We set a precedent by being Man Utd, being shit for 6 years, and appointing a manager with very little pulling power.
Everyone knows we need players, and no ones gonna give them to us on the cheap just because it’ll suit us!! If we want to get back to the top, we’re gonna need to spend some money... it’s not like we can trick selling clubs into thinking we aren’t the 3rd most profitable team on the planet, or call their bluff by pretending we’re better off making do with a team of academy products. They all know we aren’t, FFS! Just like anyone who actually remembers the class of 92 knows how they were integrated into an already well established side of league winners, rather than expected to shoulder a ground up rebuild!