Manchester United cannot afford to repeat January transfer window mistakes

Heading into the January transfer window, Manchester United fans' ambitions won't be too high.

While Sir Jim Ratcliffe is seemingly closing in on his 25 per cent stake in the club, he will have precious little time to hit the ground running before the window opens while Financial Fair Play (FFP) constraints have dampened enthusiasm. This was emphasised further during the United Fans' Forum when COO Collette Roche confirmed she was expecting a quiet January.

So the prospect of major moves being pushed through seems unlikely. Last January, similar noises were coming out of United but the club must ensure they don't repeat the mistakes of 2023.

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The club did not see January as the opportune moment to go out and buy players, instead waiting for the summer to reinvest. But with reinforcements required, they chose to sign loan players who, by and large, offered little to the cause.

United's main target was a centre forward and Wout Weghorst arrived. But, it soon became obvious he was not the answer. He worked hard but was not the consistent goalscorer United were searching for. Jack Butland also arrived on loan but the goalkeeper barely featured.

Finally came Marcel Sabitzer who showed signs of promise but the decision was made to not sign him at the end of the season. All three arrivals were stop-gaps and while United find themselves in a similar situation this time around, there is no point adopting a similar strategy.

Either the Reds stick with what they have and try to make it work as they wait for summer, or they try and trim the squad, raise some funds and bring in players