Chapter 474: Manchester United's Summer Signings
As the referee Mažić blew the final whistle, the stands of the St. Petersburg Stadium were showered with confetti, floating in the air like colorful snowflakes, dancing and swirling. Under the falling confetti, the Portuguese players celebrated wildly. Coach Santos was lifted high into the air by his players, celebrating Portugal's second major championship trophy in two years.
When the announcer declared Bruno as the Man of the Match for the Confederations Cup final, the Portuguese fans erupted into thunderous applause. All the players, coaching staff, and team personnel surrounded Bruno, celebrating his achievement. As the core player of the champion Portuguese team, Bruno scored 6 goals in 4 matches, winning the Golden Boot. His crucial braces in both the semi-final and final made his awards all the more convincing.
Bruno was deeply moved. Although the Confederations Cup isn't as prestigious, it is still a world championship. If he remembered correctly, this would be the last Confederations Cup. His Golden Boot and Golden Ball would thus become the final notes in the tournament's history, adding a special significance to his accolades.
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With the Confederations Cup over, Bruno officially began his summer vacation. Although Manchester United was set to regroup in early July to prepare for the new season, FIFA mandates that players must take at least three consecutive weeks off, meaning Bruno wouldn't have to rejoin the team until late July, during United's participation in the International Champions Cup in North America.
However, Bruno had no plans to take a full three-week break. On July 8th, the first day of Manchester United's preseason, he returned to Manchester and appeared at the Carrington Training Complex. Mourinho was very pleased with Bruno's early return, as it was significant for their preparations. As the core of United's midfield, Bruno's presence was crucial; without him, many training sessions couldn't proceed as planned.
Of course, if Bruno had chosen to take his full break, Mourinho wouldn't have had any complaints, given FIFA's regulations. But Bruno's decision to return early for the sake of the team delighted Mourinho.
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On July 9th, a piece of news shocked the English football world: Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney transferred to Everton. The club's all-time leading scorer and England's top scorer returned to where his career began after 13 years at United. Although Rooney had not seen much playtime under Mourinho the previous season, no one expected him to leave United this summer.
Rooney's departure was significant given his influence in the United dressing room, despite his declining form over the past two years. Yet, in pursuit of more playing time and a spot in the next summer's World Cup in Russia, Rooney gave up his captaincy and high salary at United to join Everton. Everton had actually expressed interest in signing Rooney during the winter transfer window, but Mourinho had firmly refused. At that time, seeing United's positive trajectory, Rooney hadn't pushed for a transfer either.
Interestingly, unlike in another timeline, Lukaku, who was linked with a move to United, ended up joining Chelsea just two days prior. The theme of the summer transfer window seemed to be "returns."
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Following the confirmation of his transfer, Rooney bid farewell to Manchester United on his personal Instagram account. He posted a picture of himself wearing United's red jersey and captain's armband, expressing his gratitude with seven "thank yous," showing his respect for the club. Rooney wrote, "Thank you to everyone at Manchester United, thank you to the board for their support over the years, thank you to all the coaches I played for, thank you to the staff I worked with, thank you to my teammates. Finally, thank you to the incredible fans, I was lucky enough to play for you, and thank you for all the memories!"
United midfielder Ander Herrera also paid tribute to Rooney on his Instagram, posting a photo of them together with the caption, "One day, I can tell my kids that I played alongside you. Good luck with everything, thank you, Rooney. Farewell to a legend." United legend Gary Neville also sent his best wishes, saying, "Best wishes to Rooney. Congratulations on a great career at United. You are the best forward I have ever seen and worked with at the club." Mourinho, in an interview on United's official website, bid farewell to Rooney, "It's no secret that I've always been a great admirer of Rooney. During his time at United, he was a role model and will forever have his name in the club's history. I didn't want to see such a great player not get enough playtime, and he wanted to return to Everton. I will miss his experience, focus, and determination. I wish him all the best for the future."
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Rooney wasn't the only player to leave Manchester United this summer. The once-promising United talent, Belgian star Januzaj, known among fans as "Jewel," also left Carrington Training Complex to join La Liga's Real Sociedad. These two transfers didn't bring much revenue to United. According to estimates, Rooney's move to Everton brought United a symbolic transfer fee of £5 million. Januzaj's transfer only brought in £7.5 million.
These two transfers didn't even match United's first expenditure of the summer, which was the signing of Swedish defender Lindelöf from Benfica for £31 million. United brought in Lindelöf, a teammate of Zlatan Ibrahimović in the national team, to strengthen their defense.
United's second summer signing was Portuguese defender Cancelo from Bruno's former club Udinese for £25 million. However, Cancelo hadn't reported to United yet. Unlike Bruno, who was willing to cut his vacation short, Cancelo decided to take his full three-week mandatory break.
Initially, United's top target for the right-back position was Tottenham's Kyle Walker, but they faced competition from Manchester City. Tottenham preferred to sell Walker to City, and United ultimately lost out, settling for Cancelo instead. Walker, last season's best right-back in the Premier League, eventually joined City for a hefty £45 million.
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Defensive reinforcements weren't United's primary focus this summer. The most pressing need was in the attack. With Rooney leaving and Ibrahimović still recovering from a severe injury, United's frontline only had the young Rashford as a recognized striker. Players like Bruno, Lingard, and Mata, though capable of playing up front, were not specialists in that position.
Therefore, United's top priority this summer was to strengthen or even rebuild their attack. Mourinho originally intended to sign Everton striker Lukaku, the third-highest scorer in the Premier League last season. However, Everton's director of football, Walsh, who had a close relationship with Mourinho, warned him that Lukaku was immature and problematic.
Despite Walsh's warning, Mourinho initially believed he could manage Lukaku and bring out his best. But after a phone conversation with Bruno, Mourinho decided to abandon the pursuit of Lukaku, allowing Chelsea to secure the Belgian forward instead.
United's other target was last season's Premier League second-highest scorer, Tottenham's Harry Kane.
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Previously, Tottenham would have outright rejected any bid from United, given the sour relationship from the Berbatov transfer saga. Though United and Tottenham had a good relationship ten years ago, with several player transfers, the Berbatov incident caused a significant rift. Tottenham had since refused to sell Modric and Bale to United, preferring to deal with Real Madrid.
However, with new ownership at United, past grievances had somewhat faded, though not completely. The primary reason Tottenham considered selling was the substantial offer from United. United's initial bid for Kane was a staggering £100 million.
Tottenham, in the midst of building their new White Hart Lane stadium, was in dire need of funds. Although Kane was crucial for Tottenham, the lure of such a significant sum was hard to resist. After all, core players like Modric and Bale had previously left Tottenham for Real Madrid.
However, such a high-profile transfer wouldn't be resolved quickly. The negotiations between the two clubs were expected to be long and drawn-out. Whether United could finally land Harry Kane this summer remained uncertain. After all, in the competition for Kyle Walker, Tottenham had opted to sell to Manchester City. If another strong competitor emerged for Kane, Tottenham might again choose a different path.
(End of Chapter)
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