03 December 2023 , 05:00
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When history look back on Ed Woodward's reign as executive vice chairman of Manchester United, it's unlikely he'll be remembered too fondly.
Fan opinion of Woodward was always low, but the 52-year-old's tenure gradually became synonymous with failure both on and off the pitch. His poor record in the transfer market was scrutinised by a fanbase who have had to stomach mediocrity since Sir Alex Ferguson relinquished his powers at Old Trafford back in 2013.
The signings made on Woodward's watch is a who's who of blockbuster names; the majority of whom arrived for over-inflated transfer fees. Seldom few actually lived up to the hype. But every now and then, Woodward did get something right.
Intriguingly, one of his better deals in the market came at the expense of Jose Mourinho, who spent two-years at the helm between 2016 and 2018. It has been alleged that the former Chelsea and Real Madrid chief handed Woodward a list of transfer targets in the summer before his departure.
However, Woodward would go on to veto the majority of Mourinho's targets, with the club instead moving on to targets that had approval from the board. One of those signings was Fred, who joined in a £52million deal from Shakhtar Donetsk - but according to The Athletic, Mourinho was never fully on board with the deal.
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Mourinho was in need of a player in the Brazilian's position, though, and with nobody else readily available, agreed to the move. He was vindicated, too, when Fred struggled during his maiden season at Old Trafford.
Join the debate! What did you make of Man Utd's transfer business under Woodward? Let us know here.
Ed Woodward overruled Jose Mourinho to sign Fred back in 2018 (AFP via Getty Images)But Fred made significant strides under the stewardship of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer once Mourinho had left his role in December 2018. And the midfielder would go on to establish himself as a mainstay under United's new boss, chalking up a total of 213 appearances in total before moving onto pastures new this summer.
Although Fred didn't always consistently deliver in a Manchester United shirt, he did enough across a five-year period to vindicate Woodward's decision to overrule Mourinho.
Unfortunately for United, their habit of over-paying for players has outlived Woodward. Incoming Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe may finally put an end to the trend which has cost the club dearly - both figuratively and literally - in recent years.
Woodward got far more wrong than he did right at Manchester United. The decision to press ahead with this specific move, though, can be counted as a rare win.