterling. Chelsea made the proposal and United entertained it but did not wish to simply exchange one right-winger on substantial wages for another.

Any deal would have to make sense from a financial as well as sporting perspective. United also suggested other players who could form part of a deal, with sporting director Dan Ashworth taking the lead.

Progress was only made once Chelsea proposed a loan with an obligation to buy for a fee in the region of £20million to £25million, which will be activated depending on performance milestones. All was completed after the submitting of a deal sheet before the 11pm deadline.

With that, United’s business was complete and although no transfer window can be judged in its immediate aftermath, Old Trafford’s new leadership had delivered on their intentions at its outset.

The Athletic has spoken to people with knowledge of United’s recruitment this summer, who spoke on condition of anonymity as they did not have permission to talk, to build a picture of the first summer of the INEOS era.

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With Ugarte on board, United have secured players in the three positions identified as priorities when the window opened: centre-back, centre-forward and central midfield.

United had always targeted a No 6 and that remained the case when long-touted Saudi Pro League interest in Casemiro did not materialise, although it meant filling the position became less urgent.

Ugarte was always at the top of United’s list of targets and had admirers in the club’s newly-formed recruitment structure, particularly technical director Jason Wilcox. Support for the signing was not initially unanimous, however. Ten Hag was cooler on Ugarte, partly because his arrival was always likely to necessitate the sale of Scott McTominay.

The United manager was also still open to signing Sofyan Amrabat on a permanent basis after impressing at the end of last season as a holding midfielder, particularly in the FA Cup final. A deal was still possible despite the expiry of United’s option to buy as part of his loan from Fiorentina.

But Ten Hag was brought around to Ugarte in meetings with the other members of the recruitment structure, where he was shown video clips of the 23-year-old’s performances and came to appreciate his ball-winning ability and qualities out of possession.

A deal was still complicated due to Paris Saint-Germain initially holding firm on their demand of a fixed €60million fee. The Ligue 1 club were determined to recoup all of the fee they had paid Sporting Lisbon a year earlier. United walked away and considered alternatives, including Sander Berge.

As the window entered its final weeks, however, it became clear a middle ground would be found. The involvement of super-agent Jorge Mendes was key following his role in the earlier swoop for Leny Yoro, although United feel a patient approach to negotiations achieved a deal at their desired valuation, including on player and agent terms.

United committed significant money to Mendes over the summer and also Kia Joorabchian for his work on Joshua Zirkzee, who had a buyout clause in his Bologna contract, but are comfortable at the price of doing business.

Ugarte’s arrival took United’s summer spending at first-team level to approximately £205million, including add-ons. That was balanced by around £112m to be potentially recouped through sales if all bonuses are realised.

United did not absolutely need to sell McTominay to sign Ugarte but would have come under substantial pressure to generate sales later in the season — either in January or before June 30 — to be confident of complying with financial regulations, thus giving buyers an element of leverage.

Interest in McTominay was high, in any case, and United were open to a sale given the clear benefit to profit and sustainability rules (PSR). Any fee for the 27-year-old, as an academy player, would go down as pure profit in the accounts, giving United greater flexibility to make signings. This was a key motivation.

Ten Hag did not want to lose McTominay ideally, and spoke glowingly about him when asked about a prospective transfer in Los Angeles. Others at the club regarded McTominay as the perfect 12th man, always ready to make an impact off the bench or with occasional starts. Whether he would have stayed that high in the pecking order when additions arrived in future windows was a factor, and for a player on a contract to 2025 (with an optional extra), time was ticking if United wanted to get a good fee.

McTominay weighed up whether to break with the club he had joined at the age of five so that he could become a main figure elsewhere. Still, it had to be the right offer for him. Galatasaray made a lucrative proposal of personal terms, but McTominay declined. Fenerbahce, coached by Jose Mourinho, who had given McTominay his United debut, also made an approach.

Closer to home, Fulham saw three bids rejected by United, the last topping £20m. United wanted at least £25m guaranteed. McTominay was Fulham’s No 1 choice in midfield, but again the player was unsure about a move and eventually Marco Silva’s side switched to Berge, who signed in a deal worth £20m plus £5m add-ons. United, through Wilcox, had been in touch with Berge’s camp as an alternative option to Ugarte.

Brentford and Everton also made inquiries for McTominay. Everton’s situation was complicated by their tight finances. They could not afford United’s asking price, but one possible solution was Dominic Calvert-Lewin going in the opposite direction.

