100% agree with this mate.
At the moment if someone is a top target of ours we need to go in early and over the odds.
Show we arent messing
Just simple facts, we can't afford to get involved in protracted negotiations - because we do that other teams will eventually come in - we struck lucky that didn't happen with Schneiderlin in reality (probably helped by United being unwilling i guess to sell toa perceived top4 rival)
The only option we have is either to find a real gem whose gone effectively unnoticed (amazingly difficult with modern scouting networks in truth)
Or do what the likes of Chelsea did when they got De Bruyne, Hazzard, Lukaku initially and go in with a huge offer very early - one that the selling club will realise won't be topped and won't want to mess around and lose that fee should they delay a decision. Other teams have done the exact same thing when they really want a certain player or two as well.
Short term it may cost us 25-50% mark up on certain players, but long term it may be the only realistic option we have to bridge a ever widening gap in terms of quality of player/squad.
Would Ajax honestly turn down 30-35m for Dolberg with a healthy sell on % attached, or 20m for Ziyech or Klassen for example