In the summer transfer window, Manchester United’s attempt to acquire Brighton forward Evan Ferguson for a hefty £50 million ($62 million) was summarily dismissed, as per reports. ESPN reported that Brighton swiftly rejected United’s significant bid for Ferguson, and their approach was met with dismissal by their Premier League counterparts, resulting in Ferguson remaining at Brighton for the 2023-24 season. In their recent Premier League encounter, Brighton outperformed United with a 3-1 victory at Old Trafford, raising questions about the effectiveness of Erik ten Hag’s summer transfer dealings.
Zooming out to the broader picture, United’s quest for a striker was widely covered throughout the summer, with ongoing speculation linking England captain Harry Kane to a move to Erik ten Hag’s squad. However, Kane eventually made a £100 million ($124 million) move to Bayern Munich from Tottenham. In response, United secured the services of Rasmus Hojlund, with Atalanta agreeing to a £73 million ($90 million) transfer for the Danish striker.