€800m since last trophy: Man Utd's awful transfer strategy shown by humiliating Liverpool loss
Cameron Smith
- Updated: 23 May 2023 08:55 CDT
- 5 min read
Manchester United are quite frankly lightyears behind Liverpool right now, and their 4-0 defeat to Jurgen Klopp's side confirmed just how big the gap between the two teams is.
While Liverpool are still competing on all fronts this year as they look for a historic quadruple, Man Utd are languishing with their lowest points tally after 33 games since the start of the Premier League, miles off their past status as England's best team.
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But it's Man Utd who have spent more. In fact, the team currently coached by Ralf Rangnick have spent a huge €800 million since they won the Europa League under Jose Mourinho back in 2017. That was the club's most recent trophy, and huge financial backing has resulted in a decline rather than progression.
In the same time period Liverpool have still splashed out on big-money signings, but by contrast have spent roughly €575m. Not only have they spent less, but they've spent it so much more wisely as well.
Despite the huge investment into Man Utd's squad, their starting line-up against Liverpool contained Phil Jones, who has barely featured in three years, and academy products Marcus Rashford and Anthony Elanga, but Rangnick's starting XI still cost more than Klopp's.
Man Utd's starting XI in the game cost roughly €495m, while Liverpool's cost around €400m. Not only does that highlight the incredible coaching by Klopp and the astute, clever scouting Liverpool have conducted, but it shows how Man Utd have done the complete opposite.
It's a damning indictment of the state of the two clubs. Back in 2013 when Sir Alex Ferguson left, these two teams were reversed, but years of poor planning and a miss-aligned transfer strategy has led to a vastly overpriced squad that isn't up to scratch with the best teams in England, let alone Europe.
With an overhaul still needed in virtually every position group at the club, more money needs to be spent for Man Utd to be able to compete with Liverpool, Man City and even Chelsea, but based on previous evidence, the current staff in charge of signings can't be trusted.
The Red Devils are reportedly chasing Monaco's sporting director Paul Mitchell, but he won't solve everything and there should be concerns around how good an appointment he would be.
Money in the wrong hands
Transfers in football are often a lottery, but good scouting goes a long way to improving the odds of a transfer working out.
Jadon Sancho was simply excellent in the Bundesliga, but hasn't been able to replicate that form in the Premier League. Of course, that could be down to the player, or largely due to coaching, but it's also down to scouting.
Man Utd needed a right winger, yet Sancho was signed despite the fact his best football at Borussia Dortmund came from the left flank. Furthermore Dortmund's system was all about fast, incisive counter-attacks with Sancho given space to operate in. None of those scenarios have been replicated at Man Utd.
On the other hand, Liverpool's identification of Luis Diaz has proven to have worked a treat. Signed for less money than Sancho, the former Porto man is exactly what Klopp wants in a winger - a goal threat capable of making out-to-in runs and with excellent ball-carrying ability while also possessing work-rate off-the-ball. Liverpool's scouting has earned them a superstar.
It's also worth noting that Klopp is now the longest-serving manager currently in the Premier League, so signings can easily be tailored to his style. By contrast, Man Utd have had five different managers during Klopp's reign at Anfield. Naturally that makes identifying targets more difficult as the perfect player for one manager can't be hand-picked.
Harry Maguire was a good player at Leicester City, but wasn't worth the money Man Utd paid for him. The same was said when Virgil van Dijk joined Liverpool, but he's now arguably the best defender in the world. That's down to the player, but also the fact Van Dijk is ideally suited to Klopp's style of a high defensive line as he possesses the speed necessary to defend counter-attacks.
Liverpool have mastered the art of scouting, and signing the ideal 'Klopp player' has seen them rewarded with so many success stories. In that regard, Man Utd are years behind and it won't be a quick-fix. Rangnick has admitted the club needs a restructuring of its recruitment department and he's spot on. An overhaul is needed, or Man Utd face yet more years of mediocrity.
