Roberto Firmino is a terrific forward, so much so that his acquisition by Liverpool has rightly been met with excitement by their fans. Petr Cech is a terrific goalkeeper and his impending move to Arsenal has been hailed as a game-changer. Meanwhile, several Manchester United supporters are looking on, and wondering why, at least in Firmino's case, they appear to have been beaten to the punch.
Those same supporters, wary that Liverpool may threaten their place in the top four, might feel somewhat better if they look at the chaos of last year's transfer window. That was a period when United seemed to be buying players not because they needed them, but because they were there. And, this summer, Firmino was definitely there; a marvellous talent, in his early 20s, and at a club that he had outgrown in Hoffenheim.
Incidentally, this same description applies to Memphis Depay, whose name has slightly disappeared from view in recent weeks after the euphoria of his arrival. There's a perfectly good reason why that's happened -- this is, after all, a peaceful off-season -- but it's interesting how loud some of the disappointment at supposedly missing out in Firmino has been in some quarters. That's not so much a criticism of those fans, as the next Premier League campaign is likely to be very tightly fought indeed. No side wants to concede any kind of competitive advantage.
Yet, perspective is needed. United's needs are different to those of Liverpool, and Depay is as suited to their requirements as Firmino is to those at Anfield. Moreover, had they acquired the Brazilian, who can play deeper in midfield, but whose best position is as a No. 10, this would not have been particularly good news for Adnan Januzaj, who may consider himself far enough out of favour as it is.
Speaking of those needs, it is encouraging to see United consistently linked to Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos, a man who can claim to be both one of the outstanding right-backs and centre-backs of his generation. It's not too often that a defender excels both on the flank and in the middle, as both Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have recently shown with the entirely different skill-sets they entail, but Ramos is the rarest of breeds.
In recent years, only a few have been so versatile to such great effect, with Lilian Thuram and Paolo Maldini the first names that come to mind in this respect. While it is still not clear whether Ramos is ultimately using his situation at Madrid to negotiate a better contract, the intimations are that he is genuinely unhappy and that his departure to Barcelona or United is an option.
In such an event, Barcelona may be his preference if he wants to stay in Spain. However, with Dani Alves having just re-signed at right-back, and the team having a very good central defensive partnership of Javier Mascherano and Gerard Pique, the 29-year old would be far more likely to find the regular football that he presumably seeks at United. Were he to come to Old Trafford, and that is the huge hypothetical, he would at a single stroke remove much of the insecurity around the defence, even if goalkeeper David De Gea departs as many now expect.
Only a year ago, there was frustration that United were going after the wrong players: on this occasion, then, it should be reassuring that they are going for players that fit some sort of strategy. Ramos, too, does not seem such a wildly improbable target as some of those United have pursued during recent off-seasons.
If anything, these last few months indicate that Ed Woodward is getting to grips with the unique art of transfer negotiation, and that the club is showing a pleasing level of ambition. Southampton's Nathaniel Clyne would be a very good signing at right-back, but the capture of Ramos is the type of elite signing that can quickly make United a redoubtable force in the later stages of the UEFA Champions League.
It would also show that Woodward has managed to align the club's commercial and sporting goals as it is very difficult to sign a player who is absolutely right for the team and is also a significant name. Too often, in previous transfer periods, it has seemed as if the big name was the most important thing -- a bad habit of which, incidentally, Real Madrid have been accused for many years.
There is still plenty of time for United to buy, and this time around, it looks like they can be relied upon to make the right kind of moves.
