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Manchester United have a clear strategy this summer.
Both chief executive Ed Woodward and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are reported to have settled on chasing the best young British talent they can acquire.
They have already signed Daniel James from Swansea City, an exciting, pacey winger who fits into the club’s ethos of buying direct, attacking players.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka has moved from Crystal Palace for a fee of £50m. The deal makes him the most expensive specialist right-back in history.
Now, of course, there has been much mirth surrounding this. Rival fans have pointed out the inflated fees and the lack of stardust among the targets. Sean Longstaff at Newcastle United is said to have impressed Solskjaer, as one example.
Harry Maguire, at Leicester City, too, has reportedly been the subject of a £60m bid. However, an acceptable fee could be close to the £100m mark.
The fees are eye-watering, yes, but why exactly are United being pilloried for returning to a strategy that has worked out so well for them before?
Think of the best United teams under Sir Alex Ferguson. The 1999 treble-winning team had 10 British players in the squad when they defeated Bayern Munich in Barcelona: Gary Neville, David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Andy Cole, David May, Phil Neville, Wes Brown, Jonathan Greening and Teddy Sheringham. Paul Scholes was suspended.
The squad that won the 2008 Champions League final had eight: Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, Owen Hargreaves, Scholes, Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney, Giggs and Darren Fletcher.
They have always prized a British core, a group of players who truly understand the Premier League and require little adjustment.
They have the stars there already, the likes of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford are all either already world-class or are well on their way.
Sprinkling in some of the best homegrown talent cannot be a bad thing and it should not be mocked. Longstaff could become an excellent midfield player if he is coached properly and if he is given the opportunity to learn from Pogba in the centre of the pitch.
Of course, one feels that United are being forced to shop in a market that they would rather avoid.
They did not qualify for the Champions League so hypothetical moves for any of England’s top talents – the likes of Harry Kane, Dele Alli and Jadon Sancho – are unlikely to bear any fruit whatsoever.
But they are still going about this summer in admirable fashion, sticking to their guns and attempting to deliver on what Solskjaer is trying to build.
It does need saying, obviously, that Longstaff would not be able to replace Pogba and there would likely have to be serious investment if the Frenchman decided to move to Real Madrid this summer. Lukaku, too, has been linked with Serie A. If he goes, United would also need a new striker.
But as it is, they are taking the right steps as they attempt to once again qualify for the Champions League and take their place at European football’s top table.
They should not be mocked; they should be applauded for placing their faith in the production lines in this country.
