02 February 2024 , 04:00
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The January transfer window is over and Manchester United have succeeded in trimming Erik ten Hag’s squad.
Ten Hag and director of football John Murtough had made it clear in the run-up to January that United would not be using the window to bolster their ranks. Instead, the month turned into an all-out effort to reduce numbers rather than increase them.
With Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS team set to take over soon and Omar Berrada arriving as chief executive, a new era is about to start. Ratcliffe has made it clear that he thinks United’s poor recruitment is one of the main things holding them back. He intends to change how things are run and United have cleared the decks before he is officially the owner of 25 per cent of the club.
Last January they signed Marcel Sabitzer and Wout Weghorst on loan, while former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer loaned Odion Ighalo in 2020. But there were no such short-term punts this time around. There were no signings whatsoever made in January – but a whopping 13 players were moved on. Deadline day was quiet, partly because United were busy playing Wolves in the Premier League at Molineux, and partly because they had already shifted so many players.
There was one deal completed, with midfielder Isak Hansen-Aaroen completing a permanent move to Werder Bremen. "Moving to Werder is the right step for me," the 19-year-old said. "I'm happy to have the opportunity to play in the Bundesliga for such a big club."
Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash
The Norwegian was one of just two permanent transfers done, with Mateo Mejia’s move to Sevilla the only other. Elsewhere, United focused on loaning out players not wanted by Ten Hag. That area was of course headlined by Jadon Sancho moving to Borussia Dortmund and Donny van de Beek heading to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Sergio Reguilon’s loan from Tottenham was ended after Luke Shaw ’s return, Hannibal Mejbri joined Sevilla on loan and Facundo Pellistri went to Granada for game time. The other loan deals were mainly for youngsters still some way off Ten Hag’s first-team squad.
Isak Hansen-Aaroen has left Manchester United for Werder Bremen (Getty Images)HAVE YOUR SAY! What do you make of Manchester United's transfer business in January? Comment below.
There was one signing United were linked with, but Bayern Munich beat them and a number of Premier League rivals to 16-year-old Swedish sensation Jonah Kusi-Asare. United will now look ahead to the summer when Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee is among a number of players on their radar.
But Murtough’s recent admission explains the strategy for the month just gone. “Looking ahead to the January transfer window, we are not expecting it to be particularly busy,” he said. “There will always be the possibility of deals around the edges of the squad, particularly in terms of finding opportunities for players who are not playing as much football as they would like.
“However, we’ve always been consistent in saying that we do not see January as the optimal time to do business and our recruitment strategy remains focused on summer windows. We’ve seen this season that financial fair play (FFP) rules have real teeth, so we have to be very careful to ensure that we remain compliant, and we will. But that means being really disciplined on spending going forward, with a balance between incomings and outgoings."
Jadon Sancho was the most significant departure for Manchester United in January (Marco Steinbrenner/DeFodi Images/REX/Shutterstock)Man Utd’s exits in January:
Donny van de Beek - Eintracht Frankfurt, loan
Sergio Reguilon - Tottenham, end of loan
Jadon Sancho - Borussia Dortmund, loan
Joe Hugill - Burton, loan
Man Utd deadline day live updates as Sabitzer completes loan move
Hannibal Mejbri - Sevilla, loan
Alvaro Fernandez - Benfica, loan
Max Oyedele - Forest Green, loan
Mateo Mejia - Sevilla, permanent transfer
Rhys Bennett - Stockport, loan
Dan Gore - Port Vale, loan
Radek Vitek - Accrington, loan
Facundo Pellistri - Granada, loan
Isak Hansen-Aaroen - Werder Bremen, permanent transfer