Man United conducted Blind transfer solely by email
Manchester United signed Daley Blind from Ajax in 2014 via email, according to the Dutch club’s sporting director Marc Overmars.
Blind signed for United from Ajax for a fee of £14million in September 2014, signing a four-year contract with the option to extend for a further year.
Then 24, Blind was lured to Old Trafford by Louis van Gaal, who had managed the player in the Dutch national team and decided to bring him to the Premier League after an impressive 2014 World Cup.
United though did not send any officials or Van Gaal to speak with Ajax to seal the transfer. Instead, all the official communication was done via emails in which both clubs were successful in agreeing a fee, and a deal to see Blind move to England
“In the past, a transfer like Daley Blind’s to Manchester United was precluded by lengthy negotiations. We did not even sit down around the table now. The entire transfer was done by email,” Overmars told De Telegraaf.
“When Manchester United agreed to meet our asking price, I asked our financial director and legal department to deal with the paper work and that was it.
“That just goes to show big clubs like Manchester United do not get overly worried about such big transfer fees.”
Blind, who had made nine Premier League starts this season, has gone on to make 100 appearances for United, scoring four goals and has been used in a range of positions including left-back, centre-back and central midfield.
Blind said at the time: “It is a real honour to sign for Manchester United.
“I have been at Ajax since I was seven years old and I will always have very fond memories of the club and of my time there.
“Louis van Gaal is a tremendously talented coach, I have worked with him at Ajax and also for the Netherlands national team and I cannot wait to work with him at the biggest club in the world.”