8 Players Man Utd Had No Hope Of Signing This Summer

Make no mistake about it - Manchester United are a huge club, soaked in tradition, finery and grandeur. Even their very name is enough to send shivers down the spine of many a supporter, with the club synonymous with success. With every summer, it is almost a procession as to what players Manchester United will poach from the smaller sides, but also what world-renowned superstar will be lured to the Theatre of Dreams. Such was the lure of Sir Alex Ferguson, and the promise of trophies, success and the potential to be remembered as the next Eric Cantona or Cristiano Ronaldo, it was never a hard task to persuade the world-class talent to sign over their futures to the rainy suburbs of Manchester. However, times have changed, and many of the pull factors have disappeared. Sir Alex Ferguson and David Moyes have both cleared their desks in the last 15 months, the former taking with him a level of honour and prestige, while the latter successfully rid the club of European football. An alien concept to many a Manchester United supporter, the chiefs with the cash certainly haven't been acting like their club has just finished seventh in the league. While big-money moves for Luke Shaw and Ander Herrera have been finalised, the club are actively pursuing some of the world's finest talents - someone needs to tell Ed Woodward that Man United can no longer offer these players the platform their skills deserve. It's no surprise that they have seen several of their targets sign for European heavyweights at their expense - while Louis van Gaal can lay claim to a plethora of respect in the footballing world, the damage that Moyes inflicted on the club will take a while to fix. Until then, moves for the likes of Arturo Vidal might have to be put on hold.