Man Utd’s £66m success stands in contrast to Ineos’ £40m transfer setback

 Every Premier League transfer window tends to develop its own storyline, shaped by whatever issues are dominating the headlines that summer.

The 2024 window, for example, will be remembered as the one where PSR restrictions left clubs scrambling to balance their books. Teams across the league were forced into creative deals, including a handful of high-profile swaps, just to stay on the right side of the regulations.

In contrast, 2025 is quickly becoming known as a summer driven by player power. Alexander Isak’s £125 million move set a new Premier League record after he made it clear he wanted out.

He wasn’t alone in pushing through a move. Yoan Wissa took similar steps at Brentford to secure his £55 million transfer to Newcastle. Interestingly enough, that deal came soon after Newcastle had lost Isak in much the same way.

It wasn’t just Newcastle feeling the effects either. Manchester United found themselves on both sides of similar situations during this window.

Manchester United win and lose with player power

Sandro Tonali was the big name on his way out of Manchester this time around. The midfielder joined United from Newcastle just a year ago for what looked like a solid fee at the time: £45 million rising to £60 million with add-ons.

This week, Tonali made it clear he wanted out and ended up joining Juventus for £50 million—a fee that barely covered what United paid originally when you factor in wages and bonuses over his short stint at Old Trafford.

How Manchester United’s signings reflected the changing transfer landscape

Manchester United saw the positive side of the player power debate with some of the club’s summer signings.

Brentford were hoping to create a bidding war for Bryan Mbeumo, stretching out negotiations in hopes of driving up the price.

They spoke with Tottenham and even Chelsea, trying to get as much as they could for the Cameroon international.

Mbeumo, however, was determined to secure his move to Manchester United, which ultimately limited Brentford’s options.

Another example was Benjamin Sesko. Newcastle made a higher bid than United in an effort to win over RB Leipzig, but Sesko chose United and joined them for £66 million.

If RB Leipzig had more control in this situation, they likely would have taken Newcastle’s better financial offer rather than agreeing to Sesko’s preferred move.

Manchester United still have a strong appeal for players. It is something that has always worked in their favour and has become even more important without European football on offer.

United frustrated by sales of Alejandro Garnacho and Antony

Manchester United were happy to move on from Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, and Jadon Sancho, even if the deals weren’t quite what they had hoped for.

Unlike the successful side of player power Manchester United experienced, they also felt its drawbacks on the financial side.

The club had set Garnacho’s value at £70 million. But with his sole focus on joining Chelsea and no other clubs seriously involved, the final fee dropped to £40 million.

This wasn’t a case where United could simply pick their preferred buyer. That kind of control doesn’t seem to exist in today’s game.

A similar story unfolded with Antony. While there was interest from Saudi Pro League sides, he only wanted a move to Real Betis.

That led United to accept a £21 million offer—a significant loss compared to what they originally paid for him.

“We have already made some moves in that direction this summer,” Berrada said. “From our perspective it is important that we get these players off our books as early as possible.