A former Sky Sports pundit and football league legend has told Manchester United they ‘sold their best player’ in a damming interview.
Manchester United’s transfer business appears to have improved in recent years, especially since the introduction of Jason Wilcox from Southampton.
The former Manchester City academy employee has put a clear emphasis on signing young players for the academy setup, while continuing impressive business for Rúben Amorim’s first team.
In the summer, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo joined the senior ranks as two Premier League-proven attackers, addressing the goal-scoring issues from the season prior.
Alongside the former Wolves and Brentford forwards was Benjamin Šeško – a promising centre-forward from RB Leipzig. He was later joined by Senne Lammens – a 23-year-old goalkeeper from Belgium – adding another promising youngster to the first team.
While there was much more impressive business for the U21S and U18S sides, Wilcox has recently come under criticism for selling the best player at Old Trafford, who could’ve been a vital asset for Amorim’s side.
Souness calls out McTominay sale
Graeme Souness, a midfielder during the pre-Premier League era, for clubs like Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, has recently spoken on United’s midfield situation, including a damming opinion on Bruno Fernandes.
“Bruno Fernandes is an outstanding creator,” said the former Sky Sports pundit to The Daily Mail. “They’ve spent a lot of money on [Manuel] Ugarte and Casemiro, paying him a lot of money. I got much criticised for saying I thought he was an ordinary Joe when they signed him. I still see him as an ordinary Joe, a very steady player.
“They sold the best one – Scott McTominay. He was better than those two, and he’s just grown in his job since he’s been at Napoli. I understand why you would use Bruno as a six, but then you want to use him as a 10 as well. So, he has a license.
“He got a goal the other night [against Wolves] – he wasn’t playing as a six when he got his goal. I always thought a midfield player had to do a bit of everything – defensive work when needed, be creative when needed, and maybe chip in with a few goals.
“That’s what Bruno’s doing right now. He is their go-to man. He’s easily their most talented player. But he has shortcomings. I still don’t like him waving his arms and telling other people what to do all the time. Slightly frustrating. I couldn’t have played with him if he was like that.”
Souness on Champions League hopes
Souness also spoke on United’s hopes of reaching the Champions League spots at the end of the season: “[Manchester United] are still average. Is it Rúben Amorim’s fault? Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo are good players, but the rest of them are an average lot, and I don’t see them getting to the top four, which they have to do.
“Manchester United, biggest club in our football, maybe the second, third biggest club in world football. But right now, they’re going through a difficult period.
“But they need to get back into the Champions League for the obvious reasons – to generate more finance, to buy even better players, and to be attractive to the genuine big players that are out there that are up for grabs.”
Souness is right. United must aim for the Champions League spots at the end of the season, or risk being overtaken by the likes of Aston Villa and Crystal Palace in the hunt for top talent.
They must improve. And fast.
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