Players flirting with other clubs vicariously through their agents is nothing new but it seems to be happening more often to Manchester United than when Sir Alex Ferguson was in charge.
United have regularly been linked with talented youngsters along with a host of top clubs, partly as a negotiating tactic to leverage a better deal at their current club or to maximise the reward of moving to a new one.
But it seems that for the second time in a matter of months since Ferguson stepped down, United have been the pawn used to help ensure the future of a Barcelona star at the Nou Camp.
There was a genuine belief at Old Trafford, if from few outside, that Cesc Fabregas was an attainable transfer target this summer and yet a cold assessment of that trail suggests it rarely threatened to lead to the Spaniard moving to Manchester.
Instead, Fabregas has begun to play a key role at Barca with the club’s hierarchy reminded of his importance by United’s interest.
Equally, the notion of Andres Iniesta moving to United appears utterly fanciful and yet they were interested before Barcelona’s sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta revealed this week they were close to agreeing a new contract with the player.
It would be remiss not to be open to such opportunities but to seemingly be used by top players in this way hints at a naivety that seemed to rear itself throughout United’s summer transfer dealings.
David Moyes and chief executive Edward Woodward have to prove themselves more adept in January.
