Manchester United has established a pattern of completing key player transfers on transfer deadline day, a trend that has persisted over the last six seasons. This approach has seen both high-profile successes and notable disappointments.
The club's dealings in the transfer market often extend to the final hours of the window. In 2022, the acquisition of Antony was finalized on transfer deadline day. Twelve months prior, the club waited until the deadline to decide on Senne Lammens as their new goalkeeper. In 2024, a £50.8 million deal brought Manuel Ugarte from PSG on deadline day, while the previous year saw experienced players Sergio Reguilon and Sofyan Amrabat arrive on loan.
The £81.3 million fee for Antony, who now plays for Real Betis, remains the second-highest transfer fee paid by United, surpassed only by the acquisition of Paul Pogba. A year earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo's return in 2021, a highly anticipated deadline-day move, ultimately failed to achieve its intended impact of propelling the club back to the top of the league table.
In 2020, Edinson Cavani also joined Manchester United on deadline day, which was extended into October due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While the performance of these late signings may raise questions about the efficacy of buying players at the last minute, the consistency of these deals suggests it has become a predictable, if not always ideal, aspect of the club's transfer strategy.