Manchester United have other deadlines to meet in the transfer window

Perhaps the June gloom is about to lift for Manchester United, partly indebted to the second financial quarter's end date of June 30.

That date signals the end of the financial year for La Liga clubs and a transfer fee for Frenkie de Jong would be filed among Barcelona's results, which have a bearing on their salary limits for next season.

The Barcelona president Joan Laporta said last month: “If we can sort out the club’s finances before June 30, and I think we will, then we will be able to undertake all the operations we have planned.” One day more, another day, another destiny. Les Miserables was parodied for transfer deadlines years ago.

It was 49 days ago United first approached Barcelona about De Jong. They have "negotiated hard" but not fast. They have with Tyrell Malacia, as they were with Cristiano Ronaldo in similar but more seismic circumstances. Chelsea are bullish about the prospect of signing Raheem Sterling in the same week they are expected to submit a formal bid.

Sterling is London-raised, out of contract next year, Chelsea are seeking a proven Premier League goalscorer and City have made two attacking additions in Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez. City have few qualms about selling Sterling to another top four club as Chelsea represent their only option of obtaining a fee.

Whatever the circumstances, United's peers are generally swifter at deal-making and have been for years. Go back to 2019 and United's one-at-a-time negotiating strategy left them out of time. They roughly spent a month each concluding deals for Daniel James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire (let that sink in) yet ended a transfer window that closed before the season started devoid of a new midfielder and a striker, frantically