Having ignored Ralf Rangnick's recommendations in the summer, Manchester United plumped for one of his alumni in the winter.
Marcel Sabitzer, once of RB Leipzig, played under Rangnick. "His development couldn't have been any better," Rangnick told Kicker in March 2020. Rangnick is now Sabitzer's coach with the Austria national side.
Sabitzer excelled against United in Leipzig's Champions League group stage win a little over two years ago and Bayern seldom sign duds. Sabitzer has had to vie with Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka in a Bayern midfield that Ryan Gravenberch is yet to make a Bundesliga start. In Bayern's 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt at the weekend, Kimmich was the sole holding midfielder.
Also read: United players clinch innovative loan moves
A well-placed source at United said earlier this season the club have the wherewithal to "push a button" and reveal a list of potential players to strengthen a position. The swiftness with which they have secured three loan deals tallies with that proclamation.
Five days after Newcastle recalled Martin Dubravka, Jack Butland was at Carrington. Wout Weghorst posed in the same room in the Jimmy Murphy Centre a week later.
The one out, one in theme continued with the absence of Christian Eriksen. It was only four days ago that Andy Carroll scythed down Eriksen and Scott McTominay sustained a muscular injury between the League Cup semi-final first leg with Nottingham Forest last Wednesday and the visit of Reading on Saturday.
United have acted decisively and with alacrity; trading players almost as swiftly as Brad Pitt's Billy Beane in Moneyball.
With an authoritative manager, a football director with his feet under the table and a chief executive content with taking a back seat and empowering heads of department, United resemble a proper football club.
John Murtough celebrates two years as the inaugural football director next month and has had the autonomy to recruit a deputy football director in Andy O'Boyle and the head of data science Dominic Jordan, whose department is expanding. Steve Brown, the head of recruitment and one of Murtough's colleagues at Everton until he joined United in 2016, assisted Murtough in developing the TrackerMan software.
Murtough, a quantity surveyor until he glanced at a workman and had an unwanted vision of his own future, was still learning the ropes when he installed Rangnick as interim manager. He has come into his own under Richard Arnold's tenure as chief executive with the appointment of Ten Hag and recruitment strategy in the summer and winter windows.
Prior to the Butland move, Ten Hag held a video call with Dean Henderson to gauge his receptiveness to returning from his loan spell. It was the first time they had spoken and Henderson stressed he was committed to seeing out the season with Forest. Ten Hag felt fishing the ball out of the back of the net so frequently (only Bournemouth have sieved more Premier League goals) was counter-productive.
Chelsea's scattergun strategy may be championed by Fifa and Football Manager enthusiasts but in the real world they are 10th with an obese squad and two wins in their last 10 games, in danger of their worst season in seven years.
Liverpool's more expensive Dutch recruit, Cody Gakpo, is still without a goal, Pep Guardiola jettisoned one of the best full-backs in Europe and Arsenal somehow upset their online community with the signing of Jorginho.
United discussed long-term targets with intermediaries. Each target would have commanded a fee in January, so they were discounted as mid-season options. United's impecunious state struck figures at Championship club Burnley during discussions about loaning Weghorst.
Ten Hag lined his duck up quickly with Weghorst. United contacted Burnley prior to the teams' League Cup tie on December 21 and the interest did not emerge for another two weeks; the giveaway came when Weghorst literally bid farewell to Besiktas supporters.
United plan to welcome a new goalkeeper, a younger midfielder and a striker in the summer as permanent arrivals. Bankrolling inflated deals for imperfect options would have been senseless.
There were no panic-stricken inflated fees paid as there were for Casemiro and Antony when United's hand was forced by their denuding at Brentford. This was a window where United were wiser and wilier.
Historically, United have a good relationship with Bayern Munich and Ten Hag worked there for two years as the reserve coach. Sabitzer, at 28, is a stable and skilful short-term addition who offers versatility and comes with big club clout.
Ed Woodward once lamented United's penchant for signing midfield crocks from Bayern, references to Owen Hargreaves and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Sabitzer has been injury-free since December 2021.
His pedigree is impressive: Red Bull group prodigy, European Championship starter in 2016 and 2021, Champions League semi-finalist and Bundesliga winner.
The profile is also logical. Sabitzer has always been a squad player at Bayern and United were not seeking a regular role for a midfield recruit. Fred is a suitable foil for Casemiro, Brazil's most balanced midfield duo.
Rangnick was struck by how tempestuous Sabitzer could be in defeat. Losing has always been anathema to Sabitzer and those who have witnessed his development believe he has moderated his temper to develop leadership characteristics.
Sabitzer is one Rangnick endorsement Ten Hag was happy to accept.
READ MORE:
