Why Manchester United Do Need More Big-Name Signings

Big-name signings and Manchester United have gone hand in hand for a long time.

There was a brief period during the early 2010s when this stopped—the era of Sir Alex Ferguson questioning the value in the transfer market. In January 2011, former chief executive, David Gill said, per Graham Chase of the Express: "We have rarely bought the world star. We have made them world stars by playing for United—and that will continue."

His statement—made in the aftermath of Wayne Rooney's accusation that the club lacked ambition and the Green and Gold campaign against the Glazer family's ownership of the club—was political. It was also, frankly, simply not true. 

While it is true that the legend of most players signed by United grew during their time at the club, many of them were already well-established stars who commanded the British-record transfer fees United routinely broke.

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These purchases spanned eras too—Denis Law, Bryan Robson, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand and even Dimitar Berbatov, who had been bought a little over two years before Gill made that statement.

All of the above were, to a greater or lesser extent, "world stars" when they arrived. When United signed Juan Sebastian Veron, Sir Alex said, per the club's official website: "I never thought the day would arrive when I spent this much money on one player. But it is the kind of thing Manchester United should do."

These players were bought in conjunction with the development of homegrown talent. The "Zidanes y Pavones" project at Real Madrid—named for big-money acquisition Zinedine Zidane and Madrid academy product Paco Pavon and later rebranded as the Galactico policy—was based on the idea of bringing in superstar names and playing them alongside Castilla graduates.

The balance was never struck at Madrid as it had been at United. The "Cantonas et les Nevilles" project, as no one called it, was considerably more successful.

As well as raising United's own, Sir Alex Ferguson also took pride in signing young, promising talent and developing it.

Sometimes, this approach was phenomenally successful: Wayne Rooney's career is evidence of that, as, of course, is Cristiano Ronaldo's. Often, however, it was less so: Nani and Anderson will not be remembered as sensible investments. Phil Jones remains unproven. All three were expensive young signings.

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Similarly, not all of the big-name signings worked out. Veron is the poster child for a player arriving for big money and not being able to make a major impact at United.

There are two key recent purchases that demonstrate opposite ends of the sign-big-players-for-success spectrum. Robin van Persie was signed late in his career for big money to make an immediate difference.

In the unknowable alternate future in which United did not sign Van Persie, they may have still won the league in 2012/13, but what is certain is that his acquisition made an enormous impact.

On the other hand, Angel Di Maria's huge-money signing—United's biggest outlay on a single player by far—has generally not had a transformative effect on the side's fortunes to date.

However, as everyone has surely read or heard by now, Di Maria was United's leading assist-maker in his first season at the club. He also created more clear-cut chances than anyone in the Premier League bar Cesc Fabregas.

Nonetheless, his success was partial rather than complete. When combined with Radamel Falcao's profound underachievement in a red shirt, it makes the "Gaalacticos" project seem like it is stuttering. Of United's signings last summer, it is the understated Ander Herrera who has been the most successful.

This summer, United's most pressing need is for players to fit straight into the first XI and make a difference. The right big-name signings, signed for their ability to positively impact United's on-field fortunes rather than to impress off-field sponsors, would be very sensible investments this summer.

If United's interest in Sergio Ramos and Bastian Schweinsteiger, as reported by BBC Sport on Monday, is real, both would count as big-name signings and both would improve United's squad in areas that require improvement.

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Equally, if United could somehow pry a player of the quality of Gareth Bale away from Real Madrid, there is a ready-made spot for him in the side. History suggests he would score and assist at a rate that would likely make a huge impact on United's fortunes.

United's current squad is full of useful players. All-rounders such as Daley Blind and Ashley Young may be short of the elite level but are nonetheless good to have around.

There is little need to add a back-up in any position unless David De Gea leaves. Even then, it may be that Louis van Gaal prefers to sign a new first-choice 'keeper rather than an understudy for Victor Valdes. The other possible exception is at right-back, where a back-up could be required if Van Gaal truly believes in Antonio Valencia's future there.

However, with Rafael still at the club, Paddy McNair's reasonably impressive in his appearances there and Jones and Chris Smalling's experience of the role, there is probably adequate squad cover.

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It is improvements in quality United need more than squad cover. The players who did a job for Van Gaal last season are worthy of the praise they received, but there was inconsistency throughout the side—Herrera and De Gea being two exceptions.

United's fourth-place finish represented a kind of mission accomplished, but aspirations should be higher this time around. It would not appear that United's youth-production line has been able to cover the gaps in the squad. Nor should it be expected to. The promotion of youth has always been part of the answer rather than the answer in itself.

After all, as Sir Alex said, United should be signing superstars for big money as part of maintaining their competitive edge.

"Di Marias y McNairs (y Herreras)" would be an appropriate sobriquet for United's current plan. United need to continue to invest in promising talent, both from the academy and those they sign from elsewhere.

However, as they did last summer, it would also be sensible to take a few high-priced punts ob established stars. Perhaps more needs to be done to ensure the signings who are brought in are a good match for the league, the club and its manager. But just because Di Maria has thus far underwhelmed and Falcao was a flop does not mean the need to spend big to improve United's squad has gone away.

After all, with United's commercial machinery up and running and bringing in remarkable sums, it would be a shame for that money not to be reinvested in the playing staff. This is not a call for a short-term strategy—it is about realising the power of supplementing the long-term development of the squad with impact signings.

As well as their direct impact on the pitch, those kind of players can be a hugely positive influence on the youngsters in the squad.

Ryan Giggs, in his 1994 book My Story wrote of Eric Cantona (h/t the club's official site): "When you see Eric Cantona staying on for extra training, brushing up on his skills, it makes you realise you can’t be satisfied with what you’re doing."

Peter Schmeichel said of Cantona's presence, relayed again by the club's site: 

"

All the kids we’ve seen grow up with Manchester United from that period, they’ve really benefited from that and you could go and speak to David Beckham, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes about him.

They will always point to him as he was the guy.

"

United's current squad needs a similar catalyst. Cantona's signing was a gamble, but he was certainly a star in England following the impact he made at Leeds United. And he had previously been a huge, albeit troubled, name in French football.

Name recognition is not what is important here. It is just that the names get big because the players attached to them warrant it. United need quality and should be shopping at the top of the market in order to ensure they get it.