Man Utd Chief Unveils Bold 'Harlem Globetrotters' Transfer Blueprint
Manchester United are focused on constructing the perfect squad, rather than assembling a flashy collection of individual showmen like the Harlem Globetrotters, according to football director Jason Wilcox.
The most notable instance of such a recruitment approach in football occurred when Real Madrid acquired Luís Figo, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazário and David Beckham across four consecutive summers between 2000 and 2003, during what became known as the Galácticos period. Half a decade later, Los Blancos launched Galácticos 2.0 by shattering the transfer world record twice in a single summer to bring in Kaká and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In recent times, Paris Saint-Germain created an attacking trio of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi that looked spectacular in theory but failed to deliver on the field. Only after these three stars departed, and manager Luis Enrique implemented a new team-first philosophy, did PSG finally achieve success in the Champions League for the first time.
Manchester United have previously struggled to maximize the potential of marquee acquisitions like Ángel Di María, Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho, with Wilcox now revealing that evaluating a transfer candidate's mentality and personality—determining whether they'll be a suitable match—is now central to recruitment decisions.
"The crucial element is that whenever we acquire a player, they must desire to develop and must be team-oriented, understanding what it takes to be part of a winning squad," Wilcox, who now oversees sporting operations, shared on the club's Inside Carrington podcast.
"This isn't about assembling the Harlem Globetrotters. When I examine successful Man Utd squads, there were highly practical players who would sacrifice everything for the club and there were some free spirits. When anyone discusses [Eric] Cantona, he was the consummate professional."
Wilcox also observed that it's an "encouraging indicator" to witness players arriving at Carrington an hour or more ahead of their scheduled reporting time, demonstrating the culture that's emerging.
"What we must strive to achieve is ensuring that whether we're victorious or defeated, we can't allow the pendulum to swing so dramatically that it impacts the atmosphere at Carrington. If anyone visits Carrington, the initial thing they mention when they leave is 'it's completely different from how it seems from the outside.'"
2025 Summer Transfer Window 'Calmer' Than 2024
Wilcox, originally brought in as technical director, took on his present position at the beginning of summer, six months after his predecessor Dan Ashworth abruptly left the role last December.
According to his own assessment, the summer transfer period leading into 2024–25, when Erik ten Hag remained as manager and over £200 million ($260.8 million) was invested in Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui and Manuel Ugarte, was "significantly more disorganized" than 2025.
In the recent window, the club invested approximately £228 million on Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Šeško and Senne Lammens, all of whom have performed well thus far. Minimizing risk was a key consideration.
"With this recent window [in summer 2025], we understood our strategy, we identified our target players, we had our shortlists prepared, we recognized which positions needed strengthening," Wilcox clarified.
"It's absolutely vital that we conduct thorough background investigations to ensure they maintain professional standards. This is extremely important. This season, we focused on Premier League-ready talent and particularly with Bryan and Matheus, we couldn't afford significant risks in this regard. We required players we could immediately integrate with minimal adjustment period."
Wilcox mentioned that Lammens had been suggested by former United goalkeeper Tony Coton a full year prior to his arrival, emphasizing that despite the deal materializing quickly, it wasn't an impulsive acquisition. Wilcox characterized the Belgian as "highly thoughtful and extremely professional," once again meeting the criteria.
Šeško was commended for his readiness to make runs during matches for the team's benefit rather than personal glory, and is another player Wilcox considers a "consummate professional."
As United work toward realizing 'Project 150', the club's ambition of securing the Premier League championship by 2027–28 to mark their 150th anniversary, preparations for next summer's transfer activity are already underway. Wilcox regularly consults with Ruben Amorim to identify the type of player needed, working alongside recruitment director Christopher Vivell, who then instructs the scouting network, with additional support from the analytics department.