Before signing Aaron Wan-Bissaka from Crystal Palace, Manchester United started out with a database of 804 right-backs. They wanted a young player, preferably British, and, given the way that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted his defence to push up, one that was also very good at so-called ‘recovery runs’ - getting back into position when possession was lost, something of a specialism for Wan-Bissaka.

A list of 50 right-backs was whittled down to a top 10 through more intensive analysis by United’s data team which is now 15-strong, compared to just one person seven years ago. That list was then passed to a technical chief scout Mick Court who, himself, is part of a team of four. Along with his colleagues he undertook the profiling of the players.

Court reduced it to a top three which was ranked as a first, second and third choice after being presented to Solskjaer and United’s recruitment department. Both have the power of veto on any transfer and if there was one of the three they did not want he would drop out and be replaced.

Crucially, if the recruitment department vetoed Solskjaer’s choice, then it would go to executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward to have the delicate task of explaining the decision to the manager. That conversation did not have to happen in the case of Wan-Bissaka, but it did the previous summer when the recruitment team did not agree with Jose Mourinho’s demands for another central defender.