Two Premier League clubs with very different summer strategies now face a similar problem after underwhelming starts to the season, as they meet at Old Trafford on Saturday, live on Sky Sports.
Tottenham spent £334m, including £100m on Sandro Tonali, as Roberto De Zerbi was handed significant backing to reshape his squad. Manchester United were more frugal, committing £163m to their rebuild. Spurs currently sit bottom of the Premier League and are still waiting for their first win, while Michael Carrick is already feeling the pressure at Old Trafford.
United have avoided the modern trend of putting £100m-plus into a single statement signing, but that is not understood to reflect a reluctance to spend. Instead, the club prioritised midfield, with Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba accounting for much of the spending. A left-back was considered, with United monitoring Myles Lewis-Skelly and Lewis Hall, but neither was realistically available, so the position is expected to be addressed next summer.
The scrutiny, however, cannot be confined to the two managers. The contrasting decisions made above them this summer are beginning to demand examination, and whether United's preference for squad depth proves to be strategic patience or an incomplete rebuild will depend heavily on the results.
Source: Sky Sports Champions League · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing