When Roberto De Zerbi’s team arrives at Old Trafford on Saturday, United won’t be the clear favorites, which is a sad indictment of their summer transfer window.

Erik ten Hag is under increasing criticism after only four games in the new Premier League season. Manchester United won the Carabao Cup and finished third in the Premier League in 2022–23, securing a return to the Champions League and ending their five-year trophy drought. Their Dutch coach was rightfully hailed for having seen real improvement in his first season in charge.

However, despite spending an additional £200 million ($250 million) on transfers in the summer, it doesn’t seem like United has advanced to the next level. With humiliating losses to Tottenham and Arsenal already on their resume, their troubles on the road have only worsened. Meanwhile, unimpressive home victories over Wolves and Nottingham Forest haven’t exactly persuaded detractors that they have any chance of mounting a serious title push.

In stark contrast, Brighton is poised to be the campaign’s biggest surprise. Despite losing some key players, Roberto De Zerbi’s team has amassed nine points out of a possible 12 and continues to dazzle spectators with their flowing, attack-minded approach.The excellent work the Seagulls have done over a number of transfer windows means it wouldn’t come as much of a surprise if they continued their misery on United at Old Trafford this Saturday. They are the exact antithesis of their weekend hosts in the market, and they keep putting their competitors in the shade with their astute business decisions.

But inevitably, their top players were targeted during the summer transfer window. The midfield was left with a gaping void after Moises Caicedo and Alexis MacAllister were traded to Chelsea and Liverpool, respectively. But more importantly, during the sale discussions, Brighton stood by the value they placed on both players.

Quick action by Liverpool to acquire Argentine playmaker Mac Allister triggered his £35 million ($44 million) release clause. Getting that price was clearly a win for the Reds, but Brighton also tied Mac Allister to a contract extension before the 2022 World Cup, which included the release clause. The midfielder’s previous contract was set to expire in June of this year, but the Seagulls took proactive measures to make sure he did not walk away empty-handed.

In the end, Brighton secured a respectable price for Mac Allister and handled Caicedo’s predicament even more wisely. In July, Chelsea put forth an initial offer of £70 million ($88 million) for the Ecuadorian, but it was turned down right away. The Seagulls made it clear they would not take anything less than £100 million ($125 million) for their greatest asset, and the Blues also had an improved £80 million ($100 million) bid rejected. Simply put, Brighton could not be pressured into a speedy sale.

On August 15, the deal was finally finalized, with Chelsea paying a stunning £115 million ($144 million) – including add-ons – for Caicedo’s talents, breaking the British transfer record established by Arsenal earlier in the year when they acquired Declan Rice. Despite losing two important players, Brighton still had more than enough money to strengthen their team.

United pay a premium price.Similar to Chelsea, United was compelled to overpay in order to secure their top summer targets. Ironically, the Blues surprised them first by obtaining a sizable sum for Mason Mount despite the fact that he was in the final year of his contract.

The original £40 million ($50 million) bid from the Red Devils for Mount seemed more than reasonable given his pitiful return of only three Premier League goals for Chelsea in his dismal final season at Stamford Bridge. But the Blues would never sell to a direct rival without imposing a significant tax.

After several weeks of discussions, United was forced to pay £55 million ($69 million) for Mount, plus an additional £5 million in performance-related add-ons. Because it wasn’t immediately evident how the 24-year-old would fit into Erik ten Hag’s lineup, the deal was made all the more puzzling.

Those worries were confirmed in Mount’s first two competitive appearances for United against Wolves and Tottenham, where he failed to contribute in any meaningful way and neglected his defensive responsibilities. The midfielder also had a hamstring injury in the defeat to Spurs, so it might take some time for him to establish any sort of rhythm while wearing a United jersey.

Atalanta of Serie A likewise wrung every last euro out of United’s money. Rasmus Hojlund, a forward from Denmark who has played just one season in Italy’s top division, is now the top striker on Ten Hag’s wishlist after the Red Devils were unable to afford Harry Kane. The 20-year-old would ultimately move to Old Trafford in a massive £73 million ($91 million) transaction that raised quite a few eyebrows. United made a significant wager on a player who made just 32 appearances for Atalanta last season and managed just nine goals in Serie A.

Hojlund may very well end up becoming United’s Erling Haaland replacement, but if he does not turn out to be the quick fix they want up front, severe concerns will be raised about the team’s transfer strategy once more. The Dane hasn’t yet made his first club start after undergoing rehab for a nagging back issue, so the early signs aren’t good.United was constrained to a maximum spending budget of £150 million ($188 million) in the last transfer window due to their inability to get rid of deadwood FFP concerns. But if they had managed to get rid of the deadwood that has been holding them back for so many years, that pot could have been a lot bigger.

Despite being unnecessary, Anthony Martial, Harry Maguire, Scott McTominay, and Donny van de Beek are among those clinging to a berth in Ten Hag’s squad. Furthermore, there was no practical reason to keep any of them.

Martial has demonstrated he cannot be counted on to lead the line for United after failing to prove his fitness for multiple seasons, with Inter and Fenerbahce among the clubs supposedly interested in him. West Ham made a proposal for Maguire that was accepted by United for £30 million ($38 million), but the Hammers later backed out of the agreement due to frustration with the slow pace of the discussions.

After being relieved of his captaincy in mid-July, it seemed as though the world’s most expensive defender’s time was up. However, he will continue to collect a sizable paycheck while sitting on the sidelines for at least another season. Given his clear limitations, Maguire could just be the luckiest man in sports.

