Their pockets might be a bit light after the spending spree of the last few days, but in terms of strengthening the squad, it’s been a good couple of days at Old Trafford.
Following on from the signing of Ander Herrera from Athletic Bilbao yesterday, United today confirmed the acquisition of England international left-back Luke Shaw from Southampton, bringing to an end months of speculation linking Shaw with a move to the north-west of England.
.@LukeShaw3 joins @AnderHerrera8 as an #mufc player. Welcome to the club! Full story: http://t.co/xCBqiqNPmI pic.twitter.com/NR4acNQuNS
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) June 27, 2014
Although a fee has not been disclosed, it is thought to be in the region of £27 million (rising to £31 million depending on Shaw’s achievements at the club) and while United’s exploits in the transfer market paled in comparison to the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea for a number of years, Shaw is the fourth player (Marouane Fellaini, Juan Mata and Herrera being the others) in the space of a year to have been purchased for an eye-watering amount of money.
The club confirmed the deal on their website this afternoon and commenting on the signing of the 19-year old, assistant manager Ryan Giggs said: “Luke is a very talented young left-back with great potential. He has developed immensely during his time at Southampton and has all the attributes to become a top player. I am delighted he has joined Manchester United as I believe this is the right club for him to continue his development as a young player and eventually fulfil that promise.”
Shaw, meanwhile, added: “I am thrilled and excited to be joining Manchester United. I have been at Southampton since I was eight years old and I would like to thank them and the fans for everything they have done for me. I want to continue to progress my career and joining United is the ideal place for me to do that. I am looking forward to this new chapter in my life and also looking forward to learning from the world-class players and management at the club.”
