Manchester United reportedly knew they were paying over the odds for Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Antony - but they were determined to complete the transfers.
The Red Devils invested more than £200million to bring the trio to Old Trafford in the summer. The decision appears to have paid off, with Erik ten Hag's side winning four consecutive Premier League games to move within three points of leaders Arsenal. They did, however, lose 1-0 to Europa League rivals Real Sociedad on Thursday.
United signed Martinez before the new campaign started but didn't complete deals for Casemiro or Antony until late in the transfer window, with the latter arriving on deadline day. It's claimed club chiefs have accepted it was a mistake not to act sooner.
According to ESPN, United's recruitment team have accepted they should've abandoned their pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong earlier in the window. The Red Devils spent most of the summer trying to sign the Netherlands international.
Although United agreed a transfer fee with Barcelona, De Jong's preference was always to stay at Camp Nou and play Champions League football. The English club's interest in him remained strong until August, when they started looking at other midfield targets.
United decided to pursue Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot, yet that proved unfruitful. They then turned their attention to Casemiro and managed to persuade the Brazilian to leave Real Madrid and complete a £70m move to Old Trafford.
Do you think Manchester United paid over the odds for Lisandro Martinez, Casemiro and Antony? Let us know in the comments below!
It's believed United were convinced to pay such a hefty amount for a 30-year-old because of his desire to play for the club. It was a similar story with Antony and his £85m transfer from Ajax, as the player went on strike to force a move to the Premier League giants.
Martinez was also desperate to join United. It's claimed the Argentina international confronted an Ajax official when the transfer was stalling. Many critics suspected the Red Devils paid over the odds for all three players, with Martinez's deal costing £55m.
Yet that didn't deter United. It's claimed Ten Hag placed a high value on the 'character and personality' of his new signings to combat the depressive mood in the dressing room. United endured a nightmare 2021/22 campaign, finishing sixth in the Premier League.
United's confidence hit an all-time low in August after they lost consecutive Premier League games to Brighton and Brentford. The latter was undoubtedly the most humbling, as the Bees hammered them 4-0. That huge lead was established inside 35 minutes.
It's thought United's impressive domestic form of late - beating bitter rivals Liverpool, Southampton, Leicester and Arsenal - is due in part to the impact the new signings have had on and off the pitch.
In total, United made six transfers during the recent transfer window. As well as Martinez, Casemiro and Antony, Ten Hag also brought in Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord, Christian Eriksen from Brentford and Martin Dubravka from Newcastle (loan).
