That’s the verdict of Jose Mourinho, who believes the Red Devils got their transfer business done at the right time this summer.

United swooped in to snap up Lukaku in July after the Belgium international looked on course for a big-money return to Chelsea.

And in getting the 24-year-old striker on-board they concluded the most expensive deal of the year to that point, at £75m.

PSG broke the transfer world record when they met Neymar’s £198m release clause to snatch him from Barcelona three weeks later.

And Mourinho reckons the Brazilian’s Parc des Princes switch was a game changer which could have cost United dearly had they not snared Lukaku so early this summer.

Mourinho told The Times: "I think we were very clever. We thought that something could happen that could change the market forever.

"Normally the last part of the market is less expensive, but this season, after Neymar, everything changed — and changed for the worse in terms of prices.

"I think Lukaku on August 31 would have been £150m. Matic would have been £60m or £70m. Neymar changed everything.

"People look to the £200m figure now. Now the players of £20m became £40m, the players of £40m became £60m and everything changed.

"Lukaku and Matic, now, would have cost us £200 million in total. But because we did it in the first part of the summer, it was much less.

"I think we did well in financial terms and well in preparation terms, getting them before the season started. That is not crucial but it is important."