Ed Woodward has defended Manchester United’s lack of transfers this summer, as he addressed the criticism from fans ahead of their Premier League opener.
The Red Devils get their 2020/21 season underway against Crystal Palace on Saturday, and the executive vice-chairman issued an update on United’s transfer plans ahead of the clash.
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The United Review is now published online, with fans unable to watch games in person, and Woodward used the match programme to respond to the growing unrest from supporters about transfers this summer.
The Premier League giants have made just one new signing so far in this transfer window, and it was a good one too, bringing Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek to Old Trafford in a £35million deal.
Reports also claim United are close to sealing a deal for full-back Alex Telles from Porto in a deal worth £17m.
But fans are frustrated with the club’s apparent failures this summer, with the club still interested but yet to make a move for Jadon Sancho, while they have missed out on a host of top targets, including Gareth Bale who has decided to return to Tottenham instead.
The recent success of rivals Liverpool and Chelsea in the window, and the fact there’s only just over two weeks to go until the October 5 deadline, has only seen fan frustration rise in the red half of Manchester.
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But, Woodward insists he’s happy with the club’s business so far, and has warned United must be ‘responsible’ with the money they spend during the current climate due to the COVID-19 crisis.
“Disruption from the pandemic is continuing to create huge economic pressures from the top to the bottom of the football pyramid and, while we are fortunate to be in a more resilient position than most clubs, we are not immune from the impact,” Woodward said in United Review.
“Despite this, we are delighted to have brought in Donny van de Beek from Ajax, adding further quality to a midfield already strengthened by the recruitment of Bruno Fernandes in January.
“Both Donny and Bruno are players we had been tracking for some time and their signings reflect our long-term approach to blending high-quality recruits with homegrown talent to develop a squad capable of winning trophies playing attacking, entertaining football.
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“As part of that process, we have also awarded new contracts to Nemanja Matic and academy graduates Dean Henderson, Brandon Williams, Scott McTominay and Mason Greenwood over the past year.
“We have also continued to strengthen our thriving academy by attracting several promising young players from across Europe, including Marc Jurado from Barcelona and Alvaro Fernandez Carreras from Real Madrid.
“Together, these investments reinforce our optimism about the future, and we will continue to build on these strong foundations.
“However, we must also be responsible in our use of resources during the most extraordinarily challenging time for everyone in football.”
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