As reflected by their recent signing of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United are one of the few clubs in the ‘Big Six’ who prefer to leave their business until the transfer deadline.
The 36-year-old made an emotional return to Old Trafford from Juventus — 12 years after leaving the Red Devils in a world-record £80million move for Real Madrid.
The move has already paid off with Ronaldo scoring five goals in his first seven matches for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
Ronaldo joined earlier summer arrivals Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane, who signed from Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid respectively. The majority of Man United fans regarded it as their best transfer window since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.
It was arguably more of a planned operation than their business in the summer window, when Solskjaer’s men made an incredible five signings on deadline day a year ago on October 5, 2020.
Up until that point, the £35m capture of Donny van de Beek from Ajax was their only summer arrival and executive vice chairman Ed Woodward had come under fire for failing to land targets.
One of which was Sancho, who United chased for the best part of 18 months only to fail in their first attempt to prise him away from Germany, before sealing the transfer in July 2021.
That left Woodward frantically trying to wrap up deals late on to appease his manager and the fans, with five new players joining the club all in one day.
But how have the quintet fared since pulling up for their first day at Carrington? Mirror Football examines their impact in their first 365 days in Manchester…
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Edinson Cavani
As debut seasons in the Premier League go, Edinson Cavani’s impact on English football was right up there after signing on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain.
The 34-year-old knew that with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial for company he would not be an automatic starter.
But in the games he was brought on, Cavani showed the tenacity and desire to help out the team and notched a number of times from the bench.
He started only 19 games in the 2020-21 season but still managed to score 16 goals in all competitions, making 33 appearances in total. Having only penned a one-year deal when he first signed, few could argue against him signing a 12-month extension earlier this summer.
His value to the team and appreciation by the fans was reflected when a clip of him chasing down a loose ball from the other side of the pitch to earn a corner went viral.
It remains to be seen what lies ahead for his future after Ronaldo’s arrival, even if Solskjaer has insisted the pair can play together up front.
Alex Telles
Based on his previous links with Chelsea and Liverpool, the fact that the Red Devils paid just £15m in total for the Brazilian suggested they had found themselves a bargain.
An experienced full-back having played in the Champions League with Galatasaray and Porto, Telles was also regularly called up for international duty.
The Brazilian might have expected to edge past Luke Shaw in the pecking order after arriving as a new signing. But he struggled to acclimatise to the pace of the Premier League and his slow start coincided with Shaw’s best season in a red shirt.
Telles made only nine Premier League appearances last season, with 11 of his 24 outings coming in European competition.
He opened his account with a phenomenal strike against Villarreal in the Champions League last month, but has largely disappointed when Solskjaer has given him a chance to impress.
Now 28, it seems likely that Telles will be offloaded next summer if his playing time does not improve.
Amad
United raised more than a few eyebrows when the club shelled out an initial £21m fee — rising to £37m — to snap up Atalanta sensation Amad.
The Ivorian winger was just 18 at the time and had only made five senior appearances for the Serie A outfit before signing. It was his performances for the youth team that caught the eye of United’s wide-searching scouts and convinced the club to spend big.
He later arrived in January 2021 and made a quick impression on his coaches in the Under-23 side. Handed a debut against Liverpool, the forward excited fans with a double in a 6-3 win.
Hearing about his meteoric rise at the club, Solskjaer promoted him to the first-team squad and he repaid the Norwegian’s faith, scoring his first goal in a 1-1 draw against AC Milan in March.
It was thought at the time that Amad would be United’s very own Sancho after failing to land the England international. But after adding the 21-year-old in their ranks, Amad was close to sealing a loan move to Feyenoord before suffering a thigh injury.
The teenager is closing in on a return to action and how he fares could be crucial in deciding where his long-term future lies, but a loan move is the most likely outcome at this point.
Facundo Pellistri
United using their scouting knowledge to clinch a deal for one of the world’s most-coveted youngsters, securing the signature of Penarol’s Facundo Pellistri.
The 18-year-old arrived in a deal worth £9m after signing a long-term contract, making him one of the Uruguay’s most expensive exports.
Pellistri has not been afforded the same opportunities as Amad, however, after taking more time to adjust to his new surroundings. Arriving in Manchester during the middle of a coronavirus pandemic will no doubt have made things more difficult.
Solskjaer decided to send Pellistri out on loan to Alaves in January to gain some first-team experience and he renewed his deal for another 12 months this summer.
The winger has made only one start since joining the LaLiga outfit and his minutes have mainly come from short cameos. It may be some time before he is seen in a United shirt again.
Willy Kambwala
A move that went somewhat under the radar, United’s capture of 16-year-old wonderkid Willy Kambwala could prove a shrewd signing for years to come.
According to RMC Sport, the club paid €4m (£3.6m) to sign the teenager from Ligue 2 side Sochaux and he was drafted into the club’s academy system to aid his development.
The young Frenchman’s first year has been filled with frustration, having suffered a long-term injury which kept him sidelined during a critical period for adaptation.
He is now back on the pitch and fit again, turning out for United’s Under-18 side recently against Birmingham City, and youth coaches are thought to be excited about his potential.
