Man Utd and Chelsea transfer plans in limbo as Saudis eye “aggressive” U-turn
Sir Jim Ratcliffe wants Manchester United to become a title-challenging force again inside three years.
The first problem INEOS’ founder, and his assembling team of off-field decision-makers, may find is that step one of their transformation involves finding somewhere to shift the deadwood.
At a time when Premier League clubs have become hyper-aware of the now stringently-enforced profit and sustainability rules, there is a wide acceptance that United must sell before they buy at the end of this season. They are not alone in that regard but the problem is finding willing buyers for high-salary players with years left to run on their contracts.
And already they are finding that avenues are being closed off. Among the clubs capable of spending across Europe, Real Madrid are pooling their resources on bringing in Kylian Mbappe from Paris Saint-Germain, who in turn say they are committed to focusing on young talent after their superstar era failed to yield Champions League success.
Barcelona are running out of levers to lure expensive talent, while Bayern Munich's travails this season leaves question marks around their intentions. Will United sell to domestic rivals? Risky business, no matter the need to offload fringe cast members.
Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash
And that brings us to the Saudi Pro League, which director of football Michael Emenalo insists will not be a “dumping ground for players that didn't work in other clubs.” Last summer the SPL turned the sport upside down by spending £754m on new signings - including a host of Premier League stars and World Cup winners.
Yet Emenalo has stressed that the league is not going to be a “retirement home” for ageing stars and the project is a long-term one with plans for it to grow naturally. “Acquisitions of foreign players is a big part of what we want to do, but it's not the aspect we're focused on,” he told Sky Sports in December.
In the short-term that means building more gradually. They announced their arrival as a big-time player last summer but there is a widely-held belief that such heavy investment will not be repeated again.
Cristiano Ronaldo led the influx of talent to Saudi Arabia in 2023 but the rush will not be as great this summer. (Getty Images)There will be big moves, marquee players will continue to be targeted - and an expected increase of the limit on foreign players per club from eight to 10 next season will create more wriggle room. But that is still a cap that should prevent a repeat in 2024 - unless they also offload some international arrivals.
SPL chiefs say the end goal is developing homegrown talent. Their theory is that by adding a sprinkle of experience from Europe’s big leagues it can raise the level of domestic players. “The idea is to make sure that people who are coming in are going to be able to develop the local, national and the youth players,” Emenalo told Mirror Football upon taking the role last August.
Yet their inactivity in January, mirroring a calm window across the world, came with the former Chelsea executive saying it was “not very busy, because I think the job that was done has been quite aggressive.”
Speaking to the league’s own media channels, he added: “Most of the clubs, I believe, have what they need. Hopefully, the attention will now turn to work within the training facilities to improve these players and to allow the time to adapt and perform.”
Among agents and clubs there is a feeling that approach will continue into the off-season and beyond. And that complicates matters for United and other Premier League sides, including Chelsea, who it is expected must sell before they can buy in a new age of forced pragmatism.
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