United had looked at Calvert-Lewin as an option for a third-choice striker once Zirkzee joined, aware that Everton were under pressure to sell due to the player having one year left on his contract.

Everton were prepared to give McTominay a higher salary than he is currently on at United, but McTominay, having scored 10 goals in 43 games last season, was never really sold on a move, pitching his ambitions higher up the table. That meant United did not consider Calvert-Lewin too deeply.

Midway through August, Napoli formalised their interest in McTominay with face-to-face talks in London. Sporting director Giovanni Manna flew to England to discuss the financial requirements of a deal. Talks eventually settled on a €30million fee — the highest initial sum United will receive this summer, although Mason Greenwood’s €31.6million move to Marseille stands to bring in slightly more if add-ons are realised.

Together, the sales of McTominay and Greenwood, Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s £15million switch to West Ham United, and the exits of several younger members of Ten Hag’s squad have brought in more money for United than in the summer of Cristiano Ronaldo’s then-world-record £80million move to Real Madrid.

United’s track record of selling players is infamously poor and could not go on, particularly given the importance of PSR compliance. United saw last season’s Everton and Nottingham Forest points deductions and that the Premier League had ‘teeth’. Improving that area is a feather in the cap of the new, INEOS-led structure.

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United’s new recruitment team contains many voices. Ashworth and Ten Hag carry the greatest influence, but the daily meetings — via Teams — usually include Sir Dave Brailsford, chief executive Omar Berrada, Wilcox, interim director of recruitment Christopher Vivell, director of negotiations Matt Hargreaves, head of scouting operations Steve Brown and deputy football director Andy O’Boyle.

Agents have communication — to varying degrees — with all of them, which has prompted some to observe that too many people are involved in the process. But United are clear in their mind about the structure, even if people’s exact responsibilities are still being worked out. O’Boyle will need a new job title, for instance, given there is no longer a football director after John Murtough’s departure.

New processes have been put in place. INEOS has introduced ‘approvals to negotiate’ — a system whereby recruitment staff make recommendations on prospective targets and prepare reports with an awareness they can be seen by figures as high up as part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe before approval is either granted or not granted to commence talks.

The seating arrangement in the directors’ box for United’s opening game against Fulham gave an indication of the changing landscape at Old Trafford.

Hargreaves and O’Boyle, who last season sat in the far left corner, were over to the right, a row behind Brailsford, Berrada, Ashworth and Wilcox. Vivell, Hargreaves and O’Boyle all attended the TransferRoom conference in Madrid in August.

Those who were very first through the door in January knew that a new striker was essential in the summer. Before Zirkzee was selected as the prime candidate, United tried again for Benjamin Sesko, who had been on their radar in Ten Hag’s first summer, as well as when available from Domzale for €2m in 2018.

Two years ago, Sesko opted to join RB Leipzig from Red Bull Salzburg on a pre-contract agreement, not yet feeling ready to be the main No 9 at a club of United’s stature. United’s third attempt to bring him to Old Trafford this summer did not get far, as the 21-year-old signed a new deal at Leipzig. There is respect within United for Sesko’s choice to develop his talent in Germany and club scouts will keep him on their radar.

United pressed ahead with Zirkzee due to scouting reports, alignment from Ten Hag, and his €40m release clause. In the end, United agreed €42.5m to get more favourable payment terms with Bologna.

During the process, consideration was given to the addition of a third striker to complement Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund. United felt there might be benefit to bringing in a player experienced at leading the line in the Premier League, with Ivan Toney discussed as well as Calvert-Lewin. United did not re-enter talks for Toney towards the deadline, conscious of avoiding paying over the odds for a player nearing 30 with a year left on his contract.

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United’s structure finally began to take shape in early July once a compensation package was agreed with Newcastle for Ashworth, who started work with immediate effect. Vivell’s appointment was finalised shortly after.

The signing of Leny Yoro from Lille was an example of the collaboration between all elements of United’s newly-installed recruitment team and the transfer certainly gained momentum with the arrival of Berrada, who officially started work on July 13. Yoro joined six days later.

But the groundwork had been done well in advance, with Yoro first flagged by United’s scouting department the previous autumn. At that point, Murtough was still football director and as the weeks went on, Ten Hag was given, via Brown, various clips of Yoro to watch in different defensive and build-up play situations.

By the time United’s new football leadership team began getting to grips with the club, Ten Hag was fully on board with Yoro, as were Berrada and Wilcox, who had been across his development since the pair worked together at City. They saw their first summer as an opportunity to make a statement signing for United. The snag was that Yoro expressed a preference for joining Real Madrid.

