Man Utd ‘role model’ among ten stars who made brilliant transfer decisions this summer

One Man Utd star made the brave decision to stay and another was bold enough to leave. This lot backed themselves with transfer calls and are showing why…

10) Cameron Archer
Five substitute minutes of a 4-0 home (obviously) win over Everton were all Archer needed to realise that his personal ambitions were perhaps better served away from Aston Villa.

The 21-year-old could easily have stayed and accepted a bit-part role in what Unai Emery has described as “the best scoring team” in the Premier League; it has worked for Jhon Duran, whose four goals in little over 300 minutes suggest that his development as understudy to Ollie Watkins has been aided rather than stunted.

But at a different stage in his career as a player two years older, Archer prioritised playing time over team success with his boyhood club.

“Everyone is happy if they are playing football regularly,” he said upon joining Sheffield United. “That’s something I want to do now. I think it was important to come here and look for Premier League football, that was key for me because I want to make that next step now and challenge myself.”

Starting eight of nine Premier League games for a relegation-battling team has been more beneficial than watching European hopefuls from the bench. And speaking purely theoretically, if Archer’s true ambition is to thrive with the club he joined aged eight, the buy-back clause Villa inserted actually makes that more likely than if he had stayed.

9) Anthony Elanga
“He is playing as though it is a dream come true, it is a joy and fun to watch him play, I wish a few other players would take him as an example and as a role model,” was Ralf Rangnick’s assessment of Anthony Elanga, who might remain the last Man Utd player to score a Champions League knockout goal for some time.

The manager’s ill-fated Old Trafford interim spell spawned far more high-profile public comments but his backing of Elanga – and the explicit message he wanted that to send to more senior players – was stark.

But things changed under Erik ten Hag and Elanga’s role was so significantly limited, particularly in the second half of the season, that he himself made the call to seek greener pastures.

A £15m move to Nottingham Forest was the “big step up” that Elanga “wanted and needed in my career”. No Man Utd player can beat his five Premier League goals and assists this season – even if taking his top off and receiving a booking after putting Forest 2-1 up against West Ham, who immediately equalised and then went on to win the game, was enough to make Richarlison wince.

Anthony Elanga joined Nottingham Forest in the summer.

8) Kyle Walker
From the brink of joining the mini-exodus of Premier League-based England stars leaving for Bayern Munich, Walker instead extended his Manchester City contract and has played more minutes than every teammate bar Erling Haaland.

Terms with Bayern were verbally agreed soon after the Champions League final, in which a despondent Walker played only eight minutes after delivering a pre-match speech to the team about how “my dream’s in your hands”.

The 33-year-old later admitted he was “close” to taking Bayern up on their offer and departing Manchester City at their Treble peak, but frank talks with Pep Guardiola renewed his drive and reiterated his importance.

7) Andre Trindade
Arsenal, Fulham and Man Utd are all reported to be waiting in the queue to knock on the January transfer window and sign Andre from Fluminense, but it was Liverpool with which the Brazilian midfielder’s future seemed to be intrinsically tied.

Jurgen Klopp’s side are no longer thought to be chasing Andre, so successful has their wholesale midfield rebuild been despite a less than seamless summer transition. But the interest was most certainly real.

Andre described such a move as a “dream” recently before explaining why exploratory talks between the two clubs in August went no further: because of a promise made to Fluminense coach Fernando Diniz that he would stay for the year to complete the Brazilian league season.

Liverpool were asked to wait patiently for a player whose future was inexorably tied to Copa Libertadores progression. If Fluminense were knocked out, it would be all systems go. But they rather selfishly decided to win the whole thing instead, crowned in early November with Andre playing every single minute – including extra-time in the final – of 12 of their 13 games in the tournament.

6) Granit Xhaka
Denying speculation that a move to Germany was based on the wishes of his wife, Xhaka instead underlined that his time at Arsenal had simply passed and Bayer Leverkusen offered “a new challenge” as “an experienced player and person”.

