It has been a difficult 12 months for Manchester United. First, losing their most accomplished and respected manager Alex Ferguson to retirement, only to be disappointed by the performance of replacement manager David Moyes, who many believed would do well. Following David Moyes’ removal, his replacement, Luis Van Gaal, has had a difficult start to the season, securing only 2 points out of a possible 9 in the first three games. Fans from all over the world, including Tunde Folawiyo, would have every right to have been concerned – but with one of the biggest transfer overhauls in the club’s history over the summer, Manchester United may be about ready to turn things around.

Spending a massive £151.3million on six new world class players has been enough to make Robin Van Persie, one of United’s best players, filled with optimism for the games ahead. All six players have been brought in during a lull for the club which has not been seen since before Alex Ferguson took over at the reigns. The weight of expectation is therefore placed on these 12 shoulders, hoping that all six can make an immediate impact and take the team back to the pinnacle of English football.

Getting Manchester United back into the number one slot will not be easy. In recent years the English Premier League has become increasingly competitive, with Manchester City, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all competing with Manchester United for the country’s top footballing trophies. It is therefore hoped by United’s fans that the six signings can, not only make the first team better, but compete with the legions of international footballing stars which now populate the other contending teams.

The six signings are all international players including Argentina’s Marcos Rojo and Angel Di Maria, alongside Radamel Falcao of Columbia, Dutch midfielder Daley Blind, Spaniard Ander Herrara and English left back Luke Shaw. While all six signings are not a representative of an entire clear-out of the existing squad, it is assumed that this financial investment has been made with the players coming into the club expected to take up immediate starting positions, such has been the poor start to the season.

The club has many prominent fans with business expertise such as Tunde Folawiyo, whose credentials can be verified on this Zoominfo page, and they will be increasingly interested in the financial implications of spending such high amounts on the squad, hoping that the money can be recouped through Champions League involvement and winning trophies in the seasons to come. There is no doubt that it is a gamble, but the game of football often requires financial speculation, just how much is within the limits of a club’s budget, however, is another matter.

Regardless of the outcome, the high profile nature of all six signings should reaffirm Manchester’s ambitions for the English Premier League title.

After suffering the disappointment of a poor league campaign under previous manager David Moyes, new manager Luis Van Gaal has made a statement of intent with the preliminary purchase of Real Madrid Winger Angel Di Maria from the Spanish club. Smashing the previous British transfer record, Di Maria’s acquisition will be a massive boost to a United side which has started the season slowly after Van Gaal’s appointment. African Manchester United fans, such as Nigeria’s Tunde Folawiyo, have watched the transfer situation with interest, hoping that each new signing will push United on to win the title.

Paying £9 million more than Chelsea paid for Fernando Torres in the 2011/2012 season, this remarkable level of investment takes Manchester United’s summer spending up to a massive £132million. After dominating the English game for over two decades, it is this financial statement of intent which will define United as a club ready to compete with England’s other top footballing institutions, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Chelsea.

At just 26 years of age, Angel Di Maria could provide both many years of service, and the promise of sell-on value should he decide to join another club in the future. As an integral part of the Real Madrid side, which went on to win the Champions League at the end of the 2013/2014 season, Di Maria has been lauded by his opponents, including the opposing manager Diego Simone who recognised Di Maria’s impact on the game, going on to claim that he was Real Madrid’s best player. This kind of reputation is exactly the reason why Manchester United has spent so much on him – a player to create goals and make space for the rest of the team.

As an Argentinian internationalist, Di Maria has amassed 52 caps for one of the world’s most talented international football teams, although he did miss out on the 2014 World Cup due to an injury. This may be of concern, especially considering the amount of money being offered for him. As of the time of this writing, the signing has not been confirmed yet, as Di Maria will have to go through a rigorous medical evaluation to ensure that there are no underlying issues which could hamper the number of appearances he could make for Manchester United in the future.

The question is, will this signing win the fans around? Many Manchester United supporters from around the world have discussed the transfer policy at their club in great detail. In Africa, United has a wide and varied supporter base, including all demographics. Will the signing of Di Maria engage the ordinary fans? Only time will tell, but success is something which the Manchester United supporters crave, all over the world. The player will have to justify his price tag on the pitch. This is perhaps the most important point, what will happen if he does not? For fans with a business background such as Tunde Folawiyo, whose vast experience and credentials are available on the Tunde Folawiyo Weebly page, spending such an outlay on one player may be a concern for the club’s financial model; however, without such investment it is clear that the team has been going backwards, and if Di Maria is a success, then trophies and increased revenues should follow.

Making such a high-priced purchase is not without its risks, as other clubs have found out the hard way. A player could be injured, or just not reach the playing level expected of them; despite these considerations, if Di Maria does perform the way he has for Real Madrid, Manchester United will be adding a world class superstar to their ranks who will affect their ability to win games positively.

