"We won't lose on price," said Manchester United's deputy vice chairman Ed Woodward in an interview a year ago.
The question was: "Would United lose a Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid in the future?" Woodward wanted to make his point after a poor 2013 transfer window for the club following the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Under Woodward, United broke their transfer record to sign Juan Mata in January 2014, but the £37.1 million fee (Dh224.8m) was still less than half of what Madrid paid for Ronaldo in 2009.
The many sceptics in United’s fan base thought that Woodward was talking big without delivering.
After a seventh-place finish in 2013/14 English Premier League season, United fans expected serious movement in the close season transfer window.
The relatively early arrivals of Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera were welcomed but those deals were tied up before the end of June. Excellent pre-season form playing a new 3-4-3 system in America and a run of five straight victories quelled desires for more signings.
Fans were encouraged to see new manager Louis van Gaal promote youngsters Tyler Blackett, Michael Keane, Reece James and evidence of a resurgence of form from Darren Fletcher and Ashley Young, but the opening day defeat to Swansea City changed the mood.
Van Gaal used the word “smashed” to describe what the visitors had done to his side’s confidence. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise.
Though United kept their cards close to their chests, there was a clamour for new signings.
The club had lost a bank of experience with the departures of Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra, Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand. Other players were up for sale, but while fans grew restless at the lack of arrivals, Van Gaal wanted to be fair and give the players he inherited a chance. Most of them, after all, had been good enough to be champions in 2012/13.
Van Gaal did not get to see his players until they started training in California on July 21. Even then he said the circumstances were not ideal to judge as the team was constantly on the move.
When they did play, several did not sufficiently impress to guarantee their future at the club and, a week before the season started, he gave that news to players such as Shinji Kagawa, Javier Hernandez, Tom Cleverley, Nani, Daniel Welbeck and Anderson in a series of one-on-one meetings.
Players under contract were under no obligation to move but pressure was put on them to do so as United sought to cut their huge wage bill. As they had a limited or no future at Old Trafford, United also reckoned they would want to play elsewhere.
The Swansea defeat was followed by a soporific draw at Sunderland and a humiliating 4-0 defeat at third division Milton Keynes Dons, when fringe players did not take their chance. By that time, Woodward had been busy bringing in new talent.
Angel Di Maria arrived for a British record £59.7m fee from Madrid and fellow Argentine Marcos Rojo from Sporting Lisbon. There were criticisms that United had paid too much, but United did not have the prospect of Uefa Champions League football to lure players.
For the first time in the club's history, United fielded a side in which the majority of players spoke Spanish as their mother tongue. That group swelled with the deadline-day loan signing of Colombian striker Radamel Falcao.
With versatile Dutch international Daley Blind also signing from Ajax on deadline day that meant six significant arrivals for United and 16 departures, 10 in permanent deals and seven on loan with a late loan move of Tom Cleverley, who has been at the club since the age of 11, to Aston Villa.
Federico Macheda, Jack Barmby, Ferdinand, Giggs, Vidic, Alex Buttner, Evra, Bebe, Angelo Henriquez, Nani, Wilfried Zaha, Hernandez, Daniel Welbeck, Nick Powell, Tom Lawrence and Michael Keane have all left.
United’s net spend was a staggering £126m in one transfer window.
The club has enjoyed huge commercial success and were the second-best supported team in the world last season with sell out crowds for every league game. Now they have spent like it, their new arrivals all speaking in the usual cliched phrases about their new club.
“For me, it was a dream to play in the Premier League,” Falcao told MUTV. “I always wanted to be here, because this league is very good. It has very good teams, and Manchester United is the best team in England. Everything is perfect for me.”
Others said, with apparent conviction, that they had always dreamed of playing for Manchester United.
Fans are excited by the arrivals, but at what cost to the club’s soul?
Of the sale to Arsenal of Mancunian born and bred United fan Welbeck, who joined the club at the age of 8, former player and assistant manager Mike Phelan said: “Interesting how things have changed at Manchester United now. A good young kid coming through – part of the academy system – and they’ve decided now that might not be the way to go, so they’ve moved him on.
“Obviously, there is more and more money now in the game, looking further and further afield for players.
“But probably they have lost the way, Manchester United, a little bit in the fact that, now, rather than produce, it may be the case where they are buying in.”
Former United midfielder David Beckham told the BBC he was “sad” to see Welbeck leave.
“His heart was in Manchester,” said Beckham, who himself graduated from the United youth team in the mid-1990s.
“I am sure he is obviously sad to leave Manchester United. Arsenal have a very good, young, talented English player, but to see him leave Manchester United, as a Manchester United fan, is obviously sad.”
Though many will agree with the sentiment of Phelan and Beckham’s comments, United play in a league where they have to be continually successful.
Patience is lower and demands higher, at the cost of any sentiment.
Van Gaal has the two-week international break to work out how to fit together the pieces of his hastily assembled and very expensive jigsaw, while Woodward will sit back and consider it a job well done.
United did not lose – on price at least.
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