In the main, it was a good window. Much like Sporting Director Dan Ashworth said, we got many of our main targets even if there are some positions that we couldn't fill up.
For that to happen, this window would've been perfect, something that Ashworth said that has never happened in his 25 windows as a Sporting Director.
Looking at what MUFC has done in terms of incomings and outgoings though, I would say that this window was more of a success than a failure and INEOS can be content with the work they've done.
Incomings
Joshua Zirkzee
First over the line was striker Joshua Zirkzee. While the 23-year-old may not be a household name, it was clear that Erik ten Hag was in need of a backup to Rasmus Hojlund who last season, was United's only striker as the now departed Anthony Martial was familiarizing himself with our medical room was again.
Zirkzee was signed from Bologna on July 14th for £36.5m (Sky Sports) on a five-year deal. That is a little overpriced for a relatively unknown striker who is young, up-and-coming and raw much like Hojlund was when he signed for the club.
The fact that Zirkzee chose a move to United over AC Milan is also another reason to like the Dutchman as it's good to be having players wanting to join our club again.
I believe this was a good piece of business by the club as Zirkzee is a different profile of striker to most traditional number 9s as he prefers to move all about the forward line just as we've seen in his first three games. He also scored on his debut which was some finish.
Leny Yoro
The young French defender is another up-and-comer whom United also happened to steal from another club. Taking a player away from AC Milan is one thing but to do so from Real Madrid is quite another.
Yoro seemed destined for the Bernabeu but after much work and persuading (and money), INEOS managed to bring the 18-year-old to Manchester instead of Madrid.
Los Blancos preferred to wait for Yoro's contract to end so that they could get him for free next season rather than pay a certain fee this window for his services.
Yoro also appeared to want to go to Madrid which is why United had to overpay in order for him to sign. In the end, MUFC spent £52m (The Athletic) for the Frenchman. Yoro also penned a five-year deal but with the option of a further year.
A hefty price, but a good one in my opinion. As he was linked with Real Madrid as well as PSG and Liverpool, that indicates that he must be some talent. United looked at this and thought we need to secure him whatever the cost.
Unfortunately we are going to have to wait a couple months to see him in an official game for United thanks to an injury he picked up in pre-season.
Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs De Ligt
These two deals have got to be the best out of the lot not just because of the names but because of the deal itself.
When United wre first linked with Mazraoui and De Ligt early in the window, I thought, 'would be great but I don't think it will happen. Bayern aren't so stupid.'
But you know who the stupid one was?
ME!
Bayern did really let go off two players that I thought were arguably two of their better defenders. You could tell they felt/feel the same when looking at the petition to keep De Ligt in Munich as it got over 60 000 signatures!
United paid a total of around £52m for both. Mazraoui signed a four-year deal while De Ligt signed a five-year deal, both with the option of a further year.
A seriously good bit of business by the club as although it took a while for them to actually sign considering they both agreed personal terms back in July, getting them over the line and in time for the start of the season was all that mattered.
It may not be the start to the campaign any of us wanted, but in their appearances, Mazraoui and De Ligt have looked like shining lights. Mazraoui in particular has got a lot of United fans talking about his ability as he has been one of our better players.
This pair also have a history with Erik ten Hag having played for him at Ajax. This makes this deal even better as it means two players who can slot into the team seemlessly.
What a deal. Can't believe we actually got them 🤯.
Manuel Ugarte
And last but certainly not least, is the messiah, at least that's what I'm calling him.
Announced during the final hours of deadline day, Uruguayan midfielder Manuel Ugarte was showcased to the world as a Man Utd player ahead of the game against Liverpool.
Similarly to Mazraoui and De Ligt, he was a player who had agreed personal terms a while ago but thanks to United appearing to not have the funds, this deal took longer than we would've liked to get over the line.
The only problem with this deal though, is the time of its completion. I know that the club were in a sell-to-buy situation and needed to move someone like Scott McTominay on in order to get the funds for Ugarte. McTominay's move to Napoli was also completed late-on in the window resulting in Ugarte's late arrival.
We could've used him in these first three games.
The French champions were holding out for €60m which many deemed unreasonable considering this was the price they paid for him a year ago from Sporting Lisbon despite not using him much throughout last season.
United ended up agreeing a deal that is worth an initial €50m with €10m in add-ons.
Is it a good deal? Maybe it is another that we perhaps overpaid a little but based on his attributes and what we need in our midfield, that is money well spent even more so considering Casemiro. The Brazilian looks to have forgotten how to football which gave United all the more reason to have to bring in someone like Ugarte.
All-in-all though, these deals were really good by United. I believe that some of the prices could've been lower but when looking at the quality, experience, attributes, what was required in the team/squad and the age range of all of these players, these five transfers were top.