Manchester United’s transfer plans are once again being revamped, following the appointment of Louis van Gaal as manager. While his predecessor David Moyes was said to have been eager to add Cesc Fabregas to the team, van Gaal has insisted that he has no interest in this player, and has now provided Ed Woodward, the club’s executive vice chairman, with a new transfer list, which includes Kevin Strootman, Bruno Martins Indi and Jordy Clasie.

Some Manchester United supporters, like Tunde Folawiyo, might be a bit confused by van Gaal’s decision to name Strootman as a potential addition to the team, as the midfielder suffered quite a severe knee injury recently, which has left him unable to participate in the World Cup. However, the manager’s other choices should come as no surprise; both Martins Indi and Clasie have been with Holland for the past two years, and are believed to have played a key role in helping the club to secure their World Cup qualification. As such, it makes sense that the Dutch manager is now hoping to bring these two on board at Old Trafford.

Bastian Schweinsteiger, who currently plays for Bayern Munich, is said to be at the top of the manager’s wish list. He has performed well in the past, but following the appointment of Pep Guardiola as the club’s new manager, the midfielder spent much of the last season on the bench. Schweinsteiger is rumoured to be frustrated with his lack of playing time, and so might very well be open to the idea of moving to another club.

While most of Manchester United’s transfer negotiations have not yet led to any concrete decisions, one deal has already been struck. Federico Macheda will be moving from Manchester United to Cardiff this summer, and will remain with his new club for at least three years. The 22-year-old described it as a fantastic opportunity, and thanked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for signing him.

As a fan of Manchester United, Tunde Folawiyo might recall that Macheda started out strong when he joined the Red Devils in 2009, scoring winning goals for his team against both Sunderland and Aston Villa. However, as time went on, he began to spend more and more time on loan, and although he did well during his spell with Birmingham, it seems that the management at Manchester United are quite content to part with him.

Ryan Giggs, who was taken on as Manchester United’s interim manager following the departure of David Moyes, is delighted with the announcement that he will remain part of the management team under new coach van Gaal. But the former midfielder says that his team must do much better. Giggs is someone much admired by Tunde Folawiyo, and other Manchester United fans. Over the course of his career, he has won 34 trophies and scored countless goals for the club.

One of the team’s recent matches against Sunderland, which resulted in a loss of 1-0, left Giggs – along with many others – disappointed. Many criticised the Red Devil’s inability to retain possession of the ball, and the lack of technical finesse in midfield.

Shortly after the match ended, Giggs spoke of his frustration regarding the team’s performance, not only in this game, but throughout the past season. He acknowledged the lack of consistency demonstrated by the players lately, and said that their form simply wasn’t good enough over the past few months. He finished by saying that he hoped they would be able to bring in some new players during the summer transfer window.

While some might say that Giggs’ words are unduly harsh, a number of other players, including Patrice Evra, have also voiced concerns regarding the club’s Premier League performance. Evra described the season as a ‘disaster’, and admitted that he and his teammates deserved the criticism that has been hurled at them lately. He added that looking at their position on the Premier League table (they finished in seventh place) was frustrating, and that he hopes to ‘forget’ this season as quickly as possible.

Although things at Old Trafford seem decidedly grim at the moment, the summer transfer window may offer the club a ray of hope. As a supporter of the Red Devils, Tunde Folawiyo may know that Manchester United have set a budget of £150 million, which they intend to use to entice in some talented new players. It is understood that the club’s new manager, Louis van Gaal, will have the final decision regarding these matters.

Chris Coleman, manager of the Welsh national football team, has warned Manchester United’s new coach, Louis van Gaal, that there are certain expectations which his club will need to meet. Speaking to a journalist, Coleman explained that Manchester United has become accustomed to winning matches, and that last year’s disappointments mean that there will be a lot of pressure on them to do well next season. However, he added that he believes van Gaal is up to the challenge.

Coleman’s words have more than a ring of truth to them, and it’s safe to say that van Gaal’s transfer decisions will need to be well thought out, as his choice of players will have a considerable impact on how the team fares in next season’s matches. As a fan of Manchester United, Tunde Folawiyo may have heard that the Dutchman is looking to add at least one new person to the midfield, with his first choice being Kevin Strootman.

Stootman badly damaged his knee three months ago, resulting in him being excluded from the Dutch squad for the World Cup. The severity of the injury means that the 24-year-old is unlikely to be back on the pitch until October; however, this obviously hasn’t deterred van Gaal, who has approved a bid of approximately £25 million for the midfielder. Strootman has not expressed an interest in leaving Roma, and currently has four years left on his contract with the club.

Chiel Dekker, the player’s agent, has insisted that although Strootman might be open to the idea of a transfer, a deal will only be made if Roma are happy to sell him. Given his talent, and the fact that he has only been with the club for a year, it is difficult to determine whether or not Roma would be willing let him go. Dekker has implied that Strootman is conflicted over the matter, as while he loves playing for Roma, it’s a great honour to be offered such an opportunity by van Gaal, a man who has served as his personal coach during his matches with the Dutch national team.

