'Our focus' - Ruben Amorim accepts Manchester United's controversial 'smarter' transfer strategy
Man Utd might need to sell more academy players as they look to raise precious funds and address their tight financial situation.
Ruben Amorim has established a reputation for honesty at Manchester United, whether they like it or not. The Portuguese head coach isn't afraid to speak his mind and is well aware of the unenviable position he finds himself in. Amorim wants to add both a wing-back and a forward to his side before deadline day, though he knows the club's financial situation is tight and that a second signing might not be so straightforward.
United need to raise funds somehow but with Marcus Rashford and Casemiro both difficult to sell, they might reluctantly need to look at other ways of balancing the books. The warped Profit and Sustainability Rules mean academy spending is exempt from finances, and effectively incentivises the sale of homegrown players because it counts as pure profit.
It is for those reasons selling a high-value academy graduate such as Alejandro Garnacho or Kobbie Mainoo would be the quickest and easiest way to address their financial issues. Though they obviously don't want to do it by choice. It is something Amorim is aware of though, and why he is perfectly aligned with the club's 'smarter' transfer strategy at youth level.
What Ruben Amorim said
Speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of the weekend match with Crystal Palace in the Premier League, the United head coach was asked about the current PSR rules and how United could balance their finances while still keeping hold of their best young players.
"I want players like Kobbie and Garnacho," said Amorim. "The focus is that we have to improve our academy. And you have to bring more [through]. That is something that all the clubs in England have to take advantage of. The players that come from their academies. To play, to feel the shirt, but also to sell them. So our focus is to bring more [through]."
It means United could instead look to sell academy graduates on the periphery of a first-team role such as Toby Collyer, Dan Gore and Harry Amass this summer. A full sale of Rashford remains the easiest way to address the issue though.
Manchester United's smarter transfer strategy explained
United have aimed to become "smarter" in terms of selling academy graduates and they have also become a lot more ruthless, with staff suspecting players are going "stale and sour" if they stay at the club too long without getting an opportunity to play. They could make even more money off their academy if they really wanted to, but they are keen to strike the appropriate balance between nurturing young talent and the harsh business side of football that sees every individual as a market asset.
When it comes to transfer fees, United still look to get a fair price for their players where possible, but are also happy for the real value of a deal to be made up with future sell-on fees or buyback clauses. Though the initial fees might look a little underwhelming at times, it only takes one hefty transfer fee to be paid for United to land a significant windfall.
United are also using the current academy climate to their advantage when it comes to new recruits. While there has always been a clamour for homegrown talent, the demand has skyrocketed in recent years following the introduction of Brexit regulations that make it impossible to sign players aged under 18 from Europe. Another contributing factor are the strict financial fair play restraints which have led to an emphasis on identifying elite talent as early as possible in order to save money.