Outgoings
There were the freebies of Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane as the French pair left after their contracts expired. The main reason for letting them go was because of their high wage although their injuries probably helped make this decision as well.
Martial had been at United since 15/16 but never really went on to hit the heights we all thought was destined for him. While Varane was a player that I was excited about when we signed him, even I must admit that he was truly unreliable. He's so unreliable in fact, that he got injured playing for his new club Como in Serie A and was axed from their playing squad.
Good call to let them both leave even if we didn't get a fee for them.
Mason Greenwood was a high profile player at United but he needed to be moved on for other reasons. As a footballer, he is brilliant and is a player that most would've welcomed to stay at Old Trafford but thanks to what happened a couple of years ago, he had to be moved on.
Marseille under the guidance of former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi - who was pipped to takeover at United should Erik ten Hag be sacked - swooped in for Greenwood and spent €26m for his signature.
In his 3 appearances for his new club, Greenwood has scored 5 and assisted once. Seems like a good investment.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka was the next big player to be shown the door. He had been at United since 19/20 and also never reached his full potential.
While he wasn't completely shite, he just wasn't good enough to get us to where we want to be. He needed to be sold for himself more than anyone as he is capable of playing for a good side.
West Ham came in with an offer of £15m (which is much too less) but was good enough for MUFC to say goodbye. I think this is a good move for him as he will get regular first-team game time and at a good club.
Scott McTominay was the final outgoing done this window.
I never thought I'd see the day.
I'm not the biggest Scotty fan but I always felt as though he will stay at United, or at least in England, his entire career. The fact that he's actually gone just blows my mind.
But he has gone and what's even more surprising is that he joined Napoli. Italy was one of the last countries I thought he'd go to.
But it seemed that Antonio Conte was desperate for the Scotsman's signature as he and Napoli were in for him for a while. The 22/23 Serie A champions spent £25.7m for his services.
That is a good price for the midfielder who spent 22 years at Man Utd.
The most English-sounding Scotsman was a player and personality that was much adored by both fans and team-mates but I always felt that he wasn't good enough, similarly to AWB.
Those two players in particular were part of the old regime of players that were just not the level required to get us to where we want to be.
They had to go. Their deals were also pivotal in United bringing in players such as Mazraoui and Ugarte.
But what they had above this player is attitude.
Jadon Sancho sealed a last-minute loan move to the team he supported growing up, Chelsea.
The Blues got the 24-year-old on a loan deal with the obligation to buy next season for a fee in the region of £20 - £25m depending on how Chelsea perform this campaign that is.
I don't want to waste any more of our time talking about this absolute let down of a player.
Good riddance.
Other departures include Sofyan Amrabat (end of loan), Facundo Pellistri (Panathinaikos), Willy Kambwala (Villarreal), Donny van de Beek (Girona), Brandon Williams (released), Omari Forson (Monza), Hannibal Mejbri (Rangers) as well as a whole host of others.
Full list of transfers manutd.com.
Final Thoughts
I think this has been a good window. The funny thing is it was still not good enough. I think the club know that as well.
While yes, we did move players on who needed to go and did bring in players in areas that needed strengthening,we still didn't bring in a left-back and had to wait until the end to sign a CDM when one was needed for the start of the season.
Both Dalot and Mazraoui can play at LB but they are no true left-backs. Luke Shaw is unreliable and who knows what's the story with Tyrell Malacia.
Those are two areas (left-back and CDM) is where I would criticize the club for not bringing in players, or in the case of holding midfielder, bringing one in earlier on.
The rest of the incomings though, I have no complaints.
We needed a backup striker, we got one (Zirkzee). We needed centre-backs who can play how Erik ten Hag wants that will allow us to rotate throughout the season, we got them (Yoro and De Ligt). We needed another full-back to replace Wan-Bissaka and compete with Dalot, we got that (Mazraoui). Casemiro has been shite and other than him, we have no CDM. Ugarte comes in for that spot.
When looking at the departures, again, we didn't let go off all the players that needed to go. I still think that the likes of Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire in particular needed moving on. One doesn't get used (Eriksen), the other is injured (Lindelof) and the third is also not good enough despite an ok start to the season (Maguire).
They are all also on high wages which hurts the club as well.
But in terms of the actual outgoings, once more, no complaints. A decent amount of deadwood, not good enough, poor attitude players needed to go. And so they have.
This is also important in terms of the wage bill as some of them were on ridiculous wages such as Martial, Varane and Sancho.
Overall, I'd rate the window a 7/10. Pretty good but not great.
What I will say though, is that Erik ten Hag can have little complaints about not being backed. He has many of the players he wanted as Dan Ashworth came out and said that they got their first-choice targets. This increases the numbers and quality of the squad. He has been backed.
It's all on the manager now.
Background Image: Leny Yoro | Image via Manchester United official X (@ManUtd)