Man United’s summer spree the start of regular splurges
Published:When Louis van Gaal forked out £150m on new players in the summer transfer window, many observers put the free-spending down to the Dutchman’s desperation to inject quality into a squad that has struggled recently.
However, a new vow from the Old Trafford club means that signings like Angel Di Maria – lured from the might of Real Madrid for a British record fee of £60m – could become a regular, seasonal occurrence.
The club’s kit deal with Adidas, worth a reported £750m and which kicks in next season, has changed the transfer ethos at the one-time Premier League dominators whereby they believe they can “sign a Luis Suarez every year” from now on.
The claim, reported in the Telegraph, means the fee Barcelona shelled out on the former Liverpool striker (£75m) could be a regular sum associated with the Red Devils in future.
Suarez may not be an option for the 14/1 title chances, but with players like former fan favourite Cristiano Ronaldo seemingly available in 12 months time, it’s easy to see how more astronomical fees can be spent.
Ronaldo has one year left on his current Real Madrid contract and may well be tempted to end his career back in the Premier League, but a fair amount of cash will be needed to sign him.
The new transfer approach pretty much ends the youth-first policy that Sir Alex Ferguson made famous during his long, storied tenure in charge.
That much was evident in the number of players United sold this summer, with youngsters thought to have a strong reputation at the club; like Tom Lawrence and Jack Barmby, sold on rather than loaned out.
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