A critical look at the players brought in by United this summer.
Although it is often said that it can be hard to improve a title-winning team, it was largely agreed that the Manchester United side that won the Premier League title last season could definitely be improved on, especially as their rivals would be working hard and spending big in an attempt to topple them this year.
And with new manager David Moyes taking on the difficult task of replacing the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson after his retirement in May, it was seen as crucial for the former Everton boss to make a statement of intent in this transfer window and put his own stamp on the squad he’d inherited. Things didn’t quite work out this way though, as the summer is more full of near-misses than actual purchases, and perhaps it’ll be back to the drawing board in January.
Guillermo Varela
An underwhelming first signing for the new boss, Guillermo Varela was confirmed as Manchester United’s first signing of the summer back in June, joining for a fee believed to be around £2.3m and signing a five-year contract. The 20-year-old seems unlikely to become part of the first-team setup straight away at Old Trafford, having only ever played one senior competitive game for his club Penarol. Although he may be a great prospect for the future and a decent backup player for Rafael and Phil Jones, this signing won’t have many United fans up on their feet for the moment. 3/10.
Marouane Fellaini
A signing that very much saved Moyes’ summer, Marouane Fellaini was brought in in the closing moments of deadline day for £27.5m. The Belgian had a storming season for Everton under Moyes last year, and looks a player very much capable of giving them some much-needed variety in the middle of the park, with a physical presence and competitive energy that the squad’s other midfielders rather lack.
Capable of playing as a defensive midfielder or in a more advanced role, Fellaini’s versatility will prove very useful for United, and although he may not be the creative presence that Paul Scholes or some of the club’s other main targets provided, he is more than capable of providing goals and assists from midfield with goals from headers and holding the ball up or flicking it on to others, almost like a target man. At 25, he looks to be just reaching his peek, and Moyes will know how to get the best out of him after developing him into one of the Premier League’s best players at Everton.
Some questions may be raised about his transfer fee though, as it is possible that he would have been available for just £23m earlier in the summer, before that release clause expired at the start of August. Considering United had been linked with him all summer, it’s a surprise they didn’t snap him up earlier, and although £4m may not be much for a club of their size, it seems strange and unnecessary to have paid extra for a player they were targeting just by being slow about it. Still, that will soon be forgotten if he can help deliver another title at Old Trafford. 7.5/10.
Overview
With only one major signing made by Moyes, this summer has to go down as something of a failure for Manchester United. Fellaini will certainly be a good addition, but it could be argued that a player in the mould of Cesc Fabregas, Thiago Alcantara, Kevin Strootman, Ander Herrera, or any of the other numerous names linked with the club over the summer, would have been more suitable and more of a direct solution to United’s midfield problems.
The club have come under some criticism for their failure to seal these deals, and they could perhaps have done with some better wingers being brought in, with the likes of Nani, Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia all massively under-performing last season. Nicolas Gaitain of Benfica and Ardan Turan of Atletico Madrid were also said to be targets for the Red Devils, but again they didn’t manage to bring these players in. Wilfried Zaha, of course, was signed back in January before being loaned back to Crystal Palace for the remainder of last season. He now joins up with the United squad and may go on to be the answer in that position.
Defence is also an area that could have done with some strengthening, with Rio Ferdinand close to turning 35, and Nemanja Vidic struggling with injuries all too often in recent years. Patrice Evra also looks past his best, and it is well known that Leighton Baines was another target for Moyes from his old club Everton, though United’s continued unwillingness to meet the Toffees’ asking price for the player saw them miss out on the England international. A loan move for Real Madrid’s Fabio Coentrao also fell through late on, completing an embarrassing summer of near-misses for the Premier League champions.
Total spending: £29.8m.
Overall score: 4/10.