Manchester United finally have someone to end their lenient contract strategy

A rugby enthusiast of an investment banker was once charged with running Manchester United, so a cycling specialist should have the edge.

Portions of Sir Dave Brailsford's discussion with the former England Test captain Nasser Hussein are relevant to United. "Athletes who are in the first year of a contract, end of a contract, need a new contract, got a big pay cut or a big pay rise, age, marriage, kids: would that person on the hunger index be impacted?" Brailsford asks.

"In the middle season of a three-year contract, 'I'm pretty comfortable here, I'm doing all right.' Is there a danger you could just drop your focus a little bit because 'I'm feeling pretty comfortable here'?"

You do not have to be a pioneer of marginal gains or a holistic speaker to conclude that prolonged contracts could breed complacency and leave a football club marooned with damaged goods.

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Anthony Martial is the latest write-off at United. He will be bracketed with Eric Bailly, Phil Jones, Marcos Rojo et al. Anderson was given away and Nani was sold for £4.25million less than two years after agreeing a five-year contract.

Paul Pogba remained for three more years after publicly declaring his intention to leave. United got Rojo off the books after 17 appearances in just under three years. Jones played 135 minutes in his final three years at the club. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer publicly questioned the wisdom of retaining the perma-crock Bailly.

Jones is the most egregious example. United had the option of an additional year on Jones's previous deal and his representatives expected that to be triggered ahead of a definitive decision in the