Why United need to take a leaf out of City’s book...
THEY are relentless at Manchester City. They have not had a Mancunian playing in the Manchester derby since before the 2008 takeover but have the best academy infrastructure in the country. They advertise tickets for upcoming matches but they are expanding the stadium. They are 15 points clear in the Premier League but intend to make two signings this month.
Alexis Sanchez and Jonny Evans both want to relocate and return to Manchester, and whether Sanchez comes in the winter or the summer, his arrival will be a coup for Guardiola. City used to recruit Arsenal’s cast-offs and are now about to leave them debilitated. As Jose Mourinho discovered with Nemanja Matic, few additions are better than those who strengthen your squad while weakening a rival’s.
However well Evans fares in blue, City fans should be able to trumpet him as a United player who has won the Premier League in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Evans’s wife still works for MUTV.
As the chasm widens between City and United in the league table so does the gulf in the spending pyramid. Guardiola has spent £360m already and Mourinho trails him on £286.2m. Guardiola’s City reign could break the £400m barrier this month and excuse Mourinho a transfer tantrum at an upcoming press conference.
Particularly given United’s interest in Sanchez’s teammate Mesut Ozil. The Germany playmaker was informed his best chance of securing a move to United was by running down his contract and joining on a free three months ago. Mourinho has not promised Ozil a reunion, though a free signing with 67 million social media followers is panacea for the Glazers. While City are willing to pay for Sanchez, United are unwilling to do likewise with Ozil. United and Mourinho can be capricious. Just before last season’s winter window opened, it emerged they had abandoned plans to sign Victor Lindelof on account of Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo’s resurgence. A year on, Luke Shaw’s form has cooled their interest in a left-back and Jesse Lingard’s potency may have eased the need for a forward. They are credible excuses but the bigger picture is United trail City by 15 points.
Mourinho went into this month keen on making two additions - a winger and a central midfielder.
For appearances sake, they need to make an addition. It reflects damningly on the Glazers and Ed Woodward when City are prepared to reinforce two key areas following injuries. Vincent Kompany and Gabriel Jesus’s injuries have convinced Guardiola he needs to move for Evans and Sanchez and, as Mourinho explained less than a fortnight ago, United are not able to operate as similarly.
“Can we buy six or seven players at the same time? Can we invest £600 or £700m? No, no. So, it’s difficult,” Mourinho said.
United are so far away from City they are resembling a mirage and if they want to start looming in their wing mirrors as imposingly as the T-rex in Jurassic Park they are going to have to recruiting aggressively.
They need to be relentless.