West Ham reportedly made a £30 million offer for McTominay as well, but United refused to approve his transfer to the London Stadium due to competing interest from Bayern Munich. They demanded an additional £10 million for the Scotland international, but neither team was ready to make the payment.

Early in August, negotiations between Real Sociedad and Van de Beek came to an end, and both Galatasaray and Fenerbahce decided against making a late play for the Dutch midfielder. Van van Beek was acquired by United for £35 million ($44 million) from Ajax in 2020, although he has only started 11 Premier League games for the team since then.

Van de Beek, who was left off of United’s 2023–24 Champions League roster, has not had a fresh start as a result of his reunion with former Ajax manager Ten Hag. A guy who was once hailed as one of the most exciting midfielders of his time has experienced a terrible slide.

At least United was able to offload Fred, Dean Henderson, Anthony Elanga, and Alex Telles for a combined sum of £48 million ($60 million), while Eric Bailly was allowed to join Besiktas on a free transfer. In other words, at Old Trafford, unethical behavior has become the standard

Brighton improvesFew clubs could have avoided a major decrease in performance after losing players of Caicedo and Mac Allister’s caliber. But Brighton’s ascent to the Premier League’s higher echelons is no accident.

They have a history of making wise decisions in the transfer market, and that pattern continued during the most recent window when they were successful in raising £150 million ($188 million) from the sales of their two star midfielders. Eight people were hired by Brighton in total, including the unexpected loan agreement for Barcelona’s Ansu Fati that was finalized on deadline day.

In addition to United and Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham is said to have sought to facilitate a transfer for Fati in the past. When Lionel Messi left Barcelona in 2021, the 20-year-old took over wearing the legendary No. 10 shirt, and Brighton made a huge statement by winning the race. De Zerbi is the only person who has the ability to bring out the best in Fati, thus the Seagulls are taking a calculated risk by accepting the loan with no buy-option.

They also acquired Joao Pedro from Watford for a club-record cost of £30 million ($38 million), giving them plenty of firepower in the closing third. The Brazilian scored 15 goals in the Championship for the Hornets last season, and he has already made himself at home at the Amex Stadium. With the addition of Fati to the mix and Pedro’s apparent chemistry with Irish star Evan Ferguson, Brighton shouldn’t have any trouble scoring.

Additionally, De Zerbi was successful in bringing in Carlos Baleba from Lille, who was viewed as a direct replacement for Caicedo at the age of 19. The talented teenager, who was born in Cameroon, might end up being one of the season’s best buys at just £23 million ($29 million).

Bart Verbruggen, a goalkeeper for the Netherlands Under-21s, joined Brighton after agreeing to a £16 million ($20 million) contract with Anderlecht. He has since taken over as the team’s starting goalkeeper. With Verbruggen’s arrival, the Seagulls now have real depth at the defense in addition to the £15 million ($19 million) acquisition of Brazilian center-half Igor from Fiorentina.

The promising young Romanian winger Adrian Mazilu was purchased for £3 million to round off their outlay, but there was also excellent value to be found in the free agency pool. On June 16, Mahmoud Dahoud joined Brighton after leaving Borussia Dortmund, only two days after James Milner checked into the Amex after his contract with Liverpool expired.

Dahoud, who is only 27 years old, is still in the peak of his career, having come to De Zerbi’s attention when the manager of Sassuolo. At 37, Milner is much more experienced, yet he is still an amazing physical specimen who can fit into a variety of positions.

At Old Trafford, Ten Hag Amrabat Reguilon, DesperationBrighton used the free agency and loan markets wisely in advance, but United acted quickly at the last minute in a frantic attempt to fill out their roster. Old Trafford and Sofyan Amrabat were connected throughout the summer, but a permanent deal was ultimately ruled out due to the club’s lack of outgoings.

The Fiorentina enforcer will supposedly be available for purchase outright for £21 million ($26 million) next summer, but United were finally forced to settle for a loan agreement. Amrabat collaborated with Ten Hag at Utrecht from 2015 to 2017, thus Manchester expects him to be productive right away. However, the Red Devils have already paid a £10 million loan fee for Amrabat, which is a substantial expense that most likely wouldn’t have been required had they moved sooner.

As a replacement for the injured Luke Shaw, Sergio Reguilon joined the team on loan from Spurs on the final day of the summer transfer window. Marc Cucurella of Chelsea and Marcos Alonso of Barcelona were also mentioned, but owing to poor planning, United had to settle for Reguilon. It seems improbable that the Spaniard, who never really made an impression at Tottenham, will overnight become a dependable defender at Old Trafford.

But probably the most unexpected action United took this summer was to decide to sign Jonny Evans back for another year, some eight years after his initial departure. The Northern Ireland international was part of the Leicester City team that was relegated last season and, at the ripe old age of 35, is far past his prime. The player enjoyed a trophy-laden first stint with the Red Devils.

Even so, Evans has already started playing again for United as they struggle to deal with a defensive injury crisis that has kept Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez out. From the outside, everything looks like a gigantic disaster.

Supporters of United will continue to hold out hope that a significant change occurs behind the scenes despite the Glazers’ continued efforts to sell the club. United can learn a lot from the way Brighton handled their recent transfer transaction. However, they currently appear to be far from making a comeback to the absolute top of the game.

It will be interesting to watch how far Brighton can advance under De Zerbi’s leadership, who has established himself as one of Europe’s top coaches. Brighton are definitely on the rise. But for United, it’s very much a matter of taking one stride forward and two steps back.