Club legend questions transfer priorities after failure to reinforce midfield and sign a reliable goalkeeper
Paul Scholes has criticised Manchester United’s transfer strategy, suggesting the club’s failings in the summer window is contributing to their poor results.
The 11-time Premier League winner said his old club missed a major opportunity by not pursuing Gianluigi Donnarumma before the goalkeeper signed for Manchester City.
City secured the Italy international from Paris Saint-Germain in a £26m deal, while United opted to bring in Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp for £18m on deadline day.
Scholes said United’s failure to target Donnarumma was one sign of their deeply flawed summer recruitment policy.
“Goalkeeper was a major issue,” said Scholes. “Did they really need to get to the Grimsby game to realise [Andre] Onana is not good enough?
“If Manchester United were not in the market for Gianluigi Donnarumma when he became available, that is a criminal offence.”
United spent more than £200m this summer on forwards Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko. Scholes acknowledged they needed attacking reinforcements but he pointed out they didn’t need three of them when there were glaring weaknesses in the middle of the pitch that they had to address.
“Whatever two out of the four or five they have got in [midfield], whether Casemiro, Bruno [Fernandes], or [Kobbie] Mainoo, whatever combination he seems to try doesn’t seem to work,” said Scholes.
“That’s a big issue. I thought all summer the absolute priority was a centre midfield player with legs, who can play and can control a game.”
A legendary United midfielder himself, Scholes warned Amorim he had to make some changes fast to get the maximum best out of what he currently has. The United manager said last weekend he wouldn’t change his philosophy, saying, “I will play my way until I want to change.”
Scholes said: “He cannot carry on playing this way, he just can’t. At some point there has to be a moment where he thinks, ‘I have to change something because what I am doing now is not working and I am not getting results.’
“I like Amorim. With everything he says, he seems to be a likeable man. But unfortunately results paint a picture.”
