Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has slammed his old club for signing Andrey Santos this summer.
After Casemiro left as a free agent and Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious knee injury, the Red Devils decided to revamp the midfield this summer.
After being linked with expensive options like Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Mateus Fernandes, United ultimately signed Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba.
The Brazilian showed glimpses of his qualities during pre-season games but has struggled to break into Michael Carrick’s starting line-up this season.
Now, on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes has said (via Metro) that although Santos is a physically strong player, he doesn’t have the qualities to make Man Utd a title challenger. So, it is sad to see United aren’t trying to become the best in the country.
The former midfielder further states that Santos played only 11 matches for Chelsea, but Man Utd decided to spend £50m on him, which isn’t justifiable.
Scholes said:
“It feels quite sad to say this but Man United are a club now that are not trying to win the league with recruitment. Santos, Baleba, they’ve brought players in that physically they may be better. Santos played 11 games for Chelsea, they paid £50million for him.
“But he’s not getting into the team, now Baleba might make a bit of difference. But again, if you’re recruiting at the start of the season for Manchester United, it should be for players that you think you can go and win the league with. I think they’re a million miles away.”
Pundit slams Man Utd for signing Santos
The 22-year-old is a defensive midfielder by trait but is also comfortable in the box-to-box role. He is technically sound, can play threading passes between the lines, and is efficient in defensive contributions.
The Brazilian is a talented player and possesses high potential. Therefore, although he is not playing regularly for United at the moment, he could turn out to be a shrewd acquisition in the future.
Meanwhile, after finishing third in the Premier League last campaign, United have endured a dire start this season, languishing in the bottom half of the table with five points from as many matches.
Moreover, they have already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup. So, Carrick has found himself under pressure. Now, Man Utd are set to face struggling Tottenham Hotspur after the long international break.
Other News
