Manchester United think they made a “mistake” with £37m transfer, says David Ornstein

Manchester United feel they made a transfer mistake during the 2024 summer transfer window, football expert David Ornstein has revealed.

Manchester United’s 2024 transfer window saw the club bring in five new players as part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s first summer as the club’s co-owner alongside the Glazer family.

Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Noussair Mazraoui, and Manuel Ugarte all joined the ranks of Erik ten Hag, However, in the months that followed, the Dutchman was sacked from his managerial post and replaced with Rúben Amorim.

The 39-year-old has since ripped up the foundations that Ten Hag had laid in his two and a bit years at United, favouring his 3-4-3 system that the club have been working on.

Despite the turbulence during his first two months on the job and the financial troubles the club has found itself in, many feel that the Portuguese coach is leading the club in a new, positive direction.

United think they’ve made a mistake

Although many have praised the signings of Ugarte, Yoro, and Mazraoui, there has been a lot of discourse surrounding Dutch striker Zirkzee.

Despite making 28 appearances this season, the forward has scored just four goals for his new club, also providing two assists, which many have seemed as not sufficient.

According to transfer specialist David Ornstein, United now believe that they may have made a mistake in signing Zirkzee, who cost them around £37 million from Serie A outfit Bologna.

“I think there’s been uncertainty around his immediate future because his transfer so far from Bologna hasn’t really gone to plan. There’s a feeling inside United at the moment that maybe that was a mistake,” Ornstein said.

“It is very early days, and this story focuses on him and his intentions. Despite a lot of interest reportedly building from elsewhere, he doesn’t intent to leave at the time of recording, and things can change.”

What is next for Zirkzee at United?

Zirkzee has been linked with a move away from Old Trafford for the last month, with Juventus reportedly interested in his signature.

Read More: Sir Jim Ratcliffe demands two other Manchester United sales after Marcus Rashford exit

However, fresh reports have clarified that the 23-year-old does not want to leave United in January and is determined to fight for his place at the club.

“I want to keep Josh because he gives everything and he’s trying in training but we don’t know,” Amorim said when asked about the player’s future earlier this month.

“The window is open and we will see what happens. We just need to focus on training and to take this for the other games. It’s just one point so let’s focus on the performance for the next games.”

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