Manchester United have a ‘clear plan’ for the transfer market and will not be pressured into spending beyond their means to catch up to their rivals, reveals CEO Omar Berrada.
In a wide-ranging end-of-season sit-down, the United executive shed light on how the club is planning to approach yet another crucial summer transfer window.
United have already agreed a £38.9million deal with Atalanta for midfielder Ederson, which is set to be ratified at the start of July, but many more are required for United to contend on all fronts next season after returning to the Champions League.
But despite that return to Europe, Berrada has warned that the club must stay disciplined in the market and not stretch themselves, suggesting for the first time publicly that £100m midfield targets Elliot Anderson and Sandro Tonali may be beyond their reach.
Manchester United have a ‘clear plan’ on how to build out their squad in the summer window
‘We have to be really disciplined,’ Berrada said on the club’s own Inside Carrington podcast.
‘It’s simple. We have a plan, we know what we can invest and we have to stick to that.
‘In some cases we may decide to make an investment knowing it’s the right thing not just for the next two to three years but for the next 10 years. Clearly, we need to stay very focused on what we are trying to achieve and it’s very important that you don’t let the market or the agents dictate what we should be doing.’
He added: ‘I think the template for what we did last summer will be replicated in many ways. You always go into a window and you don’t know how you will come out of it, but we have to be really prepared.
‘You have to be ready, be agile, but we have a clear plan. Jason Wilcox and his team are very well set up to execute that plan.’
United added Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Senne Lammens and Benjamin Sesko last summer, with two of those Premier League-proven, while the other two were relative risks from young players who had never played in England.
All four have paid off and fans have been told that a similar approach is on the cards this time around.
‘What we saw last season is a good way forward for us which is we want a mix of experience and youth, we want a mix of players that have demonstrated they can perform in the Premier League and perhaps players who are performing very well outside of the Premier League,’ Berrada explained.
‘We will always do it in our terms, ensuring whatever decision we take is not just for the short term but also the long term.’
Berrada went on to add that the club is ‘in a much better place’ than it was a year ago and that the team is ‘heading in the right direction’ under Michael Carrick.
But the United chief stopped short of saying that the hiring of Carrick’s predecessor, Ruben Amorim, was a mistake.
‘I don’t see it as black or white in the sense that,’ Berrada said when asked about Amorim, who was sacked in January following an explosive press conference at Leeds United.
Ederson is set to be United’s first summer signing in a £38.9m deal from Atalanta in July
Omar Berrada (left) does not believe it was a mistake to hire Ruben Amorim (right) at United
‘Yes, it didn’t work out in the end the way we expected it to do and then you can look at it in hindsight and say ‘it’s not the right appointment’.
‘But I actually think that Ruben deserves a lot of credit for things.
‘He went through a very difficult season last year, he was put under difficult circumstances, but he did help raise the standards in the dressing room. So, I think he deserves a lot of credit for that and I hope he goes on to be a successful coach. I wish him all the best.
‘We felt we needed to make a change and in the end it worked out with Michael.’
Asked about whether the club can ensure captain Bruno Fernandes stays at the club, a year on from when the player claimed he felt ownership wanted him to move on amid Saudi interest, Berrada was unequivocal.
‘We’d like him to stay, of course we do,’ he added. ‘He’s had a great season on the pitch but more importantly he’s shown to everybody that he is a great leader.’
