Eleven years on, Man United are still struggling to negotiate signings devoid of the 'United tax' they are responsible for.
The Labour Party is tying itself up in knots over possible tax rises and their fellow reds are burdened by a different tax.
Those present on the pre-season tour were informed United would not spend more than £60m on Rasmus Hojlund. Not only did United pay Atalanta an up-front fee of £64m, they negotiated £8m in add-ons. Given Hojlund's age and length of contract, that deal could cost United £12m more than intended. The Premier League's profitability and sustainability rules and United's poor return in the seller's market have forced them to consider some targets with release clauses and/or a year remaining on their contracts. Sir Jim Ratcliffe accused the club of spending "dumb money" five years ago and the incoming chief executive Omar Berrada has warned they face a "slippery slope" if they overspend on signings, salaries and agents' fees.
Twelve months on, United agreed an overall £58m fee for the 19-year-old Anthony Martial. Di Maria was a reigning Champions League winner and instrumental in Argentina's run to the 2014 World Cup final. Martial was a callow forward largely unknown outside of France. There should have been a disparity in valuations. There wasn't. Di Maria, also transferred in the same summer as Martial, cost PSG £44.3m.
As harmful as the Glazer family have been to United, their thriftiness reinforced the club's focus in the transfer market as Sir Alex Ferguson's hit rate started to dwindle. There had been more misses than hits in the 2003 and 2004 summer windows. Few would quibble about Nani's £17m fee or the separate £17m invested in one-season wonder Hargreaves. Anderson, at £25m, was an expensive flop but part of a successful era, so is remembered wistfully by many supporters. Tevez's terms were on a two-year loan.
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