“Nobody should be under any illusions about the scale of challenge facing everyone in football,” said Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward back in April. “And it may not be ‘business as usual’ for any clubs, including ourselves, in the transfer market this summer.”
The United chief was probably right. Spending has been limited, even if the pursuit of Jadon Sancho has continued throughout the summer. Borussia Dortmund’s demands have proved too much, though, and United now appear to be looking at other targets.
One of them, according to recent reports, is Chelsea’s N’Golo Kante. That would be a surprise, and it would also likely be quite expensive, given the Frenchman’s reputation in the Premier League.
The result of a move for Kante could be the exit of a couple of fringe players at Old Trafford, particularly in midfield. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will want to make sure his squad isn’t overcrowded having already brought in Donny van de Beek from Ajax.
That could be good news for Leeds, who have been linked with a loan move for out of favour Dan James. Marcelo Bielsa is looking to add to his creative options, and bringing in a player he tried to sign last year - before his move to Manchester United - would make sense.
James might be a realistic target anyway, regardless of any new additions to Solskjaer’s squad, but a big money move for Kante would really open the door for Leeds.
The Red Devils are hardly struggling financially, although there is a greater need to balance the books given the continued uncertainty surrounding the pandemic and the return of fans to stadiums.
Saving on the wages of players like James and selling those surplus to requirements - namely Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo, Chris Smalling and co. - before the close of the transfer window might be the aim for Manchester United as they look to complete more business.
Their fans are certainly calling for activity between now and October 5 after defeat against Crystal Palace and then an unconvincing performance - despite the win - at Brighton on Saturday.
“As ever our priority is the success of team,” Woodward added in April. “But we need visibility of the impact across the whole industry, including timings of the transfer window, and the wider financial picture, before we can talk about a return to normality.
“On this basis, I cannot help feeling that speculation around transfers of individual players for hundreds of millions of pounds this summer seems to ignore the realities that face the sport.”
The reality for Manchester United, and most other clubs, is that to bring players in others have to be sacrificed. It remains to be seen if an approach for Kante will be made, but the same will apply if the Red Devils try to sign a Sancho alternative, or a new centre-back.
A compromise will have to be made, and Leeds, with the possible addition of James, could benefit from that.
