Ander Herrera and Luke Shaw add silk and steel as superstars wait

Manchester United unveils new signing Luke Shaw at the AON Training Complex on June 27, 2014 in Manchester, England.

Meanwhile, Shaw arrives as something of a known commodity, having appeared more than 60 times for Southampton since his début in August 2012. He is not yet 19.

The premium on a £27 million fee is huge, of course – one that is now commonplace for a young English player. Yet, Shaw’s appearance for Roy Hodgson’s side in the recent dead rubber against Costa Rica at the World Cup is surely the first of many international caps.

With that fee United’s management is betting on acquiring both genuine class in addition to making an investment in the future. The hope is that Shaw becomes the next Rio Ferdinand and not the next Fábio Coentrão. Either is possible; the smart money remains firmly on Shaw emulating the former.

Shaw appeared 35 times in the Premier League last season, making 72 tackles, 37 interceptions, four blocks and 150 clearances. That the Kingston-born youngster made no defensive errors over the season points not only to the player’s quality, but a rare maturity in one so young.

Patrice Evra completed more defensive actions for United last season, but – anecdotally at least – the Frenchman was also caught out of position with far greater frequency than the Southampton man. The evolutionary period from ageing star to young buck will surely not take long.

While the defensive side of Shaw’s game is already of international standard, he will be expected to contribute offensively if Evra is to be challenged in the campaign to come. Shaw contributed no goals and just one assist last season to Evra’s two and four respectively. Yet, Shaw made more crosses and completed more dribbles than the Frenchman.

Back in the boardroom Woodward will garner the praise he so conspicuously missed last summer for pulling off two high-profile deals with little melodrama. Each, with good argument, is over-priced – Herrera in comparison to midfielders of equal stature, Shaw simply for being English. Yet, the price matters little if the pair contributes significantly to United’s return to Champions League football.

After years of parsimony the ruling Glazer family can hardly risk United slipping further behind rivals this summer.

Yet, neither acqusition – perhaps significantly – is the global superstar Woodward so desperately seeks. United might just be the better for it – two players that will slot into the squad without compromising their talents or United’s balance in the process. Understated personalities, perhaps, but Herrera and Shaw promise plenty of genuine quality.