Laurie Whitwell has an excellent article on the window: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5733907/2024/08/31/manchester-united-transfer-window-sancho-sesko-ugarte-zirkzee/

Highlights:

• Yoro and Ugarte - big advantage thanks to relationship with their agent Mendes.
• Yoro is seen as a player for the future and not an immediate starter, he has been indentified by the previous regime as a target and closely followed, price is seen as full price given his potential, but not overpay
• Ugarte, Ten Hag wasn’t sold on him, then he was showed some clips of his defensive, ball winning capabilities which sold him on it, club held out until a good evaluation was met
• Ten Hag was also keen on Amrabat returning.
• Ten Hag first mentioned De Ligt in january as a target, but the whole structure wanted to sign him + added benefit of mending relations with Ten Hag after the public manager search, De Ligt + Mazraoui seen as two quality players for the price of one.
• Rabiot -> was a deal agreed for him 2 years ago, Rabiot got offended by someone criticizing him on MUTV and deal fell through, United considered him in later windows, but was vary of him as he if he can’t handle some mild criticism on MUTV how would he handle the highlight he would get as a MU player