Chapter 741: A Quiet Manchester United
Manchester United fans, accustomed to seeing their club actively participate in the summer transfer window, found themselves a bit disoriented by the team's relative quiet this year.
However, the media interpreted this calmness as a sign of United's growing maturity and stability, indicative of a firmly established dynasty.
This summer, names like Harry Kane, Rashford, Mbappé, Kanté, Gündoğan, Cancelo, Luke Shaw, Maguire, Van Dijk, Greenwood, Mahrez, and even Mata were linked with interest from various elite clubs. If media rumors were to be believed, the entire United squad had been put on the market.
The Times jokingly wrote, "Aside from Bruno, it seems the rest of the United squad has been sold already."
As for Bruno, it wasn't that no clubs coveted him—it was quite the opposite. As the undisputed top player in football today, every major European club would love to sign him. But Bruno was United's linchpin, and his loyalty to the club was unwavering.
Real Madrid's years-long, fruitless pursuit of Bruno was proof enough of this bond.
With the exception of Ander Herrera's transfer, United had not let any other players leave this summer, which the media lauded as a positive sign. United had truly become a top-tier footballing powerhouse. Now, they were more likely to sign players from other clubs rather than lose their own to rivals.
United had become the dream team of world football.
Player Renewals and High Wages
United's stability could also be attributed to their strategy of securing contracts and offering raises. Loyalty, after all, often comes with a hefty price tag.
In the summer of 2016, Gündoğan signed a five-year deal upon joining United. With only two years remaining, he renewed this summer, doubling his weekly salary from £80,000 to £160,000.
This made him the 11th player in the squad to earn over £100,000 per week. Ahead of him were stars like Bruno, Harry Kane, De Gea, Kanté, Mata, Luke Shaw, Ashley Young, Mahrez, Maguire, and Van Dijk.
Following Gündoğan, players like Mbappé, Cancelo, and Rashford also renewed their contracts, each now earning over £100,000 per week.
This brought the total number of players earning over £100,000 weekly in United's first team to 14, pushing the squad's average weekly wage above £120,000—the highest of any football club worldwide.
Such high averages weren't just about the number of well-paid players but also the staggering salaries of the top stars.
Bruno, unsurprisingly, was the highest-paid player, thanks to Sheikh Jassim's promise to make him the world's highest-earning footballer. Following Barcelona's decision to raise Messi's annual salary to €71 million, Bruno's pre-tax weekly salary at United was adjusted to £1.3 million.
Beyond Bruno, De Gea and Harry Kane also earned £300,000 per week, while Gündoğan followed with £160,000.
Watching Rivals Make Moves
With United quiet in the transfer market, their fans found some solace in watching rival clubs make waves.
Tottenham spent £54 million to sign midfield powerhouse Ndombele from Lyon and shelled out £14.4 million to loan Giovani Lo Celso from Real Betis, with a £55 million purchase clause for next summer.
Arsenal made a series of high-profile acquisitions, including:
Nicolas Pépé (£72 million from Lille),William Saliba (£27 million from Saint-Étienne),Kieran Tierney (£24 million from Celtic),David Luiz (£8 million), andGabriel Martinelli (£6 million).
Even Chelsea, under a transfer ban, managed to sign Mateo Kovačić from Real Madrid for £40.5 million.
Last season's surprise package, Wolves, spent nearly £90 million on players like Raúl Jiménez, Pedro Neto, Patrick Cutrone, Leander Dendoncker, and Jordão, signaling their ambition to challenge the Premier League elite.
Watching rivals strengthen their squads, United fans naturally felt some anxiety. But there wasn't outright panic. After all, United had won the Premier League three times in a row, and fans had grown accustomed to their team dominating. This confidence stemmed from a legacy of sustained excellence.
2019 Community Shield: United vs. Liverpool
On August 4, 2019, United faced Liverpool in the Community Shield at Wembley, a clash between last season's Premier League champions and runners-up.
