MANCHESTER, England (AP) – Manchester United was minutes away from announcing a blockbuster move for Radamel Falcao in the final hours of the transfer window when the club released a statement that went largely unnoticed.
One of the team’s promising youngsters, striker Tom Lawrence, had been sold to fellow Premier League side Leicester.
The 20-year-old Lawrence made his senior debut for United in one of the final games of last season, a 3-1 win over Hull in the Premier League when Ryan Giggs was interim manager. It was to be his only match in the famous red shirt.
Lawrence was one of four young British players to leave Old Trafford on deadline day, the same day United completed the signings of established internationals from Colombia and the Netherlands to take the summer spending of new manager Louis van Gaal to 150 million pounds ($250 million).
Long held up as a breeding ground for home-grown talent – the “Class of 92” that came through the ranks included Giggs, David Beckham, the Neville brothers and Paul Scholes – United this time has resembled Real Madrid of a few years ago, seeking short-term gain by signing “galacticos” like Falcao and Angel Di Maria.