Mueez Ajao
– Ed Woodward has said Manchester United remain committed to helping Ole Gunnar Solskjaer deliver success at Old Trafford.
– Solskjaer has come in for criticism from some supporters after the Champions League campaign began with a 2-1 defeat to Swiss champions Young Boys on Tuesday night.
– He is yet to win a trophy in his two-and-a-half years in charge but Woodward said the summer spending to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho is proof the club still believe he is the right man for the job.
– “We significantly strengthened the squad over the summer, with the addition of Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Tom Heaton,” Woodward said on Friday, in comments to be made to investors on a call.
– “These signings have demonstrated our continued ability to attract some of the world’s best footballers to Old Trafford, and our firm commitment to helping Ole deliver success on the pitch. Furthermore, we recently sold Dan James to Leeds for a fee of £25 million, plus add-ons.
– “We were delighted to welcome back Cristiano to the club, along with Raphael, Jadon and Tom, to further reinforce the progress that our first team has been making under Ole.
– ,”We have been clear in our strategy to build a squad with a blend of top-class recruits and homegrown talent, comprising a balance of youth and experience, with the aim of winning trophies and playing attacking football the Manchester United way.”
– Barcelona are having to significantly cut costs including releasing Lionel Messi to join Paris Saint-Germain and Woodward believes the expenditure on transfer fees and wages across football cannot be sustained.
– “While we are confident in our relative strength, it remains clear that football as a whole faces major financial challenges caused by years of material inflation in wages and transfer fees, exacerbated by the impact of the pandemic,” he said.
– “We are committed to working within the Premier League, the ECA and UEFA to promote greater financial sustainability at all levels of the game.”
