\n<\/p>\n
The Antony deal was completed on 1 September 2022 – transfer deadline day. It’s part of a pattern.<\/p>\n
Although many United fans had hoped their club would have completed their business early on this summer, the reality is it was highly unlikely.<\/p>\n
For the past six seasons, at least one senior first-team player has arrived at Old Trafford as the transfer window was about to close.<\/p>\n
Twelve months ago, United waited until deadline day before deciding Senne Lammens would – eventually – become their new number one goalkeeper instead of Emi Martinez, who Amorim wanted to bring in from Aston Villa<\/a>.<\/p>\n In 2024, they paid PSG \u00a350.8 to sign Manuel Ugarte on deadline day. The year before that, experienced pair Sergio Reguilon and Sofyan Amrabat came in on loan.<\/p>\n The \u00a381.3m fee for Antony, now at Real Betis, is still the second biggest fee, behind Paul Pogba, United have ever paid. <\/p>\n A year before that was the deal that arguably made the biggest impact. The return of Cristiano Ronaldo in 2021 was supposed to be the deadline-day deal that swept the club back to the top of the table. It failed spectacularly.<\/p>\n In 2020, Edinson Cavani also joined on a deadline day pushed back into October because of Covid-19.<\/p>\n The performances of those deadline day signings may suggest it is not a great time to buy players, but rather than get irritated by it happening, maybe, as we head towards the final week of the transfer window being open, Manchester United<\/a>‘s fans should have expected that is how it would work out.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n