Several people believe that Manchester United’s decline began in the summer of 2009, four years earlier than when many attribute it to Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure in 2013. At the end of the previous season, United had won the Premier League title for the 20th time and reached the Champions League final, ultimately losing to Barcelona led by Lionel Messi. Although they failed, it was still considered one of the best teams that Ferguson put together, led by Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo in their prime, with Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov also contributing to a strong attack similar to the days of Yorke, Cole, Sheringham, and Solskjaer. However, this formidable group was on the brink of breaking up. Ronaldo was transferred to Real Madrid for a fee of £80m, which at the time was the highest ever paid in the world. United decided to back out of a deal to sign Tevez from his agency, Media Sports Investments, after a two-year loan agreement. The outcome of this decision is well known now. Tevez ended up joining Manchester City, who Fergie referred to as the ‘noisy neighbours’. The new financially strong club made a significant signing with Tevez, who played a key role in helping them catch up to and surpass United. Tevez’s impact on the team was crucial in their success. Ronaldo is currently influencing a potential transfer for Erik ten Hag to take on a prominent role at Manchester United. An old saying suggests that it is important to ensure that when you sell someone, you replace them with someone of equal or superior quality.
