Manchester United chief Ed Woodward will face huge transfer challenge

According to the latest reports, Manchester United chief Ed Woodward is about to face his biggest challenge to date at Old Trafford.

Ed Woodward has never been a popular figure at Manchester United. He has often been blamed for the club’s struggles since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Of course, the blame doesn’t solely lie with Woodward. The Red Devils’ struggles can be attributed to multiple reasons and the Man United chief has always tried his best. He’ll be the first to admit that sometimes his negotiations did not work out, but that is a part and parcel of football.

For example, when the Red Devils signed Alexis Sanchez from Arsenal, the Chilean winger was one of the best players in the Premier League. He was in the form of his life and Pep Guardiola was desperate for his services. Woodward managed to pull off a major coup on paper, and you could hardly fault the Red Devils chief for Alexis Sanchez’s plight since arriving at Old Trafford.

More from Red Devil Armada

The same can be said for the likes of Angel Di Maria and Paul Pogba. The pair of them arrived with high pedigrees and looked like ideal transfers for the club at the time.

Often the lack of cohesiveness has been due to other factors.

In January, Woodward once again stood by his principles, his negotiation tactics were stern, which will throw up some criticism from certain factions. It did mean the Red Devils missed out on Erling Braut Haland. One could hardly blame Ed Woodward for not wanting to negotiate with the notoriously cut-throat Mino Raiola though, who purportedly always demands excessive fees.

Conversely, Woodward’s negotiation tactics paid dividends in the case of Bruno Fernandes, with the club’s chief sticking to his initial offer and refusing to meet Sporting’s higher demands. Eventually, the Portuguese side buckled and allowed their star player to depart for Old Trafford.

Working alongside Solskjaer, Ed Woodward is slowly rebuilding his reputation at the club. This summer however, he will be faced with an almost insurmountable task.

The suspension of the football has hurt the sport’s financial might worldwide, including Man United’s. According to a report by Goal, the Red Devils’ dept has risen by £127 million during the first three months of the current annual year which could throw up some serious concerns about potential arrivals this summer such as the likes of Jadon Sancho.

Ed Woodward will have to juggle the balances well. If he manages to free up funds in order to bring in the firepower Man United desperately need, his reputation at Old Trafford could be completely transformed.

Next. Red Devils tip this star to be the next Williams and Greenwood. dark

What is your perception of Ed Woodward?