If you’re one of the millions of fans around the world who enjoy each season’s transfer windows as something of a secondary season/competition alongside the real, on-field games, prepare to be disappointed.
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According to Manchester United chief executive Ed Woodward, spending will undoubtedly be down at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future. Good news for non-Man United fans, right? If only he had stopped there. Woodwars believes that not just United, but very likely all clubs across Europe, will be unable to spend the same way they have done in years past — quotes from the BBC:“Nobody should be under any illusions about the scale of challenge facing everyone in football and it may not be ‘business as usual’ for any clubs, including ourselves, in the transfer market this summer.
“As ever our priority is the success of team, but we need visibility of the impact across the whole industry, including timings of the transfer window, and the wider financial picture, before we can talk about a return to normality.”
On the flip side, this would be a hugely welcome development for clubs the size of, say, Leicester City or West Ham United, who currently employ James Maddison and Declan Rice, respectively, two of the most sought-after young, English talents in the game. In a “normal” summer window, each player would likely move to a “big-six” club. In a muted summer transfer window, however, it might be difficult — if not impossible — for any club to meet their respective valuations.