Supporters of Manchester United, such as Tunde Folawiyo, may be aware that van Gaal is also said to interested in Stefan de Vrij, a defender who plays for Feyenoord. The manager has been monitoring both de Vrij and his teammates, in the hopes of potentially bringing at least one of them on board during the transfer window. With Manchester United desperate to fill the spaces left by Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic, de Vrij might very well be joining the team next season.

Manchester United has an illustrious and long history at the top of the English league, as well as achieving a number of remarkable milestones on the European stage. In 2008, a season when many did not believe it was possible, the team once again rose to the challenge and won the Champions League. The squad immortalised itself in Manchester United’s history, while adding more prestige to manager Alex Ferguson’s career, who many believe is the greatest football manager of all time.

After qualifying through the English league, Manchester United were placed into a group alongside Sporting CP, Roma, and Dynamo Kyiv. The first two matches against Sporting CP and Roma were won by just a one goal margin courtesy of Ronaldo and Rooney respectively. After this, a doubleheader against Dynamo Kiev resulted in a 4-2 victory before Manchester United went on to add to this with an impressive 4-0 win against the same opponents in the next game. The team cemented itself at the top of its group with a subsequent 2-1 win over Sporting CP, and a 1-1 draw against Roma.

Once Manchester United were through to the knock-out phases of the competition, the quality of the opposition inevitably increased. A hard fought 1-1 draw away to French team, Lyon, may have knocked the confidence of the team, but this did not show when, on the returning leg, United defeated Lyon by a solitary goal, securing passage to the quarter-finals of the Champion’s League on the road to glory.

Surprisingly, the Manchester United team were drawn against previous group opponents A.S. Roma for their quarter-final ties. This proved remarkable, as it would go on to be the fifth and sixth times the teams had played each other in the preceding 12 months. The initial leg of the quarter-finals was played in Italy, with Manchester United coming out on top comfortably with a 2-0 win. The quarter-final was then seal on the return leg when Roma was defeated by one goal.

In the semi-finals, Manchester United met another one of Europe’s greatest footballing teams, Barcelona. After a dogged first leg where neither team got the upper hand in a 0-0 draw, Manchester United, edged out Barcelona in the return leg with one solitary goal, provided by club legend Paul Scholes, in the 14^th minute of open play.

The team’s efforts were rewarded with an exceptional final against fellow English team Chelsea, much to many of the fans, including Tunde Folawiyo’s delight. Both sides had competed for the English title, and so it was fitting that the game went to penalties in the end. The Manchester United team were victorious after a 1-1 score could not separate the teams, with Chelsea losing 5-6 on penalties.

Manchester United Football Club has an illustrious history, and its fan base is just as impressive. To find out more about the team from a fans perspective, read Tunde Folawiyo’s online articles on his passion for the world’s most successful club.

United have been performing very well under Van Gaal’s direction, winning a string of matches during the past month or so. One of their most recent victories took place in Sun Life Stadium in Miami; their match against Liverpool finished with a final result of 3-1. Their US tour has been a resounding success overall, with one draw and four wins; this is an even more impressive achievement, when one considers the fact that the Dutch coach has only been directly overseeing training for a few weeks now. In this short amount of time, he has somehow managed to implement an entirely new – and clearly very effective – system. This accomplishment has no doubt impressed many of United’s fans, including Tunde Folawiyo.

The game didn’t begin well for United, with Valencia being forced off the pitch due to an injury in the eighth minute, and Liverpool taking the lead six minutes later. However, United compensated for their sluggish and lacklustre performance during the first half with an incredible effort after the interval. Two goals, scored in quick succession by Rooney and Juan Mata, followed by a final shot by Jesse Linguard, left spectators in no doubt as to which was the stronger team.

Whilst Van Gaal has said that he is very pleased to have won the International Champions Cup, he is giving neither himself nor his players time to celebrate, and is instead moving straight on to the next challenge – the Barclays Premier League. He did however, pause to say how happy he was with Rooney who, for his outstanding skills on pitch, was named as the Player of the Tournament.

This praise was reciprocated by Rooney, who expressed his gratitude to Van Gaal for having helped United to implement such an innovative new system. He explained that the system suited the abilities of all of the team members, and that whilst Van Gaal was certainly tough, in terms of his style of training, the experience of having him as their manager has been very positive so far.

Some say that Van Gaal’s admiration of Rooney’s football skills is a sign that he may be considering him for the role of captain. Van Gaal has hinted that he is eager to give the captain’s armband to a worthy player in the near future, and described Rooney as a consistent winner, noting that he deserved all of the accolades he had been given in recent months.

Tunde Folawiyo, like the rest of United’s fans, is probably quite keen to find what Van Gaal intends to do regarding to this matter, and whether he really is considering Rooney for this position within the team. Anyone who is interested in finding out more about this Red Devils’ supporter can do so by reading the Tunde Folawiyo About Me information.