Without knowing, Manchester United have inadvertently kickstarted the next hotbed of world football. Many leftfield countries have tried - and failed - to gain ground on traditional football nations by flashing the cash.
Russia in the early 2010s attracted players like Samuel Eto’o and Roberto Carlos to the region, an experiment that soon nosedived into the abyss.
Another global superpower, China, also gave the sport a crack a decade later. High-profile names like Rafa Benitez flew out to the Far East but, as soon as the Covid-19 pandemic ground the planet to a standstill, the house of cards came crashing down.
However, unlike their predecessors... Saudi Arabia mean business. ALSO READ: Where United stand on summer targets The latest shark in the tank is a Gulf state backed by a sovereign wealth fund worth around £600billion.