United kept lines of communication open throughout and sensed that Real were not prepared to make the major play required for the defender, whose Lille contract was running out in 2025. United were in regular contact with Yoro’s agent, Mendes.

Hargreaves, United’s director of negotiations, played a role, meeting with the player in Lille and mapping out his potential future at the club.

Executives realised Yoro was coming round to the idea of joining United and began accelerating the deal, with the whole recruitment team engaged. Those with understanding of United’s approach in recent years feel there was more speed and authority about the handling of the transfer than previously.

United made a very attractive offer to Lille of €62m plus €8m add-ons and painted a compelling picture to the player of life at Old Trafford. United view the Yoro fee as a full valuation but not excessive, given his high potential and young age. They want to start making the market a route to raising revenue.

They walked away from negotiations over Jarrad Branthwaite when it became clear Everton’s demands for £75m were genuine after two failed bids. United may have gone to £55m, but having options and progressing them at the same time — as has not been the case in the past — allowed them to enter talks with competitive tension. Instead, they went for Matthijs de Ligt, 25, as the supplement to Yoro, for €45m guaranteed plus €5m in add-ons.

Yoro, aged 18, was not signed with the intention of playing every game. Even before his injury, the plan was to recruit a more established defender to take the bulk and though it was initially Ten Hag who wanted De Ligt — having floated his name in January — United’s recruitment team agreed with their head coach. De Ligt fitted their model for players at the younger end of the spectrum and his character also appealed. The club had reports on him, going back several years, already in their system.

There was also a desire to build trust with Ten Hag after the search for potential managerial replacements at the end of last season. Having made their decision, United’s football leadership team wanted to commit full force to Ten Hag.

But in the end, De Ligt was not pushed by Ten Hag, rather the player arrived via a joint decision by all, with the deal making sense from performance and financial points of view.

Because of the outlay by United, Bayern were also open to negotiating a fee for his club colleague Noussair Mazraoui, 26. Agreeing a deal for the Morocco international was not contingent on De Ligt, but the players’ shared representation with agent Rafaela Pimenta meant it was possible to complete both transfers at the same time. United feel they have effectively got two quality players for the cost of one.

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United believe their summer business has blended youth and experience but also that each signing still has their best years ahead of them, something that could not always be confidently argued in previous summers. There was a desire to avoid a late rush in the window and not scrambling to fill holes in the squad with players who were either approaching or the wrong side of 30.

For a third year in succession, United were linked with Adrien Rabiot, but unlike the previous two summers, there was little substance this time.

In Ten Hag’s first window, people at United thought they were close to striking a deal with the player after agreeing a £15m fee with Juventus. But then Lou Macari questioned the transfer on the club’s TV channel MUTV, questioning why no top club had signed him and saying he had “a bad feeling about the guy”.

Personal terms were yet to be finalised with Rabiot and the demands made by the player’s mother and agent Veronique were said to be significant. But it can be revealed he was also allegedly upset at the criticism before even joining, especially coming from the club’s in-house media, and had second thoughts about the move.

That uncertainty from Rabiot also planted a seed of doubt at the club about his ability to withstand the scrutiny United players are under. Still, given Rabiot’s quality — he has won five league titles in France and one in Italy — United considered an offer last summer when he was a free agent.

Instead, Rabiot signed a one-year deal with Juventus, which expired in June, and he has been on the market again this window. But despite United again looking to add a midfielder, they showed no real interest.

There has instead been a push to act more aggressively in pursuits of young talent, as demonstrated by the signings of Chido Obi-Martin from Arsenal and the largely unheralded 18-year-old midfielder Sekou Kone from Malian side Guidars FC.

Kone first came to United’s attention after he was watched by the future talent scouting team at the Under-17 World Cup last November. After multiple reports on his displays at that tournament, he was identified as a player of significant interest.

United scouts followed up that interest by attending an under-18 tournament in Morocco in April, where Kone featured as one of the players of the tournament. United initiated the process to sign the teenager a month later, with scouts Andreas Herrmann and Jerome Klein working closely in order to make the deal happen.

Although executed during the INEOS-led era, Kone’s signing is viewed as an instance where the foundations were put in place by the pre-existing recruitment network led by head of scouting operations Steve Brown.

It is the type of deal that some scouts might previously have lamented missing out on, having done the hard work of identifying and tracking the player only to be let down when entrusting others to bring a deal over the line. It is, in that sense, just as symbolic as any incoming at first-team level of this summer of change at Old Trafford.

(Top photos: Getty Images)