Harry Diamond
Gary Neville believes Manchester United are still some way adrift of challenging for the Premier League title and says his former side still need ‘four or five’ signings to compete with the division’s leading sides.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side enjoyed a strong second half to the season to secure a third-placed finish and qualification to next season’s Champions League, but it has proven a frustrating summer transfer window thus far despite the club being on the verge of signing Netherlands international Donny van de Beek from Ajax.
The arrival of the Dutchman will be a welcome boost to the Red Devils ahead of their opening fixture of the new season against Crystal Palace on September 19, though Neville believes more additions are required and quickly if the club are to challenge the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City.
‘The Manchester United squad, as it stands today, cannot challenge for the Premier League title this season,’ Neville told Sky Sports.
‘The squad needed four or five improvements and it still needs four or five improvements. I’ve been saying that for a year and I’ve even nominated the positions I feel they need to improve.
‘It’s frustrating at the moment, as a United fan, that the club haven’t done their business earlier, but there have been times where the club have panicked in the transfer market in the last 10 years, where they’ve been reactive, where they’ve overpaid and where they’ve got it wrong.
‘So, you have to be sensible. If the deals aren’t there to do, you don’t do them, but there’s definitely that tension building, particularly on social media. Why has Jadon Sancho not signed? Why have we not got Thiago Alcantara? Why haven’t we got whoever it might be that’s gone to another club?
‘The club have obviously got a policy, a strategy and that’s a big thing. It’s a lot better than it was a few years ago when they were flip flopping between the philosophies of different managers. I feel there is something there now that’s in the roots of the club and they’ve got to make sure they don’t get it wrong. One transfer window where you get it wrong, it will unlock the work that’s been done in the last 12 to 18 months.
‘However, they do have to sign players. They do have to get players in so that they can break into the top two.’
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