Manchester United director of football John Murtough has downplayed the club’s likelihood of making transfers or facilitating any arrival in the January transfer window.
Murtough strongly hinted that the 20-time English champions would look beyond the turn of the year, with a focus on the summer to strengthen the team.
He attributed the lack of movement in the winter window to the record investment made over the summer which saw Erik ten Hag spend a record £227m on six new signings.
United’s director of football commented: “We always said reshaping the team would take more than one window and we are already working with Erik on the next steps in that process, with a focus on next summer and beyond.
“But it is important to recognize that the investment must always be sustainable, which means that what we spend on players must be backed by long-term income.
“We finished the summer a bit ahead of where we expected to be in terms of the number of players signed, so we don’t anticipate the same level of activity in future windows, although we will continue to go from strength to strength.”
The 51-year-old’s comments will no doubt leave fans disappointed and angry.
It is clear that the team has big holes that need to be addressed immediately. A striker, for example, is a must buy ASAP.
Arguably the Red Devils also need another right back to replace and compete with Diogo Dalot.
Murtough, looking back at the transfer window, added that the strategy was based on bringing a combination of youth and experience.
He confirmed that the manager and the club were in sync with each other regarding acquisitions, something that will extend to future windows.
Murtough urged the fanbase to be patient, reminding them that progress doesn’t happen in a linear fashion and is bound to come with its set of challenges and obstacles along the way.
