On January 30, Marcel Sabitzer was gearing up to feature for Bayern Munich in the DFB Pokal. 24 hours later, he swapped a trip to Mainz for a flight to Manchester and became a United player deep into added time on transfer deadline day. It was a quick turnaround but far from a 'panic buy', as Paul Merson sloppily mused on Sky Sports.
The Reds had kept tabs on Sabitzer for around seven years with club recruitment staff continuously compiling a shortlist of potential go-to options, a list that ultimately proved vital. United are not alone in operating such a system.
Data-driven Brentford’s ranking system - that caters for both transfers and starting line-up guidance - saw them to Premier League promotion, while Brighton were straight on the phone to Roberto De Zerbi as their top-of-the-list next manager upon Graham Potter’s exit to Chelsea.
