Manchester United’s Chief Operating Officer Collette Roche addressed supporters’ questions at a Fans’ Forum event last week.
As expected, supporters were keen to enquire about the prospect of January additions, with the opening of the window fast approaching.
United have overseen an overwhelmingly dismal start to the 2023/2024 campaign and one of the club’s worst on record, sustaining 12 defeats already in the opening 25 matches.
Such woeful form has left the Reds seventh-placed in the Premier League and 11 points away from the top spot, out of Europe entirely and dealt an early Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Newcastle United.
While the squad’s debilitating injury crisis has been an undeniable factor in the poor start, there remains the expectation to put up a fight, claim a top-four spot and, if possible, pick up some silverware along the way.
Having spent a whopping £174.3 million in the previous window, fans will need to head into next month with fairly low expectations.
Roche on January transfer plans
Roche shared her understanding on the matter, saying (via Manchester Evening News): “Looking ahead to the January transfer window, we are not expecting it to be particularly busy. There will always be the possibility of deals around the edges of the squad, particularly in terms of finding opportunities for players who are not playing as much football as they would like.
“However, we’ve always been consistent in saying that we do not see January as the optimal time to do business and our recruitment strategy remains focused on summer windows. We’ve seen this season that Financial Fair Play rules have real teeth, so we have to be very careful to ensure that we remain compliant, and we will.
“But that means being really disciplined on spending going forward, with a balance between incomings and outgoings.”
