Frank Christian
Manchester United has drawn criticism from a former Premier League player regarding their recent transfer decisions.
During the latest transfer window, the Red Devils, led by Erik ten Hag, experienced considerable changes from June through August, reshaping their squad under the new INEOS ownership.
With the conclusion of a disappointing 2023/24 season, new sporting director Dan Ashworth and CEO Omar Berrada initiated a revamp at Old Trafford, overseeing a summer filled with both new arrivals and departures in compliance with financial regulations.
Key signings included Joshua Zirkzee, Leny Yoro, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, and Manuel Ugarte, collectively costing about £179 million ($234 million). To balance the financial side, United sold 13 senior players and dealt with Sofyan Amrabat’s loan expiration, generating roughly £86 million ($112 million) from these transfers.
The highest transfer fee received was £25.5 million ($33.4 million) from Napoli for midfielder Scott McTominay, a move that prompted former West Ham striker Paolo Di Canio to demand action against the United management.
Since joining Napoli, McTominay has made a significant impact, contributing two goals and one assist in eight matches. Napoli leads the Italian league, while Manchester United struggles at 14th in the Premier League, trailing leaders Liverpool by ten points.
Commenting on the transfer, Di Canio, who played for Napoli in the 1993/94 season, expressed to Il Mattino: “I’d go to Manchester United to arrest all directors. How can you let McTominay go? Napoli has players like [David] Neres as a backup, and [Billy] Gilmour has shown he can match [Stanislav] Lobotka’s skills with the ball.”
