Liverpool v Manchester United: Who had the better transfer window?

It’s a fools errand to try and assess the success of a club’s transfer activity, before the players have had a chance to properly settle in. Luckily, we trade in foolish errands here at This is Futbol.

Let’s face it – this summer has been straight up fascinating. We’ve effectively watched two of the Premier League’s biggest clubs attempt to out-muscle and out-outmaneuver each other in the transfer market.

The two clubs in question are Liverpool, who have grabbed at the opportunity to re-establish themselves as one of the biggest clubs in the world and Manchester United who have spent big to try and stop the rot (more on that in a bit).

Sure, other clubs have had interesting summers (particularly Arsenal and Chelsea), but it’s The Reds and The Red Devils who have made the biggest splash. This just begs the question. Who had the better spending spree?

Most fans are still waxing lyrical about the arrival of Radamel Falcao at Old Trafford, but this signing does leave an odd taste in the mouth. The Colombian will be picking up extortionate wages from the Manchester United hierarchy and may only be here for a season.

Mario Balotelli, on the other hand, is a long-term solution. He’s a risk, there’s no doubt about that, but if it pays off, then he’s going to have a massive impact on Liverpool’s future. What’s more, he only cost £16m.

Angel Di Maria probably trumps Lazar Markovic, but there’s no doubt that United were ripped off by Real Madrid. Di Maria’s £59.7m price-tag is completely laughable. The expectation on him to perform will be immense. Is he ready for the challenge ahead of him at Old Trafford?

I’d take Adam Lallana over Ander Herrera any day. The same goes for Dejan Lovren and Marcos Rojo (though admittedly I need to see the Argentine in action a little more). There jury’s still out on both Luke Shaw and Alberto Moreno, but the little Spaniard was fantastic against Spurs last weekend.

I have no allegiance to either team, but I think you can see I’m leaning towards Liverpool at the moment. This is before we even get to the fact that Manchester United really haven’t dealt with their defensive issues. I’m concerned they don’t have the options or quality necessary in this department to get them through the season.

Liverpool have brought in options with serious long-term potential. They’ve positioned themselves for success now and in the future. It’s hard not to admire that.

It’ll certainly be interesting to watch this battle play out for the rest of the season.

What’s your take? Who had a better summer Liverpool or Manchester United?

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