Round-up of Manchester United’s 2024/25 summer deadline day transfer

It’s the end of the 2024/25 summer transfer window and it’s time to explore Manchester United’s dealings on deadline day. The INEOS has been busy this summer revamping a Manchester United team that recorded their lowest finish in a Premier League season last season. 

JORDAN SANCHO TO CHELSEA

Chelsea has secured a deal to loan Manchester United’s Jordan Sancho on a season-long loan with an option to buy. 

The deal will see Sancho head to Stamford Bridge initially on loan before joining permanently for £23million, depending on performance-related add-ons, next year. The 24-year-old will replace Raheem Sterling who joined Arsenal on loan.

The former Borussia Dortmund winger fell out of favor in Old Trafford following a public and heated fallout with head coach Erik Ten Hag. Sancho joined the Red Devils for £73m in 2021 and has since failed to replicate his brilliance at the German club with United. He rejoined his former teammates on loan for the remaining half of the 2023/24 season, leading them to the finals of the Champions League. 

UGARTE IN, McTOMINAY OUT!

Manchester United registered Manuel Urgarte on deadline day, following his transfer from PSG. The Uruguayan signed a five-year contract worth £42.3m plus £8.4m in add-ons. 

Scottish Midfielder Scott McTominay left the Club for a £21m fee to Napoli, with United securing an additional £4.2m in add-ons. The midfielder scored 29 goals in 255 appearances for his boyhood club, exiting with just a year left in his contract at Old Trafford.

SEKOU KONE JOINS 

Kone has already established himself as one of Africa’s most promising football talents. At just 18 years old, he has made 12 appearances for Mali’s youth teams and his performances often brought the comparison of his skills with that of legendary Ivorian and Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure. 

He was a consistent starter in the 2023 FIFA U17 World Cup, where he played a crucial role in Mali’s third-place finish (Bronze) in the tournament. The young talented Malian is ambitious, and a move to Manchester United would surely help him craft his skills.

According to reports in Manchester, Erik ten Hag has mapped out a meticulous plan to integrate Kone into the club. The Dutch manager is aware of the cultural adjustments Kone will face as he moves from Mali to England, and the club plans to ease him into life in Manchester. This will start with Kone joining United’s under-21 squad, allowing him to adapt to his new surroundings while continuing his development. Manchester United’s focus remains on strengthening a competitive team capable of returning the club to its glory years. Investing in young talents across the world is a huge step towards this goal. 

HOW WILL MAN U FAIR IN THE UEL?

The new changes to the formats of UEFA competitions will begin this 2024/25 season. The traditional Group stage format has been replaced by a League phase, bringing the number of participating teams from 32 to 36. 

Manchester United secured England’s second spot in the Europa League despite finishing eighth in the Premier League last season. This was made possible by winning the 2024 FA Cup trophy. Their victory displaced sixth place Chelsea’s spot in the competition to eventually feature in the UEFA Conference League.

Manchester United has only recorded one victory in the competition, which came under Jose Mourinho in the 2016/17 season. The Red Devils have reached the finals of the competition in the last four years. This includes their semi-final defeat in the 2019/20 season and their participation in the 2022/23 season, where they got eliminated in the quarterfinals. Before this, Manchester United made it to the 2020/21 season Europa League finals where they were defeated in a nail-biting 11-10 penalty shootout with Villarreal.

In the previous format, 32 teams were divided into eight groups of four, where seedings played a crucial role in determining where each team was placed. This season will mark the first tournament to adopt a league format with 36 clubs from across Europe. Each team will play eight matches against different opponents (four games at home and four away). Just like in their domestic leagues, teams will earn three points for a win, one point for a draw, and, nothing for losing a game.

At the end of this league phase, the top eight teams will automatically advance to the Round of 16. Teams finishing between 9th and 24th place will enter a playoff round to compete for the remaining spots in the knockout stage. This would become the first elimination round after teams finishing from 25th to 36th have left the competition. After the League phase, the traditional two-legged encounters at the Round of 16 and final stages will continue.

Each team discovered their opponents after the tournament’s draw was done in the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco on Thursday 29 August. From the draw, Manchester United’s Europa League 2024/25 opponents in the League phase will be;

Rangers (H): The Philippe Clement led Club finished below Scottish champions Celtics last season, winning 27 League games to clinch a European spot.

Porto (A): The Portuguese team finished below Sporting CP and Benfica in the 2023/24 season. The weight of the talent in their squad would be a threat to Erik Ten Hag’s men. 

PAOK (H): They were champions of the Super League Greece last season with a point ahead of AEK Athens. Manchester United will be on red alert as this team has an impressive record of causing upsets away from home. 

Fenerbahce (A): Turkish Fenerbahce will be Manchester United’s fourth encounter in this season’s UEL. An unpleasant reunion with former coach Jose Mourinho, who has had an impressive record of winning home games in European competitions. To be able to make it past Fenerbahce, Erik ten Hag and his team will need to put out an outstanding performance.

Bodo/Glimt (H): Manchester United welcomes the Norwegian side to Old Trafford in a bid to advance to the League’s knockout stages. Winning will be crucial to secure a top finish. A higher finish reduces the chances of meeting another higher-placed team in the Round of 16. 

Viktoria Plzen (A): The Czech team finished strong in the Championship Round last season. With new talents joining their fold in the summer, the club will be a greater force in Europe this season. Manchester United are favorites to win this encounter but must be mindful of threats from the ambitious club.

Twente (H): Netherland’s Twente has one of the best attacking sides in the Eredivisie. The threat they pose cannot be understated. 

Steaua București (A): Romanian club Steaua București will be Man United’s final League phase feature at the 2024/25 UEL. It would be a decisive match away from home for the Red Devils. Depending on their position in the League standings at this time, winning more points will guide them to play lower-finished contenders in the Round of 16.

MANCHESTER UNITED’S MATCH SCHEDULE 

While new dates for the new European competitions are yet to be announced, here is a breakdown of Man United’s next features at the domestic Leagues for the next two months:

September 2024

Southampton vs. Manchester United (Premier League, Saturday, 14th September, 12:30)

Manchester United vs. Barnsley (Carabao Cup, Tuesday, 17th September, 19:45)

Crystal Palace vs. Manchester United (Premier League, Saturday, 21st September, 17:30)

Manchester United vs. Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League, Sunday, 29th September, 16:30)

October 2024

Aston Villa vs. Manchester United (Premier League, Sunday, 6th October, 14:00)

Manchester United vs. Brentford (Premier League, Saturday, 19th October, 15:00)

West Ham United vs. Manchester United (Premier League, Sunday, 27th October, 14:00)

WHERE TO GET AVAILABLE MAN UTD TICKETS

For fans willing to see Manchester United’s Live action in the Premier League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup, and UEFA Europa Cup, securing Man UTD Tickets from alternative marketplaces remains your most reliable way to get into the Games. Explore and compare the seat maps and prices to get the best spots at the stands. These tickets are in extremely high demand and you may need to fasten your purchase soon.

Manchester United’s upcoming fixtures promise fans a front-row seat to the excitement that the beautiful game brings. It’s the end of the summer transfer window and the Reds will be hopeful that their dealings are enough to secure them silverware this season.