According to the Manchester Evening News, Manchester United spent less than newly promoted Ipswich Town during the summer transfer window, with their total outlay reaching £152m.
United were preparing for a return to the Champions League, but their spending was noticeably lower than that of several Premier League rivals. Their biggest deal of the summer came last week, when Brighton midfielder Barco joined for an initial fee of £65m, potentially rising to £70m.
The Red Devils concentrated most of their budget on strengthening midfield. Andre Santos arrived for £48m, with the deal capable of reaching £50m, while Tielemans moved from Aston Villa in a £35m transfer.
There was considerably less investment elsewhere in the squad. Darlow joined on a free transfer to provide cover for Onana, while United paid Tottenham £4m for young winger Tanner Tessmann. That fee could eventually increase to £8m.
United also signed Christian Eriksen, although the transfer fee for that move was not disclosed. The club additionally had to pay compensation to Swansea City for Kit Symons.
A move for Wolverhampton Wanderers full-back Ait-Nouri failed to materialise on the final day of the window. His agent had indicated that the player was likely to leave, but the two clubs could not agree on the structure of the deal.
United were seeking a one-season loan, whereas Wolverhampton Wanderers wanted a mandatory buy-out clause included in the agreement. As a result, negotiations broke down before the deadline.
Their spending placed them well behind several of their main Premier League competitors. Manchester City led the division’s summer expenditure after spending £454.2m.
That total included the deadline-day signing of Enzo Fernandez for £125m, as well as the arrival of Ndombele from a deal worth £60m, which could rise to £65m. Manchester City’s spending on the final day alone was greater than United’s entire summer outlay.
Tottenham were the only other Premier League club to spend more than £300m. They invested £386.5m as they attempted to return to the Champions League.
Liverpool spent £247.5m, with much of that sum used to sign PSG striker Barcola. Reigning Premier League champions Arsenal spent £198.5m.
Both clubs, along with United, were outspent by Aston Villa, Chelsea and Newcastle. Aston Villa invested £290.8m, Chelsea spent £280.8m and Newcastle’s expenditure reached £273.7m.
More notably for United, their total was also below that of Ipswich Town. The newly promoted club spent £171m on transfers as it prepared for a campaign focused on securing Premier League survival.
United can still add to their squad, but only free agents are currently able to join them. The transfer window will reopen on 1 January 2025.
AF’s PC site is now live. Users can browse full news articles, comments, match details and statistics on their computer at www.allfootballapp.com.
