Manchester United's transfer window eventually ended with the fewest number of senior signings in a summer under Erik ten Hag.
Quality always has to be prioritised over quantity and United reinforced four areas of the squad that needed upgrades. Four were defensive-minded additions after Ten Hag had to cope with a depleted defence for much of last season.
Those foundations can be built on next year when United will need two midfielders and a forward. They are on course to rebuild their squad within the three transfer windows Sir Jim Ratcliffe predicted.
Ratcliffe did not expect United to solve all of their "problems" this summer. It could not be a perfect window but it has been a positive one.
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Hits
Disciplined spending
This correspondent predicted at the start of the summer United would not break the £60million barrier for a single signing and they didn't. Leny Yoro's final fee, including add-ons, came in at £58.91m.
Last year, United committed to a £72m investment in Rasmus Hojlund, having vowed not to pay more than £60m for him. The year before that, Antony commanded a €100m fee.
New chief executive Omar Berrada helped pioneer Manchester City's strategy of seldom spending more than £60m on a player and that has happened on only four occasions. United sources have stressed how conscious the club was of maintaining financial discipline and maintaining compliance with the profitability and sustainability and financial fair play rules during negotiations.
Successful sales
This has been United's best window in the seller's market for 17 years. Nine players who played for the first team have effectively been sold, given Chelsea's obligation to buy Jadon Sancho, and United have negotiated sales north of £100m, including add-ons.
They have sold the right players, too. The Sancho strategy of reintegration followed by demotion has paid off and Scott McTominay, though an asset, was not aligned with United's game model, so the club considered the bigger picture and cashed in on a player they wanted to sell last year.
McTominay, Alvaro Fernandez, Will Fish, Mason Greenwood, Hannibal Mejbri, Willy Kambwala, Facundo Pellistri, Donny van de Beek, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Maxi Oyedele were all straight sales. No right-minded United fan is ever likely to miss them.
Decisive action
The only senior loan United have negotiated at the time of writing includes an obligation to buy. Provided Sancho's switch to Chelsea was finalised, he is as good as gone and will not have to return to Carrington to clear out his locker.
Two years ago, the stock of unwanted United players was so low they could only obtain fees for players who had returned from fulfilling loans. 'Can't' is on the Ineos compass among the words they don't like and they have applied that to United's market manoeuvrings. Buy-back clauses have become the new loans.
Priority positions filled
United needed a striker, a defensive midfielder and at least two centre backs. They got them. A right back was essential amid their desire to offload Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Noussair Mazraoui has had a solid start in his first two starts.
After the defence was ravaged by injury last season, United now have six centre halves, albeit Yoro could be sidelined until November with a fractured metatarsal. Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt are footballing defenders who will smoothen United's proactive approach.
Manuel Ugarte is an ideal profile of midfielder to complement Kobbie Mainoo and Zirkzee offers Hojlund the support and competition he was devoid of with Anthony Martial as a teammate.
Squad harmony protected
United could not be saddled with Sancho after his behaviour last September. Their smart business of a loan deal with an obligation to buy for around £25m is countered by Chelsea's bad business of signing a drifter of a winger who has been in decline for three years. United's loss is United's gain.
The Mason Greenwood saga ended with a permanent departure - something United should have prioritised last year. It is impossible to airbrush their appalling handling of that matter from history but the fan backlash that forced the club's climbdown 12 months ago ensured Greenwood would never play for United again.
United handled his position more professionally and appropriately this summer.
Misses
No proven goalscorer
If Hojlund and Zirkzee develop into prolific goalscorers then United's investments will be vindicated. The early evidence - and last season's form - suggest goals could still be hard to come by for a United squad that is devoid of a proven and dependable goalscorer.
United have taken punts on potential in Hojlund, 21, and Zirkzee, 23. Hojlund tallied a decent 16 goals last season but ended it on the bench as Ten Hag decided United were more effective in a strikerless formation. That is not a long-term strategy with two frontmen who have cost a combined £108.5m.
Dead wood lingers
Victor Lindelof has entered his eighth year at United and could still be on the books for his eighth anniversary in June. United have been unable to sell a player who has been injured for the best part of the last two months.
United triggered the one-year extension in Lindelof's contract when he was sidelined through injury in December. His lingering existence is cause to consider a more ruthless approach to players' contract extensions in the future.
Unsellables survive
The onus is on Antony and Marcus Rashford to show they are not crosses to bear for United this season. United were unable to sell Antony as his value has nosedived since his transfer two years ago and, under the amortisation practice of the PSR rules, no club would have coughed up the magic number of £48.78m to sanction his sale.
Rashford has resembled a player who requires a change of scenery for the best part of a year but there was no market for a forward on a weekly salary of £325,000 and one year into a five-year deal.
Casemiro has compromised United's rebuild in midfield. Had a club offered Casemiro residence in the Saudi Pro League retirement home, United would have been rid of one of their highest earners whom Ten Hag dropped for the FA Cup final. Instead, they have a creaking back-up to headline signing Ugarte.
Mainoo's direct replacement is Christian Eriksen, nine days older than Casemiro. The pair were one-season wonders for United, too generous with the length of contracts they negotiated for them in summer 2022.
Toby Collyer is now an established first team squad member and deadline day addition Sekou Kone is bound to train with the seniors later this season, but United are banking on Ugarte and Mainoo staying free of injury.
