Love them or hate them, there’s no denying Manchester United have caused problems to teams across Europe but how has the club caused problems to itself?
Transfer Rumours
We all hate transfer rumours but at the same time they can be thrilling, especially if they become true. However, when it comes to Manchester United it really does get to a point where it all gets a little too silly; hence the term ‘silly season’.
During recent transfer windows it’s become even more ridiculous, not only the type of players the club is linked to but also the sheer number of players who are rumoured to be on their way to Old Trafford. It’s actually easier, nowadays, to come up with a list of players the club isn’t rumoured to buy than the ones Manchester United seemingly have on their wish-list.
Here’s where it becomes problematic- the fans get frustrated when apparently close deals aren’t concluded and the club suffers from the backlash of being embarrassed despite not even seriously considering any deals for the players they’re linked to. There’s also the issue of when a player flirts with the club and interest becomes genuine that it then turns out that the player was in it for a pay raise all along instead.
Financially
Yes it seems a little silly to say Manchester United suffer financially from their club stature despite being named the most valuable or richest club in the world recently but it’s exactly this title that is harming the Red Devils more than helping.
It may help with sponsorship or commercial deals but the damage possibly outweighs the good that comes from it. Not only are clubs suffering from an inflated market but Manchester United in particular suffer from having to spend crazy money on players who may not necessarily be worth the amount their respective clubs ask for just because everyone knows how well off the club is financially.
The truth is far from it though. Although the title is true, the club is actually in huge amounts of debt due to their owners poor judgment. It’s been well documented how the Glazers run and profit from Manchester United and so, yet again, the club suffers from it’s own stature. Let’s not even talk about agents exploiting the club.
Offloading Players
This kind of ties in with the two points made above but it also deserves it’s own mention just because of how poorly the club does in this area. Most of the time top clubs looking to sell unwanted players do so with one hand tied to their back.
Increased media coverage at Manchester United means other clubs are aware of the player being transfer listed, meaning they gain a huge upper hand in negotiations and can hold out until they get the price they want. There’s a bit of a recent history of the club buying expensive and selling cheap, not something the Red Devils want to be associated with especially given their financial troubles.
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Chicharito, Evans, Nani, Van Persie, Rafael and Cleverley all sold for a combined estimated total of 30 million pounds despite them all contributing to the club’s success at different periods of their respective careers. Hopefully with Mourinho at the helm, a manager notorious for his transfer market know-how, things will change at Manchester United for the better in this regard in the near future.