United won't be clear favourites when Roberto De Zerbi's side arrive at Old Trafford on Saturday, which is a sad indictment of their summer window
The pressure is building on Erik ten Hag after just four games of the new Premier League season. Manchester United finished third in the Premier League 2022-23 to secure a return to the Champions League while also ending their five-year trophy drought by winning the Carabao Cup, with their Dutch coach rightly praised for overseeing tangible progress in his debut season.
But despite spending another £200 million ($250m) on transfers in the summer, United do not appear have moved up to the next level. Their woes on the road have continued with damaging losses to Tottenham and Arsenal already on their record, while unconvincing home wins against Wolves and Nottingham Forest have done little to convince critics that they have any hope of launching a genuine title challenge.
In stark contrast, Brighton look well placed to be the surprise package of the 2023-24 campaign. Roberto De Zerbi's men have picked up nine points from a possible 12 and wowed audiences with their fluid, attack-minded style once again – despite losing some talismanic figures.
It certainly wouldn't be much of a surprise if the Seagulls inflict more misery on United at Old Trafford this Saturday, in part because of the superb work they have done over a series of transfer windows. They are complete opposites from their weekend hosts in the market, and continue to put their rivals to shame with their intelligent business.
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Refusal to compromise
Brighton stormed to their highest-ever Premier League finish last term (sixth) after drafting in De Zerbi to replace Graham Potter in September. They were rewarded with qualification for the Europa League – also a first for the club – and received universal praise for upsetting the established order at the top end of English football.
Inevitably, though, their best players were targeted in the summer window. Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister were sold to Chelsea and Liverpool, respectively, leaving a huge hole in the midfield. But crucially, Brighton refused to budge on their valuation of both players during sale negotiations.
Liverpool moved quickly for Argentine playmaker Mac Allister, triggering his £35m ($44m) release clause. That price was undoubtedly a coup for the Reds, but Brighton added the release clause when tying Mac Allister to a contract extension prior to the 2022 World Cup. The midfielder's previous deal had been due to expire in June of this year, but the Seagulls took pre-emptive steps to ensure that he did not leave for nothing.
Brighton got a decent fee for Mac Allister in the end, and were even smarter with their approach to Caicedo's situation. Chelsea tabled an opening bid of £70m ($88m) for the Ecuadorian in July, which was immediately rejected. The Blues also saw an improved £80m ($100m) offer knocked back as the Seagulls made it clear they would not accept anything less than £100m ($125m) for their prized asset. Brighton simply could not be bullied into a quick sale.
The deal eventually went through on August 15, with Chelsea beating the British transfer record set by Arsenal when signing Declan Rice earlier in the window to secure Caicedo's services for a staggering £115m ($144m) – including add-ons. Brighton were two key stars down, but were left with more than enough in the pot to improve their squad.
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United pay over the odds
Much like Chelsea, United were forced to overpay when it came to landing their priority summer targets. Ironically, they were first stung by the Blues, who managed to get a hefty sum for Mason Mount despite the fact he had entered the final year of his contract.
The Red Devils initially offered £40m ($50m) for Mount, which felt like more than a fair price given his measly return of just three Premier League goals for Chelsea in his poor final campaign at Stamford Bridge. However, the Blues were never going to sell to a direct rival without enforcing a significant tax.
After weeks of negotiations, United had to fork out £55m ($69m) to land Mount, with an extra £5m to be paid in performance-related add-ons. The deal was made all the more perplexing by the fact it wasn't immediately clear how the 24-year-old would fit into Erik ten Hag's line-up.
Those concerns were substantiated in Mount's first two competitive outings for United against Wolves and Tottenham, as he struggled to make any sort of impact on proceedings while shirking his defensive duties. The midfielder picked up a hamstring injury in the loss to Spurs, too, and it could be some time before he builds up any kind of rhythm in a United shirt.
United were also squeezed for every last penny in their pot by Serie A outfit Atalanta. Danish forward Rasmus Hojlund moved to the top of Ten Hag's striker wishlist after the Red Devils were priced out of a move for Harry Kane, despite the fact he had only spent one season in the Italian top-flight. The 20-year-old would eventually depart for Old Trafford in a blockbuster £73m ($91m) deal, which raised more than a few eyebrows. United took a huge gamble on a man that only scored nine Serie A goals for Atalanta across 32 appearances last term.
Hojlund might well turn out to be United's answer to Erling Haaland, but if he does not prove to be the instant fix they need up front, serious questions will be asked of the club's transfer policy once again. Indeed, the early omens don't look great, with the Dane having yet to make his first start for the club after undergoing rehab on an underlying back problem.
