There are transfers in footballing history upon which the fortunes of a club pivot massively, and you just know it in that moment because that signing works on multiple levels. Like when United signed Cantona, or Real signed Ronaldo, or Liverpool with Van Dijk, or PSG with Neymar, or City with a manager like Pep.
You just know that this Sancho transfer would be a watershed moment for United, kickstarting the best years since SAF. Everything about this transfer falls in place:
- World-class talent kicking up insane numbers
- Young, hungry and has the attitude that Ole is looking for
- Is an England national and is good mates with many United players
- Fills in the RW hole that has been vandalised by our recruitment since Ronaldo left
- His playstyle complements the slick, link-up based attacking football United have been playing under Ole
- United have a clear run at him in a window where no other club need him enough or if they do, can't afford him
- Is mates with another extremely exciting transfer prospect in Haaland - the Ole/Sancho connection might turn things in our favour in 2022
- We are the most exciting outfit we've been since SAF, just off a tremendous second half of a season looking unplayable at times
- We have just qualified for CL, which we haven't been able to do consistently enough to attract players like Sancho. We have no idea where we'll finish next season as of now.
- Liverpool have just won the league after 3 decades, and we have to choose if we're going to respond to that or if we are content with fighting it out for top four
- Chelsea have arguably had their best summer of the Abramovich era, and City will be getting Messi next summer by the looks of it - we need to show our ambitions
These are just off the top of my head. Point is, signing (or not signing) Sancho this summer will decide if our best season since SAF left is the start of something exciting again, or if it was the moment where we just fell off the races while yet another club overtakes us for good. I genuinely believed this would be wrapped up by early August - not making it happen this summer will be the club management's greatest failure since SAF, and possibly one with long-lasting consequences.
My strong take is that Woodward/Judge should be fired purely on the basis of this transfer happening/not happening.