The question raised is what really affects a player: the team, the coach, the salary, the agent’s fee, or just the highest bid. For Manchester United, it feels like price determines everything.
Interesting questions have been raised as to why players would be attracted to one club or another, especially given United have not landed three of their reported top midfield targets. To what extent is the club, the manager, the salary or just the maximum price the deciding factor? To what extent do agency fees complicate the overall issue?
What matters most when a player is under contract
First, let’s start with a player under contract. The selling club will obviously try to get the highest possible price. It doesn’t have to be for sale, so for the most part, the highest bidder wins, although players do have some power.
The contract also applies to him and he is unlikely to accept a lower wage deal unless the destination club is exactly to his liking. We saw the power of players like Rashford and Garnacho at Manchester United.
Club appeal, trophies and manager factors
Obviously, destination clubs are a big issue for players. A team that regularly wins trophies and regularly competes in the Champions League must be an attractive career move, limited only by possible playing time. There’s also the appeal of playing for a proven coach who will likely make you a better player.
A team with a clear plan for future success, in which you are seen as an integral cog, will be more attractive than a team whose only goal is to avoid relegation. London is probably more attractive than the second best team in Manchester.
Who sells this program at United?
Rumor has it that the decisive factor was De Zerbi convincing Tonali that Tottenham was the right place. Critics here view Carrick as a dullard with no ability to sell himself or the club’s ambitions to anyone.
Saf used to be one of those managers who went out and sold the club, but there just wasn’t that energy in Carrick’s dressing room. But Carrick is the manager, not the manager, so the sale of United’s club and its plans is the responsibility of Wilcox and Verveer, who also control the finances under Berada.
Money can make all the difference, what will happen next?
My interpretation of all this is that the most important factor here is the price, not the manager. United are simply not prepared to pay £85m for Fernadez, £100m for Tonali and £120m for Anderson, especially since the last of the trio has always wanted to go to Manchester City.
We don’t even know if Tonali was ever a significant target for United. In all three cases, the most convincing arguments were the money paid to the selling club and the wages paid to the players. The facts speak for themselves. The rest is just speculation.
From here, it will be interesting to see who we get as these three move on. Baleba has had a disappointing season. That’s not unusual for a young player having a breakout year, especially after the disappointment of not getting the move he had hoped for.
At Manchester United, can he return to the form that makes him look like a future star? Are Brighton house prices still too high? United certainly won’t pay more than £75m. Are there some more affordable rough diamonds showing up at this World Cup that haven’t caught anyone’s attention?
Of course, we all want it to be resolved. It’s a bit disappointing to see three talented midfielders we’ve been linked with go elsewhere. It would be even more disappointing to look back on this window and conclude that the recruiting team lost a lot of money with little gain.
What is very clear to me is that if we are to win the league in the next few years we have to compete on transfer fees and wages to get the best players and the depth needed to compete on all fronts and across the pitch. I also believe that the club can afford to spend up to £300m financially if they wish. If they’re not prepared to do that, I guess we can say goodbye to any major title for the next few years.
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