Manchester United’s recruitment is improving under Ineos, not just in the players they have brought in, but also in the ones they have decided against signing.
To bolster Ruben Amorim’s squad for the 2025/26 season, the club invested over £230m this summer and acquired five new players.
Equally important was Ineos’ ability to move on most of Amorim’s unwanted players over the summer. By the end of the window, only Tyrell Malacia remained at the club.
The main focus was to reshape the attacking line, which saw Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo come in as a completely new front three.
However, the situation might have unfolded quite differently had Ineos not withdrawn from a potential deal earlier in January.
Man United dodged a £30m transfer blunder
United had a tough time finding the net last season, and Rasmus Hojlund, their only striker option, was not in great form.
The club started looking for attacking options in January, with Mathys Tel being one of the main names linked right up until the deadline.
Bayern Munich wanted a hefty loan fee for Tel, and Ineos decided to back away from the deal late in the window.
At the time, fans were not happy about it. But looking back now, it appears Ineos made the right choice.
Tel ended up joining Tottenham on loan and has since completed a £30m permanent move to North London.
But Thomas Frank recently excluded him from Tottenham’s Champions League squad, indicating he is not central to the team’s future plans.
Mathys Tel responds to Champions League squad omission
Last season, Tottenham secured a Champions League spot by defeating United in the Europa League final. However, Tel will not participate in the tournament.
The 20-year-old addressed his omission from the squad, as quoted by The Sun.
“It’s clear that when you’re not on a list, it definitely hurts, but I’m someone who stays pretty positive, no matter the situation, because I think I’ve worked a lot on the mental aspect.
“Today it’s definitely a disappointment, I would have liked to be there.”
Ineos’ decision to pass on Tel now looks justified. Instead of moving for him in January, they waited and have since added Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko.
These kinds of calls should help restore some trust among fans in how United are approaching their recruitment under Ineos.
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