Xabi Alonso’s side are currently unbeaten, two points clear of Bayern atop the Bundesliga and dominating their Europa League group; Xhaka has started every game in both competitions and has made the most passes into the final third of any player across Europe’s top five leagues. The career renaissance has continued after a transfer which truly benefited all parties.

5) Ruben Loftus-Cheek
There is an element of regret over missing out on whatever role Loftus-Cheek could have played in this exciting and vibrant Chelsea side under Mauricio Pochettino, but few could blame the 27-year-old for deciding that a clean break was necessary after almost two decades of Stamford Bridge turbulence.

Loftus-Cheek has described himself as feeling “free” at AC Milan after comparing himself to “a caged animal” at Chelsea, where his defensive shackles inhibited undoubted talent.

The renewed ability to express himself on the pitch in Milan has produced some phenomenal performances for the Serie A title hopefuls, not least when dominating Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

4) Heung-min Son
Far from the only player to openly reject Saudi Arabian overtures this summer, Son was nevertheless one of few to publicly outline his stance.

“I want to play more for Tottenham in the Premier League,” he said back in June. “Obviously money is also important but I dream of playing in the Premier League.”

The new Spurs captain has been back to his brilliant best since, ranking in the top ten for league goals in Europe’s top five divisions and leading the Postecoglou revolution.

3) Harry Kane
There was a vacant role to fill, of course. After ten goal-laden but ultimately trophyless years in north London, Kane finally told Spurs they were punching in this relationship and that “it was the time to leave”.

Both parties have prospered since but Kane stood at a crossroad of critics ready to question him for taking the easy, unambitious option of staying in England and breaking countless scoring records, or taking the easy, unambitious option of guaranteeing trophies in a one-team league, and essentially told everyone to shove it.

Twenty-one goals and seven assists in 16 games for Bayern is frankly ludicrous. He remains the closest challenger to Erling Haaland, the pair sharing a division for one beautiful season on their reverse and laughably destructive career paths.

2) Harry Maguire
“I really enjoy playing for this club and I was willing to stay and fight for my place.”

That was always Maguire’s prerogative as a contracted Man Utd player, but it is worth remembering just how much impotent fury that created around Old Trafford. Fees with West Ham were agreed and pay-offs – albeit not close to what the defender was actually owed – were proposed, but Maguire’s own pride and perhaps even stubbornness meant any attempt to force him out would prove fruitless.

Even in defending a stance that no doubt frustrated Man Utd, this very site deemed it unlikely that Maguire would actually succeed in re-establishing himself as a starter under a manager who so unceremoniously removed his captain’s armband and phased him out of the side. But it was his right to at least try. And it might have taken certain circumstances falling his way, but even Maguire’s harshest critic would struggle to argue that his decision has not been entirely vindicated.

Harry Maguire said his patience at Man United has paid off 👏 pic.twitter.com/ao2nQ2ZUZE

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 13, 2023

1) Cole Palmer
The idea that Manchester City made a mistake in selling Palmer is nonsensical. Through a business lens alone it would have been utterly foolish to reject a £40m offer for a player who had made 13 first-team career starts, nine of which were in the League Cup, FA Cup, Community Shield and Super Cup. Even when facing 115 Premier League charges, books have to be balanced.

In footballing terms, Manchester City made one of the biggest sales in their history of a player who would have featured perhaps more this season but certainly not regularly. And his departure helped pave the way for Jeremy Doku’s arrival, which can hardly be described as a net negative.

Pep Guardiola had promised the academy graduate more opportunities in light of Riyad Mahrez’s departure but could not convince him of his part in the team’s grand plans, so Palmer chose to leave. As the Manchester City manager said, “big clubs make decisions for the benefit of all three parties” and the table-toppers do not seem to have suffered for Palmer’s departure.

Manchester City knew he was a phenomenal player – they helped him become as such over 13 developmental years. It’s just that Palmer backed himself to be even better even quicker. And the 21-year-old has shone in Chelsea’s main cast rather than as a City walk-on.