Gary Neville has branded Manchester United’s summer transfer activity as a “shambles” and said the club still needs to strengthen in every area despite Erik ten Hag’s good work with the side so far.
The Reds dished out £225m on Tyrell Malacia, Casemiro, Antony and Lisandro Martinez with Christian Eriksen arriving on a free and Martin Dubravka on loan from Newcastle. Aside from the latter, all arrivals have played important parts in United’s season so far.
However, Neville feels that the recruits should have been brought in earlier in the window and questioned the money spent on signings in recent years. “I think [ Ten Hag ] has had a very good start in difficult circumstances. The transfer window was a shambles,” he said on the latest episode on The Overlap.
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“Many may feel at the end they got it right through Casemiro and Antony but those players should have been with him at least a month or two before.”
He added: “The money that’s been spent, you’re still looking at it thinking they still need to strengthen in all areas. I don't think there’s any area in the team you wouldn't think at this moment that the club don't need to strengthen”
Going through the squad, he admitted he feels United’s front players were the weakest among the top six, and worries about their over-reliance on Anthony Martial, whose future at Old Trafford was in the balance over the summer.
He said: “I think United’s front players they're the least talented out of the top six. I think I'd swap every other clubs' - Chelsea is the only one [possibly not]. You think of the money they've spent on Sancho, who doesn't always play, Martial, who is in and out.
“We’re at a point now where we’re relying on Martial to come back. He had been written off by 99.9 per cent of United fans as being a player who would no longer contribute to the club or feature.”
He continued: “I like the midfield, we’ve got five players in there, we’ve got Fred, [Scott] McTominay, Casemiro, [Bruno] Fernandes and Eriksen. Will it win you a league? No. The back four isn’t strong enough yet. There still isn’t a partner for Martinez.
“[Raphael] Varane is looking like he’s always going to get injured, it's unfortunate. I think there’s still areas to strengthen in all parts of the team.”
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