Best signing since Bruno: Ratcliffe hit the jackpot on Man Utd’s “bargain of the year” – opinion

Sir Jim Ratcliffe articulated a significant point on Monday afternoon regarding Manchester United’s influential captain: “The captain is an exceptional footballer. We certainly require Bruno [Fernandes]. It would be quite challenging without him.”

These remarks from the INEOS chairman followed closely after the 30-year-old’s remarkable opening goal in the 1-1 draw against Arsenal, where the playmaker executed a superb free-kick, marking his 25th goal contribution of the season.

While the Portuguese talent has faced criticism, including from Roy Keane, it raises an important question about the potential standing of this team and club in the absence of his crucial contributions.

Currently, the player has accumulated an impressive total of 170 goals and assists in merely 275 matches for the club across all competitions. The former Sporting CP standout clearly distinguishes himself as the most exceptional acquisition of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson period.

While there may be some doubts regarding his effectiveness as a captain—an issue highlighted by Amorim in relation to Fernandes’ “frustration” with his teammates—do the advantages not significantly outweigh any drawbacks? Consider, for example, Roy Keane, who, despite his legendary status at Old Trafford, received 11 red cards during his career and made numerous errors.

The discussion surrounding United’s number eight is likely to persist, yet his signing undeniably signifies a notable achievement in the transfer market. Although it is still early in the season, it is possible that Ratcliffe and his team have already secured another ‘bargain.’

Man Utd’s mixed signings since Fernandes

Acquired from Sporting for an initial fee of £46 million in January 2020, Fernandes stands out as a remarkable exception during a notably poor phase of recruitment for the Old Trafford club.

The club invested £73 million in Jadon Sancho, £70 million in Casemiro, and an additional £86 million on Antony. These expenditures have been characterized by Ratcliffe as ‘inherited’ liabilities from the previous management.

Identifying a success story since Fernandes joined the team has proven to be quite challenging. No senior player signed during the summer 2020 transfer window—aside from Amad—remains with the club. The same situation applies to the summer of 2021, where only third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton is still part of the squad.

In the summer of 2022, Antony is currently on loan at Real Betis, Lisandro Martinez is facing another significant injury setback, and Casemiro may be sold if a suitable buyer emerges. Christian Eriksen is expected to depart upon the conclusion of his contract this summer, while Tyrell Malacia is now on loan at Feyenoord.

As the club moves into 2023, the three prominent signings were Andre Onana, Rasmus Hojlund—both of whom Ratcliffe also mentioned—and Mason Mount, who has managed to score just once and provide a single assist for the Red Devils thus far.

It appears that the arrival of the INEOS regime has finally facilitated a prudent and successful acquisition, with £13 million signing Noussair Mazraoui continuing to excel.

Man Utd’s ‘bargain of the year’

In hindsight, the transfer activities from last summer were less than ideal; however, recent performances from some of the late arrivals under Erik ten Hag suggest a positive trend.

Matthijs de Ligt, for instance, has started to establish himself, demonstrating a particularly impressive performance against Real Sociedad, as noted by Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic. Additionally, Manuel Ugarte seems to be an excellent match for Amorim, given their previous collaboration at Sporting.

Furthermore, Leny Yoro continues to represent a promising prospect for the future, while Joshua Zirkzee has also displayed glimpses of his potential, notably scoring the opening goal in San Sebastian last week.

The most remarkable success narrative centers around Mazraoui, the Moroccan talent who joined from Bayern Munich alongside De Ligt. Journalist Liam Canning has referred to him as the “bargain of the year.” Canning further emphasized the value of the 27-year-old, highlighting his intelligence and versatility, while Amorim has characterized him as the “future of our team.”

“He understands the game. He knows how to attack, he’s very technical, he’s very good defensively and he’s very good one-on-one. He’s a modern player. I think he’s the future of our team. When you think about him, you think we need more players like Nous that can control the tempo, they are really, really good and comfortable with the ball. So, Nous, I’m really happy with him.”

The aforementioned quality was evident in the recent match against the Gunners, where the versatile full-back nearly found the net, only to have his attempt skillfully thwarted by David Raya’s quick reflexes.

Positioned as a right wing-back—having previously participated in a back three during Thursday’s Europa League encounter—Mazraoui played a significant role in United’s late offensive push against Mikel Arteta’s team, delivering an impressive turn and pull-back for Fernandes in the closing moments.

As Amorim pointed out, Mazraoui is a valuable asset both with and without the ball, as demonstrated by his ranking in the top 5% of full-backs in the league for tackles made per 90 minutes, and in the top 21% for successful take-ons per 90 minutes, according to FBref.

With the Netherlands-born player’s market value having surged to £36 million, as reported by Football Transfers—nearly three times the amount INEOS invested in him—it appears that he defies the typical pattern observed in signings made after the Ferguson and Fernandes eras.

It is hoped that this shrewd acquisition heralds a positive trend under the leadership of Ratcliffe and his associates.