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Failure to clear out deadwood
FFP concerns hampered United in the last transfer window, as they were restricted to a maximum budget of £150m ($188m). That pot could have been significantly larger, however, if they had managed to clear out the deadwood that has been holding them back for so many years.
Anthony Martial, Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay and Donny van de Beek are among those still clinging on to a spot in Ten Hag's squad despite being surplus to requirements. And there was no real excuse for keeping any of them.
Inter and Fenerbahce were among the clubs reportedly interested in Martial, who has proven he cannot be relied upon to lead the line for United after failing to prove his fitness for several seasons. Elsewhere, United accepted a £30m ($38m) bid for Maguire from West Ham, only for the Hammers to pull out of the deal after growing frustrated over a lack of progress in negotiations.
The writing appeared to be on the wall for the world's most expensive defender after he was stripped of the captaincy in mid-July, but he will continue to pocket a lucrative salary while sitting on the bench for at least one more season. Maguire might just be the luckiest man in football considering his obvious limitations.
According to reports, West Ham also bid £30m for McTominay, but United refused to sanction his departure to the London Stadium amid rival interest from Bayern Munich. They wanted an extra £10m for the Scotland international, which neither club were willing to pay.
Van de Beek, meanwhile, saw talks with Real Sociedad break down in early August before Galatasaray and Fenerbahce both decided against late moves for the Dutch midfielder. United invested £35m ($44m) to bring Van de Beek to Old Trafford from Ajax in 2020, but he has since started just 11 Premier League games for the club.
A reunion with former Ajax boss Ten Hag has not led to a fresh start for Van de Beek, who was left out of United's 2023-24 Champions League squad. It's been a sad decline for a player that was once billed as one of the most exciting midfielders of his generation.
United did at least manage to sell Fred, Dean Henderson, Anthony Elanga and Alex Telles, but they only received a combined total of £48m ($60m) for the quartet, while Eric Bailly was given permission to join Besiktas on a free transfer. In short: bad business has become the norm at Old Trafford.
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Brighton get stronger
There are not many clubs that could have avoided a serious decline in form after losing players of the calibre of Caicedo and Mac Allister. But Brighton's rise to the upper echelons of the Premier League is no accident.
They have been making shrewd moves in the transfer market for years, and that trend continued in the last window after they managed to raise £150m ($188m) from the sale of their two star midfielders. Brighton made eight signings in total, including the surprise loan deal for Barcelona's Ansu Fati that went through on deadline day.
Tottenham also reportedly tried to broker a move for Fati, and he had previously been linked with United and Paris Saint-Germain. Brighton made a massive statement by winning the race for the 20-year-old, who inherited Lionel Messi's iconic No.10 shirt when the Barcelona icon left the club in 2021. If anyone can unlock Fati's full potential, it's De Zerbi, and the nature of the loan with no buy-option makes it a calculated risk for the Seagulls.
They now have plenty of firepower in the final third, having also snapped up Joao Pedro from Watford for a club-record fee of £30m ($38m). The Brazilian recorded 15 goal contributions for the Hornets in the Championship last term, and has already settled nicely in his new surroundings at the Amex Stadium. Pedro seems to have built up an instant rapport with Irish sensation Evan Ferguson, and with Fati now also in the mix, Brighton shouldn't struggle for goals.
Elsewhere, De Zerbi managed to bring Carlos Baleba from Lille, with the 19-year-old seen as a direct replacement for Caicedo. The Cameroon-born teenager has bags of ability, and could prove to be one of the bargains of the season at £23m ($29m).
Brighton also added Netherlands Under-21s goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to their ranks after finalising a £16m ($20m) deal with Anderlecht, and he has slotted straight into the No.1 spot between the sticks. Verbruggen's arrival complimented the £15m ($19m) capture of Brazilian centre-half Igor from Fiorentina, with the Seagulls now boasting genuine strength in depth at the back.
Their spending was completed by the acquisition of promising young Romanian winger Adrian Mazilu for £3m, but great value was also spotted in the free agent pool. Mahmoud Dahoud joined Brighton on June 16 after leaving Borussia Dortmund, just two days after James Milner pitched up at the Amex following the expiration of his contract at Liverpool.
At 27, Dahoud still has the prime years of his career ahead of him, having first emerged on De Zerbi's radar when he was manager at Sassuolo. Milner is far more seasoned at 37, but he remains a incredible physical specimen capable of slotting into a variety of different positions.