Omar Berrada’s ‘firm stance’ on Man United transfers led to INEOS walking away from two deals

Omar Berrada joined Manchester United in the summer as the new CEO, and his new transfer approach led the club to walk away from multiple deals.

Manchester United have seen significant changes behind the scenes since the INEOS takeover, with the appointment of Omar Berrada as chief executive standing out as especially important.

After the leadership of former CEOs Ed Woodward and Richard Arnold, the club has brought in one of Manchester City’s most respected executives.

Alongside Dan Ashworth as sporting director and Jason Wilcox as technical director, Berrada will play a key role in driving a new project at Old Trafford in the years ahead.

Berrada’s stance made United walk away from two deals

According to a new ESPN report, the club’s new chief executive, Berrada, insisted that United take a ‘firm stance’ on price during the summer transfer window.

The new regime were coming into a club that were so well known for overpaying for players that there was a ‘United tax’ placed on any deals involving them.

Yet, after so many years of paying up for players, this hardline approach was not easy to maintain, and it led to United pulling out of two key deals in the summer.

The report added that this firm stance ended the club’s interest in Ivan Toney, who eventually moved from Brentford to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ahli.

It was also added that this approach meant walking away from a deal for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, who the club valued between £50-60 million.

Despite the Toffees quoting a £75 million price-point and citing the previous £77 million move Josko Gvardiol made from RB Leipzig to Manchester City, Berrada was having none of it.

According to the report, Berrada saw Branthwaite at a level below Gvardioal, considering the English defender’s lack of experience. Gvardiol had already stood out in the Champions League and at the 2022 World Cup.

The report concluded that Branthwaite would have been signed if Everton had reduced their demands, but United were not prepared for negotiations to drag on and so decided to move on.

Berrada explains why Man United are taking the hardline approach

Many United fans have been waiting for the day that the club will no longer be a pushover in the transfer market, and Berrada’s approach will be essential for that to change in the long term.

The aforementioned report added that the club believe the hardline approach in negotiations for Branthwaite helped lower PSG’s demands for Manuel Ugarte later in the window.

“We were quite disciplined about the valuations we were giving to the players who were going to come in,” Berrada told reporters.

“We stuck to those valuations. The reason I mention that is if you make a mistake and over-spend or get a player who can cost you too much, it can set you back.”

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