Manchester United miss out on an easy first transfer of the summer INEOS

At the height of Glazer’s days at Manchester United, the club used to make a lot of mistakes in the transfer window.

The follow-up to the Jadon Sancho transfer is perhaps the most obvious, given what happened after that. United believed they had done due diligence on a player who simply did not fit in on or off the pitch at Old Trafford. Others such as the eye-watering signing of Alexis Sanchez, paying over £80m on Antony and the infamous Paul Pogba ‘Pogback’ deal spring to mind.

It’s a new era now and Sir Jim Ratcliffe has promised that things will be different at the club. For starters, United have a whole new set of directors in the boardroom, a new technical director in Jason Wilcox and, you’d guess, that means a new approach to the transfer window.

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This summer’s window could hardly be more important. Having ended the Premier League season languishing in eighth position – two places worse than in 2019 and 2022, United’s last two ‘reset’ windows – it’s time to clear the threshold and start again.

Of course, United can’t sell everyone and even clearing the decks enough to feel the squad has been rejuvenated enough is a risk in the current financial climate. Ralf Rangnick said more than two years ago that United needed to sign “eight to 10 players”, but such a prospect is not feasible in the world of Financial Fair Play.

United simply could not sign enough new recruits to replace those sold while meeting the Premier League’s strict Profitability and Sustainability (PSR) rules.

He could have helped himself this summer, however, with the free transfer of Fulham defender Tosin Adarabioyo.

Chelsea are now said to be close to agreeing a long-term deal for the 26-year-old, subject to a medical. It is claimed that Adarabioyo – a former Manchester City academy graduate – is keen to play in Europe next season with United and Newcastle, the clubs set to lose his services, being interested.

Some reports claim that Adarabioyo’s potential arrival at Stamford Bridge could mean that Trevoh Chalobah is sold and United are keen to sign him. However, Adarabioyo was a free and easy transfer that United could have made without risking an impact on their ability to join the PSR.

He’s free, he’s young enough to have years ahead of him in the side, and while he may not be a superstar name – or even a first-team regular – he could boost United’s squad in a much-needed position.

With Raphael Varane on the way out and one of Victor Lindelof or Harry Maguire likely to leave too, United are in dire need of central defensive reinforcements. Adarabioyo feels like an easy opportunity that United missed – a feeling all too familiar to fans who have followed the club’s transfer woes in recent years.

Of course, there is plenty of time left in the transfer window for United to make the right moves. They must avoid protracted sagas, inflated wages and overpaying transfer fees – three (unfortunate) hallmarks of club business in the Glazer era.

Adarabioyo would have had a quick deal with reasonable wages and wouldn’t have cost a penny in taxes. INEOS and Ratcliffe must move quickly for their first deal with United to avoid any unwanted comparisons with the previous owners.