Manchester United have a new transfer model to follow after being impressed by new recruit

For the second summer in a row, Manchester United didn't spend a transfer fee on a player older than 27 as they look to pivot towards a strategy that focuses on those either in their prime or yet to hit their highest level.

Those windows have come under two different models and if it was perhaps coincidental in 2023, it's a clear shift in 2024 in what was Ineos' first summer as the primary decision-makers at the club. Their £200m spree saw an 18-year-old, two 23-year-olds, a 25-year-old and a 26-year-old arrive.

United felt they blended youth and experience, given the two signings at the upper end of that age scale - Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui - have been regulars at the highest end of the European game for several seasons.

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made it clear he views recruitment as the biggest opportunity to improve United and that he wants to sign the next superstar, rather than spend millions on players who might already have their best years behind them. Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Casemiro all fitted into that bracket in recent seasons.

There is also a focus on bringing in the best young players from around the world to strengthen the academy and try and provide a flow towards the first team. In an era of tighter spending rules, that kind of approach is more important than ever.

That's why appointing former Red Bull transfer chief Christopher Vivell as interim director of recruitment in July was a revealing move. Vivell's spell has now been extended until the end of the January window and if both parties remain happy it could become a permanent