Ex- Manchester United defender Gary Neville has admitted he is surprised his former side had not pushed harder to sign Liverpool duo Luis Diaz and Thiago Alcantara.
Both players are now first-team regulars at Anfield under Reds boss Jurgen Klopp, but that was not always the case for Thiago who took a fair while to adapt to life on Merseyside and also had to contend with a string of injuries. On the other hand, Diaz has wasted very little time when it comes to settling in and has received plenty of praise for his fast start.
Diaz has two goals in his first six Premier League appearances but it is the standard of his all-round performances that have left fans and pundits alike purring, Neville being no exemption. "It’s unbelievable that Diaz was going to Tottenham, he’s then gone to Liverpool – there’s not even been a mention of him going to Manchester United,’ the former Old Trafford star told Sky Sports.
"Manchester United are going to lose [Edinson] Cavani at the end of the season, probably going to lose [Paul] Pogba, they’ve lost [Mason] Greenwood, [Marcus] Rashford’s out of form, [Anthony] Martial’s gone to Sevilla but will probably go at the end of the season.
"So you think they’re going to need two or three at the end of the season in those positions and they weren’t even mentioned. You watch that lad, he’s not had his best game tonight [against Arsenal ] Diaz, but you watch him in the Carabao Cup final and I watched him on Saturday at Brighton and I think, 'what a player he is'.
"Tough, aggressive, works hard, creates chances, his reaction when they give the ball away is unbelievable, sprints back. The recruitment I have to say has been disappointing from Manchester United for a long time."
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should United have pushed to sign Diaz and Thiago? Comment below
Neville's comments on Diaz read eerily similar to his assessment of Thiago Alcantara, after the Spain international arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2020. "United weren’t really strongly linked with him and I can see why with Pogba and Fernandes," Neville told 90min.
"But watching him play in a two-man midfield for Bayern Munich I don’t think he needs to play in a forward role. "I think he can play deeper and United’s players in that position – Fred, [Scott] McTominay, [Nemanja] Matic – have all done okay.
"But if [Thiago] was there... I think he’s clever enough to intercept, read the game and do the things that a holding midfielder can. You don’t need to be six feet tall, tackle and quick to play in that position anymore. You just need to be intelligent and understand the game, and he’s got that in abundance."
