Manchester United kicked off their summer spending spree by announcing the signing of Shinji Kagawa yesterday. It could be the first of many this month…
The 19 times champions of England are linked with signing new players 365 days a year, yet only on very few of them do they actually make any transfers.
Yesterday was one of those rare days, with playmaker Shinji Kagawa announced to be on his way to Old Trafford, but we shouldn’t be surprised- June has proven to be a very active month for Manchester United.
While the transfer window officially opens on July 1, United do not like to wait, and here is the proof that fans should brace themselves for a potentially exciting month ahead.
Over the last three years – 2009 to the end of 2011, the Red Devils have spent a total outlay of £100.9 million on players.
Of that £100.9 million, around 70 per cent of the club’s spending has taken place during the month, – a total of £68.9 million.
If you factor in Kagawa’s likely transfer fee – reported to be £12 million, United’s June outlay would accumulate to become £80.9 million out of £112.9 million since the start of 2009.
The transfers include all of last season’s spending, David de Gea (£18.9 million – June 29), Ashley Young (£17 million – June 23) and Phil Jones (£17 million – June 11).
United’s fourth biggest transfer since 2009 is Antonio Valencia, signed on June 30 for £16 million.
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Clearly a pattern is emerging, and supporters should embrace the month ahead and take transfer rumours with an extra sense of realism.
Why is June so key for the club? Ever since the debacle and badly handled chase of Ronaldinho in 2003, United have attempted to keep their transfer policy as under-wraps as possible, and this means doing deals as quickly as possible.
United also have a policy of embarking on money-spinning and long haul pre-season tours, on which they aim to introduce their new signings to both fans and their teammates.
The club usually jet off to America, or the Far East, this year it is China, and they usually leave in mid-July and will wish to have their major acquisitions in place before then.
Getting the signings done early is no coincidence, it is careful planning on the part of United and their management, and is generally an approach to be admired.
Even the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo was completed in early June 2009, allowing the club to reinvest ahead of the season. A similar approach with Fabregas and Nasri would have served Arsenal well last season, the club made a big mistake in allowing the sagas to drag on until mid-to-late August.
This also alludes to the fact that United will choose this month to off-load their ‘unwanted’ players, likely to include Dimitar Berbatov, to raise extra cash to spend.
So should United fans count their chickens that this month will see a number of new arrivals?
Not quite. Euro 2012 is likely to prove a sticking point, with a number of potential targets tied up with their involvement in the tournament. In 2010 when the World Cup was on, United did not make a single transfer in the month of June, snapping up main signings Hernandez and Smalling long before the tournament, while a surprise move for Bebe was tied up in August.
Clearly a pattern has emerged which shows United’s main transfer activity is concluded in June ahead of the transfer window opening, if you go back five years – Hargreaves, Anderson and Nani were all purchased narrowly either side- Hargreaves unveiled on July 1, and Nani and Anderson on May 31.
Supporters should brace themselves for a busy month ahead, the newspapers will be buzzing with transfer rumours, right-backs, left-backs, central midfielders, strikers. That makes the coming month potentially the summer’s most exciting for United, and Shinji Kagawa’s signing is a great way to kick it off.
Who do United need to sign this month to improve their squad?
image: © smemon
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