Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United strode the footballing world as a colossus. League titles, FA Cups, Champions League trophies— all came before the club.

Since he left the manager’s dugout, the club has slipped. Big-name managers have followed but none have matched his efforts or accomplishments.

Why?

Sir Alex built teams. He didn’t simply go out with his chequebook and purchase the best. Just like Bob Paisley at Liverpool, he focused on moulding teams with an emphasis on man management.

Manchester United finished sixth last season and failed to qualify for Champions League. The Great Cristiano Ronaldo has said that is not good enough.

The new boss Erik ten Hag has been given the task of rebuilding the club and returning it to its glory days. He had an inauspicious start to the season with pundits fearing that Manchester United would sink further into the abyss.

But since the unexpected victory over Liverpool, they have won all their games and are looking more settled.

Managers like Ferguson, Clough, Wenger and Paisley built teams, now managers look to buy teams.

To a lot of star players, Manchester United has lost its lustre—out of Europe’s elite competition, struggling to hold its own in the English Premier League, an ageing Ronaldo serving as top goal scorer, getting battered by the likes of Brentford—many of today’s stars, would on the face of, it be unlikely to pack their bags and set off to dreary Manchester.

But Manchester United has managed to attract the likes of Casemiro from Real Madrid, Lisandro Martinez from Ajax and now the Brazilian Antony for £82 million.

The club is spending big money but it is not the only one.

Chelsea, Newcastle, Liverpool, Nottingham Forest have pushed their chips to the centre of the table as they pursue the English league’s top prize.

In this transfer window, English clubs have spent an incredible £1.9 billion on players; that’s more than last season and a new record.

Chelsea’s new owner Todd Boehly has splashed out £271.1 million on eleven players in an attempt to get Chelsea back on the winner’s perch.

Tottenham have spent £172 million this summer as Antonio Conte looks to get the club closer to Manchester City and Liverpool while securing a trophy.