Breaking the Transfer Record Offers No Guarantee of Success to Manchester United

In the summer of 2014 the Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward boasted that his club had the funds and clout to sign any player in the world.

Asked if he could come close to competing with the elite of Real Madrid and Barcelona, and break the world transfer record, Woodward boldly declared, “Of course it is within our capabilities…Are we afraid of doing that? No.”

“The reality is that we’re not afraid of spending significant amounts of money in the transfer market,” he told the Daily Mirror.  “I stand by what I said, there is no budget. We are in a very strong financial position, we can make big signings.”

But for the next two summer transfer windows those words proved to be largely hollow.

Manchester United did spend large amounts on good players, but not the type that would overly concern Europe’s leading clubs.

Overall, United were purchasing players from the middle shelf of world football, never having the confidence to reach higher.

But it appears that is no longer the case, and this week United are poised to break the world transfer record to sign Paul Pogba.

The saga has dragged on for most of the summer, but the club confirmed on Sunday that Pogba would have a medical, possibly on Monday, and be able to join United for a reported fee of around £89 million, a new world record transfer fee.

Still only 23, Pogba is a genuine superstar, and has the talent to become one of the very best players in the world on his return to Old Trafford.

Here is a player Real Madrid and Barcelona would have dearly loved to sign themselves, but they could not compete with United on this occasion. 

The imminent arrival of Pogba, a symbol of United finally using their financial muscle, will of course be a cause of celebration for the long frustrated Red Devils fans, but there should also be a note of caution.

History informs us that breaking the world transfer record certainly does not mean success immediately follows. 

In fact since 1996 on the last ten occasions a club has broken this record, only once (Real Madrid with Luis Figo in 2000) have they actually gone on to win their domestic league that season. 

In the last 20 years the record for the world transfer fee has been held by 10 players, from Alan Shearer, who Newcastle signed for £15 …

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