'You have to be brave, you can't have a bloated squad'

Manchester United's sporting director Dan Ashworth and chief executive Omar Berrada tell Richard Jolly why they believe the club made progress in its summer overhaul

- Richard Jolly

“I like the squad, I have to say,” said Dan Ashworth. And if there was a swift admission that Manchester United’s new sporting director is scarcely an impartial observer, there was an explanation, too.

“I probably would say that after the business we’ve done in the summer,” he added. “I’ve probably done 25 windows now and have been doing this for a fair period of time. I don’t think there’s ever been a window where we’ve gone, ‘Oh God, it’s gone absolutely perfectly, we’ve done every single in, we’ve done every single out we wanted to do’. But in the main, the target positions we wanted to strengthen, the players we’ve brought in, the depth and options when everybody is fully fit, I’m pleased with that.”

Ashworth’s first window at Old Trafford has been a frantic affair. There have been 32 transactions, including a new contract for Bruno Fernandes; “a crucial part of the transfer strategy; I can’t speak highly enough of the influence he brings to the other players as captain”.

United have committed around £200m for new players, brought in almost £100m in departures, made five major signings, addressed their PSR problems with the sales of the homegrown Scott McTominay and Mason Greenwood, found an eventual resolution to the issue of Jadon Sancho, shown greater ruthlessness than in the past by disposing of players unlikely to figure prominently in the first team, and started to make themselves better sellers.

They have also begun the season with a narrow win and then back-to-back defeats, the latter an emphatic loss to Liverpool. United languish in 14th, though their hierarchy are adamant manager Erik ten Hag retains their full backing.