Sport360° view: Woodward’s words could cost Man Utd in the market

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  • Finger pointing: Woodward must act quickly if United are to make a mark this summer.

    “It is in our capabilities to spend £60m, £70m, £80m on a player – and we would not be afraid to do that. There is no budget. We are in a very strong financial position. We can make big signings.”

    With those few words, Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward raised the spirits of supporters crying out for top-line talent and guaranteed a bumper Christmas for the families of football’s ever avaricious agents.

    The message was clear.

    The fallen Premier League giants intend to keep splashing the cash with abandon to ensure that manager Louis van Gaal is able to drag the club back to the hallowed, and lucrative, lands of the Champions League.

    Whether owners the Glazers will feel so enamoured when they have to count the cost of their employee’s candour, or the Dutchman sees discussions for much-needed fresh blood drag on as clubs endlessly hold out for more money, remains to be seen.

    And when you promise the world to a supporter base that remain less than convinced of your capability, you must then deliver.

    In an often brutal first year at the helm, Woodward has appeared to be adept at learning on the job.

    The gloom caused by the painful 2013 summer window, which saw the sole purchase of the woefully inadequate Maroune Fellaini at an avoidably-high price, soon gave way to the cheer of starlet Adnan Januzaj snubbing enticing overtures from across Europe to commit his future.

    This was followed by the impressive acquisition of Juan Mata from Chelsea, a deal involving the skilful use of a myriad of middle men.

    The new contract for Wayne Rooney divided the fans, but a willingness to pay what was required was a positive sign after years of Glazer-fuelled parsimony.

    Ander Herrera was the low point for Woodward a year ago, with failed negotiations featuring fake lawyers staining United’s name.

    This summer, the Athletic Bilbao midfielder and promising Southampton left-back Luke Shaw were swept up with minimum fuss.

    Add a guiding role in the negotiations that secured the game-changing £750m (Dh4.7bn) kit sponsorship with adidas, and everything looks a lot better for Woodward.

    Judging by his latest round with the press, however, the delicate arts of transfer negotiation still seem to evade him.

    Woodward often comes across as a crowd-pleaser, promising everything with hallow words, the exact opposite of ruthlessly effective predecessor David Gill. 

    Football at the highest level is a seller’s market, with the Machievellian instincts of the wheelers and dealers honed to extract the maximum price for their coveted players.

    Information is the life blood of negotiations, both parties should hold cards close to their chest.

    Woodward’s words will be manna from heaven for any club that receives a fax on headed Manchester United notepaper (the dated machine collecting dust in your company’s office is still the conduit of choice because of the insecurities of e-mail exchanges).

    Name your price and double it. The big-spending Old Trafford behemoth is back in town. 

    Financial traders talk of ‘bagging whales’ and United are this year’s Moby-Dick.

    Van Gaal needs players to bolster a side that sunk to unimaginable depths under David Moyes and delays in acquiring them as clubs hold on for sky-high prices will not do. 

    Neither does talk of competing with Spain’s heavyweights to land the globe’s top stars.

    Talk of “capabilities” must match tangible results. 

    A year ago, Woodward’s early exit from United’s tour of Asia because of “urgent transfer business” bore nothing but embarrassment. A similar escape this year is officially due to “general business reasons”. 

    The club’s press office have obviously learned from their linguistic mistake.

    Woodward must behave with similar restraint the next time a dictaphone is pointed in his direction.

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