Manchester United still cut corners in their record transfer window

The WhatsApp reply from a contact who had worked with Sergio Reguilon read, "Reguilonhmm".

Manchester United are also not entirely convinced. They have recruited a left-back on loan who can be dumped back at Tottenham in January. Marc Cucurella was the preferred choice.

Cucurella was discounted as he had played in Chelsea's League Cup second round tie and, given United's insistence on a break clause, Chelsea did not want to be saddled with a player they could not transfer to a third club midway through the season.

Reguilon became the first Tottenham player to transfer to United in exactly 15 years since Dimitar Berbatov, a club-record addition on deadline day in 2008. United steadfastly refused to test the waters for Spurs's talismanic striker this summer.

Also read: Hojlund in line to make United debut vs Arsenal

That United did not pick up the phone to call Daniel Levy about Harry Kane but did for a Spurs outcast is an indication of the elite penny-pinching the club remain partial to under the Glazer family's ownership. The £72million striker United turned to, Rasmus Hojlund, is at least now fit and available to start.

That United prioritised Mason Mount, with a year left on his contract, and the unknown quantity Hojlund feels telling. United have cut corners to fill gaps but Ten Hag has had unprecedented backing of £419.06m invested in players during his first 16 months in charge. The seven signings in the window that just closed is a record for United.

Sources at United regarded their summer business as a success before the flurry of deadline-day arrivals. Deals for Hojlund, Mount and Andre Onana were completed in July, well before the season started.

United believe each of those fees are fair. Hojlund has 27