Manchester United will not want a long transfer saga again (Image: GETTY)
Manchester United will have wanted to get the New Year started with a bang in the transfer market and Cody Gakpo was the top target, but Liverpool have already ruined Erik ten Hag's plans by swooping in for the Dutchman. Now, United will need to regroup and refocus their attention to get their business done early in January to avoid any serious issues creeping in like they did three years ago.
United headed into the January transfer window back in 2020 hoping to close in on Chelsea and Manchester City in the Champions League spots. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was originally hoping to sign Erling Haaland from RB Salzburg, but Borussia Dortmund ended up beating United to his signature.
But United's interest in the Norwegian forward indicated the club's plan to rejuvenate Solskjaer's squad and their attention swiftly moved towards Fernandes. Sporting Lisbon appeared willing to strike a deal and United were happy to pay, suggesting an agreement wouldn't need to take that long.
However, the transfer saga ended up going on for the entire month with fans expressing their frustration throughout January. It also proved a distraction on the pitch with United's results taking a massive hit.
Manchester United have missed out on Cody Gakpo (Image: GETTY)
Throughout January that year, they lost three of their four league matches and were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by arch-rivals City. Rashford's injury later in the month also left United scrambling to sign a striker in the final days of the window and they ended up making a surprise move for Odion Ighalo.
Both moves ended up working well for United, particularly with Fernandes as he helped Solskjaer's side go unbeaten in the league for the remainder of the campaign to finish third in the table. But they were also helped by Leicester's calamitous end to the year while Tottenham also dropped significant points.
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United won't want to rely on other teams dropping points for them this year to clinch a Champions League spot again. And getting their business done early in January will almost certainly help their cause.
Missing out on Gakpo will hurt for now but there are still viable options available to improve Ten Hag's options in attack. Joao Felix, Moussa Dembele, Victor Osimhen, Jonathan David and Memphis Depay are among a host of players to have been linked to Old Trafford in recent months.
United also have to navigate back-to-back tricky fixtures against City and Arsenal later in January and Ten Hag will want a settled squad in place for both matches. They can't afford to fall away this year, particularly with Newcastle looking impressive while the likes of Brighton, Fulham and Chelsea will all be breathing down United's necks.
