Now that the dust has settled on their record summer, Manchester United look ready to earn their first victory of the season when they play host to Queens Park Rangers on Sunday. At this point in the season, no game is a must-win, but surely that’s what it must feel like for the Red Devils.
Unless he were truly the most unappreciative employee in history, Louis Van Gaal has to be pleased with transfer kitty Ed Woodward provided him for the summer. It resulted in the Dutchman completely re-shaping the United first team. Here is the result of the biggest shopping spree in league history:
Ander Herrera, 25, 28.85m pounds
Already an established star in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao, Herrera joined the Red Devils for just under thirty million pounds. The Spaniard is a complete midfielder, equipped with size, skill, and a creative knack for precision passing. He is a technician in the mold of Frank Lampard, always looking for the ball and taking very good care of it when in possession. Herrera went off injured on opening day against Swansea, and his return to full fitness coincides with the capture of three more signings for United.
Luke Shaw, 19, 30m pounds
The most expensive teenager in league history and the only Englishman purchased by Van Gaal, Luke Shaw brings a difficult-to-believe level of maturity with him to Old Trafford. His reputation as the next electrifying young fullback in the league speaks for itself, as he is already a fantastic player. Jose Mourinho questioned the judgement to give Shaw such a big contract, but that’s the way of things for United right now. They may have overpaid for his services between transfer fee and wages, but Shaw’s talent is undeniable and has the potential to be the best two-way fullback in the world.
Marcos Rojo, 24, 16m pounds
Rojo is the second of four left-sided players to join Manchester United this summer. Easily the most controversial transfer of the summer, the Marcos Rojo deal is a testament to the problems posed by third-party ownership. Nonetheless, he is also an excellent footballer, as he showed in Argentina’s run to the World Cup final. One of the things I’ve always liked about Rojo, which he has in common with Shaw and Daley Blind, is his ability to defend. His left foot is ferocious going forward, but his reliability across the back line was more of an asset to Argentina in Brazil.
Angel Di Maria, 26, 59.7m pounds
The premier league’s record signing has been impressive since his move to Old Trafford. He was by far the Red Devils’ best player on the pitch against Sunderland, but lacked match fitness and was the first to be subbed off. A man of the match performance against Germany over the international break only reinforced how talented this player is, while the backlash in Madrid is a negative one following the sale of fan favorite Di Maria. Even though he is the most expensive player ever to join the league, there is much less weight on his shoulders than one would assume given the sheer number of recruits joining over the summer.
Daley Blind, 24, 13.8m pounds
I would argue that Daley Blind may be the signing of the summer from a value perspective. He is versatile on the left wing and excellent in a deep-lying midfield role, so expect him to feature quite often this season. A favorite of Louis Van Gaal, Blind’s coming-out party was in Brazil, but his body of work prior to this summer was under-the-radar to say the least. The Dutchman is the reigning player of the season in the Eredivisie, and is the son of Danny Blind, who is set to take over the Oranje following the 2016 Euro in France. I would compare his reliability to that of Ramires; you know exactly what you’re getting out of him each time he steps on the pitch.
Radamel Falcao, 28, loan
Ironically enough, Falcao is the shortest of all Manchester United recruits at just 5’10. Then again, this doesn’t matter when you’re one of the top strikers on the planet. Falcao’s exclusion from the World Cup because of injury was quickly forgotten due to the exploits of James and Juan Cuadrado, but his class is unquestioned. Since I need not talk about how ruthless of a striker Falcao can be, this deal gives me the chance to voice a concern over the parameters of financial fair play.
A buy option was included in the loan deal, set at just over 43 million pounds. The loan deal is nothing more than a gambit designed to thwart the influence of fair play regulations, since United will likely trigger the permanent deal unless something extraordinary happens (torn ACL?). Do Manchester United need Falcao? No. Will he improve the overall quality of the squad? Absolutely. However, this deal is a head-scratcher, with the likes of Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney already at the club.
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