United edged out Liverpool 2-1, with goals from Bruno and Harry Kane. Though Matip briefly equalized for Liverpool, Salah missed a critical chance to draw level during injury time.
With this victory, United claimed their fifth trophy of the year, adding the Community Shield to their quadruple from earlier in the season.
Meanwhile, Liverpool, already runners-up in both the Premier League and Champions League, added yet another second-place finish, earning them the dubious title of "The Treble Runners-Up of 2019."
A week later, in the opening match of the 2019-2020 Premier League season, Manchester United hosted Chelsea and delivered a resounding 4-0 victory at Old Trafford.
For Chelsea fans, losing to a dominant United side in an away fixture was somewhat expected. However, few anticipated such a humiliating defeat in Frank Lampard's managerial debut. A transfer ban and key injuries turned Lampard's first match into a trial by fire, with the 0-4 loss marking a grim start for the Chelsea legend and breaking several club records.
Historic Defeat:Chelsea had not conceded four goals in a league opener since August 9, 1969, when they suffered a 1-4 defeat to Liverpool in the First Division. Fifty years later, this marked their worst-ever opening-day defeat in the league.According to Sky Sports, this loss was the heaviest in Chelsea's 114-year history for a season opener.Unfortunate Trends:Lampard had experienced a similar 0-4 defeat as Derby County manager when facing Aston Villa in the Championship.The game also tied with the club's record for the worst managerial debut since December 1978, when then-manager Danny Blanchflower suffered a 2-7 defeat to Middlesbrough.The Relegation Zone:With a goal difference of -4, Chelsea found themselves 19th in the Premier League table. This marked their first appearance in the relegation zone since September 30, 2000. Back then, they promptly rebounded with a 3-0 victory over Liverpool. This time, they would have to wait until the next round for redemption.
Meanwhile, United's dominant performance wasn't enough to claim the top spot in the standings, as Manchester City hammered West Ham 5-0 in their opener, edging United out on goal difference. Liverpool also started strong with a 4-1 victory over newly promoted Norwich City.
The Premier League's big three—United, Liverpool, and City—had set an early tone for what was expected to be another fierce title race.
European Super Cup: United Triumph Again
Chelsea didn't have to wait long for a shot at redemption, as three days later, the two clubs met in the 2019 UEFA Super Cup at the Vodafone Park in Istanbul.
However, Chelsea's woes continued as Manchester United, powered by goals from Bruno Fernandes and Kylian Mbappé, secured a 2-1 victory to claim the title. The win underscored United's dominance and added another trophy to their collection.
With the Super Cup victory, United captured their fifth title of 2019, further cementing their place at the summit of European football.
For José Mourinho, this marked the 40th trophy of his illustrious managerial career.
The French publication L'Équipe remarked:
"The only crown missing for this Manchester United side is the Club World Cup. Should they triumph in December, United would once again claim the sextuple and make history as the first team to achieve three consecutive sextuples. In 2018, they even accomplished the unprecedented feat of winning seven trophies in a calendar year."
Premier League, Round 2: Wolves Tested
On August 19, Manchester United traveled to Molineux Stadium to face last season's surprise package, Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The Wolves had bolstered their squad significantly in the summer, signing:
Raúl Jiménez for £34 million,Pedro Neto and Jordão from Lazio for £25 million,Patrick Cutrone from AC Milan for £16.2 million, andLeander Dendoncker from Anderlecht for £12.15 million.
The British media touted the fixture as a litmus test for Wolves' revamped squad.
Despite Wolves' improved lineup, Manchester United showcased their class, with Harry Kane scoring twice, Bruno Fernandes contributing a goal and an assist, and substitute Mason Greenwood adding a late strike. United ran out 4-1 winners.
The emphatic victory lifted United to the top of the Premier League standings, followed closely by Liverpool and Arsenal, both of whom also secured back-to-back wins.
Manchester City, on the other hand, dropped points in a 2-2 draw against Tottenham at the Etihad Stadium in a thrilling encounter.
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