There is mass frustration, almost outrage, simmering amongst Manchester United fans at present with regards to a lack of transfer activity. Irrational is a word that immediately springs to mind.
Yes, Manchester City, Liverpool and even Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal are sanctioning significant deals in abundance early in this summer transfer window. But there is a watchword there. Early. The majority are forgetting that the transfer window only opened one week ago.
There are still over 50 days until United’s campaign commences, and the best-part of two-and-a-half months until the transfer window closes. There is no need for firing shots at the United board already.
Whilst exasperation is somewhat understandable as marquee names such as Erling Haaland and Darwin Nunez set themselves to grace the Premier League for two of United's biggest rivals, it is worth considering that this has, positively, been a more measured transfer operation so far from United. You do also have to factor in that United are not currently the attractive prospect they have so often been.
Let's take the links with Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong as an example for the former idea. Often United have jumped the gun and given into the demands of other clubs and players. But on this occasion, United are being pragmatic - ensuring not to be held at ransom and be manipulated as Barcelona's 'financial bail-out' amidst challenging times for the Catalan club on an economic basis. It should be viewed as favourable that United are displaying such patience.
A waiting game can be a risky game, mind. You only have to look as far as the drawn-out saga of Jadon Sancho's move from Borussia Dortmund last summer, which ended up spanning over two summer windows. There are slight parallels with the proposed move of De Jong to Manchester.
Targets will begin to diminish as time does progress, too. French international Boubacar Kamara was one player mentioned for the defensive midfield role - arguably the position that needs attending to the most - but he has already joined Aston Villa for free; the market for the 'number six' area is sparse, with options limited and prices often extortionate.
Right now, though, it is still substantially premature to press any panic button. In excess of two months still to make additions to the squad is more than plenty of time.
Concern may be provoked by the fact that United have been known to make moves out of desperation as time drags on in transfer windows - Donny van de Beek serves as one example. However, an air of confidence has to be adopted given many accounts that United have compiled dossiers on a whole host of players aligned with positions that need addressing. There are almost certainly a plethora of targets in the pipeline that have not yet filtered through to the media.
Trust should be given to United's refreshed, much-changed hierarchal regime, especially given the volume of reports about a clear list of areas that are being targetted in terms of incomings this summer. The case has frequently been that United scour the market for available big names and sign players without much rhyme or reason with regards to how they may fit a particular system. Whilst he proved United's standout player over the course of the season, Ronaldo's return to the club late last August was a prime case of this.
A shuffled scouting and recruitment department should change the manner in which United approach targetting and signing players. And it is clear that is already the case in many aspects as aforementioned. Regardless though, they do have their work cut out.
There has to be a greater control gained over the outgoings side of things. United have developed too much of a knack for signing players that either leave for a cut price or run down their contract to depart for no fee at all. That is a serious problem that needs to be rectified promptly.
One issue has been a lack of resistance to offering lucrative wages whereby no wage structure is developed. Thus, it is problematic to organise any permanent outgoings. Transfer fees aren't the issue most of the time. Wages are the big, overarching problem - they are prohibitively high in many cases.
Anthony Martial's time at United is petering out. But suitors are tough to establish. Martial's half-season loan spell at Sevilla was wildly unsuccessful, meaning it is hard to imagine many clubs would be willing to facilitate his outlandish wage demands in order to sign him permanently. By handing players such as Martial such generous contracts, there are blatant limitations when it comes to offloading.
As it is, players are leaving for free, or setting themselves to lead for free, with too great a regularity. Not in all cases has it been wage-related, but more so poor management from previous regimes. Hereby the squad has become clogged and full to the brim in recent years. Only this summer has breathing space been afforded. The exodus underway has been positive, but every outgoing so far has been without the gain of any fee.
Dean Henderson could have departed the club for around £50million in recent years. Instead, United face the prospect of another loan move for the goalkeeper this summer, with any fee in the form of a buy option only said to be in the region of £20million.
Paul Pogba is the greatest example of United's transfer-related (and, really, overall) ineptitude. He left for free under Sir Alex Ferguson, only for Jose Mourinho to re-sign him for a world record fee in 2016. Now he is leaving for free again.
There is a slight positive to take, though. In his new documentary that has aired on Amazon Prime, Pogba claimed that United offered him "nothing" despite a contract worth hundreds of thousands of pounds on a weekly basis. Reading between the lines, there can be a newfound air of stubbornness from United this time around. They didn't budge and didn't give in to Pogba and late agent Mino Raiola's demands.
United are starting to deal with things differently, it seems. Although not in terms of the club's much-maligned ownership, a shift appears to be happening at the off-field level. It is now best to leave behind reservations about the previous shortfalls that are seeing so many players leave the club as free agents and look forward.
A new project is underway. But it will take time in every single aspect. As fans, it is imperative to maintain patience.
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