ESPN: Manchester United Had Chance to Sign Raum but Feared Disrupting Their Plans

Why did Manchester United miss out on signing a left-back in the transfer window? Rob Dawson examines the recruitment thinking of Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox.

Manchester United spent the entire summer trying to avoid repeating past mistakes while also repairing the future.

Mistakes in the transfer market have shaped much of the club's strategy in this window. The main goal is to keep improving the squad while avoiding the errors that previously set the team back.

Some fans may believe that, in a summer when Manchester City, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur spent £100 million or more on individual signings, United's reluctance to spend heavily shows a lack of ambition. Chief executive Omar Berrada and football director Jason Wilcox would argue that caution is necessary given what happened before.

Why? Because Manchester United have found it harder than most clubs to escape the consequences of recruitment mistakes.

Ugarte is an example. The Uruguay midfielder joined Old Trafford in 2024 for a transfer fee of more than £50 million. After two underwhelming seasons, he was available to leave during this window. The club knew they needed an offer of around £20 million to balance the books, but that was unrealistic given his recent form and wage demands.

The best solution they could hope for was finding a club willing to cover Ugarte's wages and take him on loan first. In the end, a serious knee injury at the World Cup ended the transfer possibility. United will receive wage compensation through FIFA's player protection programme, which applies when players are injured during national team matches.

However, the injury only delayed the problem. Ugarte's contract runs until June 2029, meaning United will still need to find a solution next summer or beyond. The issue could continue for three more years, exactly the situation Berrada and Wilcox want to avoid.

Midfield rebuild

After rebuilding the attack a year earlier, United's priority this summer was to improve the midfield.

United ultimately chose three players with Premier League experience — Andre Santos, Tielemans and Baleba — for a total cost of £155 million. ESPN sources said that amid the current market of expensive midfield transfers, these three deals were viewed as relatively good-value and lower-risk moves. By comparison, Elliott Anderson joining Manchester City, Tonali joining Tottenham Hotspur and Enzo Fernandez joining Manchester City totalled £341 million.

United were interested in Anderson but only accepted Nottingham Forest's initial valuation of £70 million. They also looked at Tonali but considered investing heavily in a player who had just served a lengthy ban for breaching betting rules too risky.

Budget was also a factor, especially with few players in the squad needing to be moved on. Manchester City have recouped close to £350 million this summer, while United's sales revenue is still below £50 million.

Barcelona were originally expected to trigger Rashford's buyout clause, with that money also intended for Zirkzee. Instead, Barca signed Anthony Gordon to fill the wide position, while United's talks with Fiorentina and Juventus over the Dutch forward ended without a result. By the time Everton called later on deadline day, it was too late.

The club's financial reality is that it cannot spend £300 million or £400 million in one window. United had the funds to match Tottenham Hotspur's £85 million offer for Mateus Fernandes, who had long been on their midfield target list. But the club chose not to do so, partly because Fernandes never indicated during negotiations that he preferred a move to Old Trafford. United viewed that as a warning sign they could not ignore.

Berrada and Wilcox have consistently stressed that they want to sign players who clearly show a desire to play for United, like Cunha and Mbeumo. Although they got the players they wanted last summer, this time they had to be more flexible.

After Atalanta midfielder Ederson's deal collapsed because of medical issues, United accelerated talks with Chelsea over Santos. After dropping interest in Fernandes, Tielemans' £35 million release clause was quickly activated.

Days after Tielemans joined, United pushed for a deal for Skelly. But after Arsenal decided to keep him at the Emirates Stadium, United turned their attention to Baleba. Brighton initially valued him at £120 million, but the final figure was negotiated down to £70 million.

United also encountered other obstacles.

Mamadou Sangare was a player closely monitored by the club, and data analysis showed his statistics at Lens last season were similar to Mateus Fernandes' performances at West Ham United. However, United recently noticed a trend: agents are more willing to send players first to mid-table Premier League clubs. This gives players more playing time, and when they later move to top-six clubs, both transfer fees and wages are higher.

Caicedo followed this path. After playing a full season at Brighton and Hove Albion, he joined Chelsea for £115 million. Sangare and his team chose to move to Brentford this summer for around £40 million. If he has a good season at Brentford, his value — in terms of both transfer fee and wage expectations — will rise significantly by 2027.

No need to 'win this window'

ESPN sources said United's priority next summer will be the defence.

Berrada and Wilcox are satisfied with the signings of Cunha, Mbeumo, Sesko and Lammens. Avoiding mistakes in that window allowed the club to continue its plan to strengthen midfield. Doing so again would free funds to add centre-backs and full-backs before the 2027-28 season.

A phrase often used internally at the club is 'building with blocks' — gradually improving the squad over time while avoiding having to return and fix problems that should already have been solved.

ESPN sources said United acknowledge that they did not solve their left-back weakness when the window closed on Tuesday Beijing time. They could have signed RB Leipzig's Raum, as the club had been told throughout the summer that he was available. But United believed signing a 28-year-old for around £30 million on a four- or five-year contract could disrupt their next phase of recruitment planning.

Lewis Hall was United's primary target for the position, but Newcastle United refused to negotiate, meaning any deal would only be possible next year. Had United prioritised Hall this summer, the Baleba deal likely would not have received financial backing.

United also considered short-term solutions to fill the gap. In the final week of the window, Ait-Nouri's agent recommended him to United. On deadline day, Manchester City also informed United that any deal would have to include a mandatory purchase clause. After learning that a long-term commitment was required, United withdrew their interest.

The club knows this is not perfect, but the plan is not just about winning one window. The goal is to put the squad in a position to sign their preferred targets next summer.

United hope this long-term approach will eventually bring rewards.