United just can’t afford to become penny-pinchers
YESTERDAY morning an email headline began ‘Manchester United announce’, but it was never going to be Toby Alderweireld’s signing. Another day and another global United partnership, this time with Chivas. And no, not the Mexican side they signed Javier Hernandez from.
Chivas is the ‘original luxury blended Scotch whisky’ and join United hot on the heels of MoPlay, who is not another brilliant right winger from Egypt.
Some United fans are despairing that the club is announcing sponsors rather than signings a day before the Premier League deadline.
“Very glad we announced the signing of Chivas whisky the day before deadline day,” Red News editor Barney wrote. “Would have hated that deal to have gone to the wire. Well done Ed and co.”
In fairness to Ed Woodward, United’s partnerships keep the season ticket prices frozen and they are an unrivalled commercial behemoth in world sport.
And this is the rub with United: It is still cash over glory. They only sack managers who miss out on Champions League qualification and it is balance sheets before silverware.
This summer, United have signed as many sponsors (Kohler, MoPlay and Chivas) as they have players (Diogo Dalot, Fred and Lee Grant) and Jose Mourinho’s suspicions about penny-pinching seem to have credence. It is understood United did not meet Inter’s £50m valuation of Ivan Perisic since they did not believe he was a marketable enough player to merit that fee. The club claimed last year Inter ‘just did not want to sell’ Perisic.
Consider that Liverpool, a club with one trophy in the last 12 years, have spent £100m more than United on new players and shattered the world record fee for a defender (Virgil van Dijk) and goalkeeper (Alisson) within six months. Liverpool have 22 sponsors compared with United’s 65 and Anfield welcomes 23,000 fewer spectators through their turnstiles than United do at Old Trafford. Net spend is moot.
Chelsea’s £71m move for Kepa Arrizabalaga is an enforced panic purchase after Thibaut Courtois went to Real Madrid, yet they are realistic to know an exorbitant fee is essential if they are to become more competitive.
Paul Pogba and Romelu Lukaku were eminent signings but this summer United have had it easier, recruiting players with release clauses in Dalot and Fred before the World Cup. Their principled stance in the post-Neymar inflation is surreal for a club that has spent £690m in the last five years and it is a mix of Glazernomics, Wengernomics and Moneyball.
It poses the question as to why United are not backing Mourinho as unwaveringly as they did in previous summers. They are refusing to fulfil certain requests and you have to wonder whether their frugality is short-term planning – for example Anthony Martial is retained in the event that a new manager rejuvenates him. Now for an Alderweireld press release.