19th August, 2022
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has labeled Manchester United’s conduct in the transfer window as “embarrassing”.
United sit bottom of the infant Premier League table after back-to-back defeats to Brighton and Brentford, with unrest among the supporters being widely documented as they push for the removal of the Glazers’ ownership.
Frustration has also stemmed in the transfer market, where United have struggled to land their top targets and have seen a hunt for a new midfielder receive widespread criticism.
Erik ten Hag’s side had agreed a deal with Juventus for Adrien Rabiot but pulled out due to the Frenchman’s wage demands, while they have chased Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong throughout the summer without making a breakthrough.
United are now widely reported to be pushing for a deal to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid and Carragher has highlighted how the difference between the three players shows the deep-lying issues with the club’s recruitment.
“Just look at the Adrien Rabiot deal, which collapsed this week due to the player’s wage demands,” Carragher wrote in the Telegraph.
“If you are a club like United, you should not be pulling out of transfers – after agreeing a fee with the selling team – due to wage demands. Someone at the club should already know what sort of salary the player wants, long before it reaches this point.
“They have also spent weeks chasing Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, and now they are running around trying to sign Casemiro from Real Madrid.
“From De Jong, to Rabiot, to Casemiro. They are all different players with different styles and ages. What is the plan here? Where is the strategy? It is embarrassing.”
Carragher compared United’s transfer approach to that of Liverpool’s and the rest of the Premier League, identifying that time and patience are the key to success.
“You have to be patient and do things properly. Liverpool trust in the plans they have put in place, and that is what most top clubs are doing,” he explained.
“When you look at United, it reminds you of a team in the bottom three of the Premier League, frantically trying to make a few late signings in the January transfer window. Top clubs should never be panicking like this.
“To be clear, I have very few complimentary things to say about United’s current squad of players, as I don’t think many of them have the required character or personality to play for the club.
“But it is evident that their struggles are part of a wider problem, stretching back years.”