When Manchester United signed Luke Shaw for a record transfer fee, it was thought that the Manchester United side has understood the heat of the moment arsenal and are now going for something big. However in a transfer window that has seen three of their star-players in Patrice Evra, Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand off, anybody would have expected more signings than Ander Herrera, Marcos Rojo and Shaw. Now with just 2 weeks of transfer window left so-far, panic buys might become reality for the Red Devils.
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Here are the four reasons why this transfer window so-far isn't a success for Manchester United:
Selling star defenders
Although Vidic, Evra and Ferdinand seemed to be out of prime last term under David Moyes, all of them leaving in a same window isn't less than a shock. While Vidic has already indicated his ambitions before Van Gaal arrival, both Ferdinand and Evra could have been kept as the 2nd choice full-backs. And the incoming signs aren't good for United as Luke Shaw is injured for one month while United’s defense isn't the best in the top five with Jonny Evans and Phil Jones in the heart of it.
No direct replacement for Giggs or Scholes
Although it may seem odd, Manchester United haven’t tried anything to replace the class of 92’. While Ryan Giggs was the latest survivor of that epitome of success, neither Moyes nor Van Gaal has looked towards history when re-building for the future. Having paid a lot of money for Ander Herrera now and Fellaini before, United have missed on several big names including Cesc Fabregas and Toni Kroos. While the latter seemed a distant shot considering the team in for him, Fabregas was more than realistic however the Red Devils decided not to purse.
Paying £32m for a left back
While most of the Red Devils fans will attribute this signing to a young Ferdinand coming to Old Trafford, they need to understand situation is different here. When United paid World-record fee for Ferdinand, United had already won three Premier League titles in last four years and were already going for something big with a manager with deep roots to justify the price tag. While there is no doubt that Van Gaal is a legendary figure, he still needs to prove himself to the demanding Old Trafford crowd who aren't used to defeats. So definitely, Shaw is a very good player but with the price paid for him in the region of £32million, they would have signed two left backs with more experience for the same amount.
Shown their cards way-too early
At the end of last season when Glazers family announced a £200million war-chest for Manchester United, it was confirmed that Moyes would be sacked as handing that amount of money to him would have been disastrous. One disadvantage of having the money is that the sellers know you have it and practically so far in this transfer window, they have milked from Manchester United in an effective way. So next time when you go to a market with a $100 bill in you check and decide to bargain, make sure the retailer doesn't look past your pocket.
Amir Bashir follow him on Twitter.
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