Speaking exclusively with BoyleSports , Manchester United hero Louis Saha gives his thoughts on his former club's transfer strategy in recent seasons.
Saha pleads to his former club that they learn from previous mistakes in the transfer market, but recognises that the club's current trajectory means they will struggle to attract the elite talent required for success.
Vlahović -Sancho Swap?
Jadon Sancho has been linked in a swap for Dusan Vlahovic. he is a top striker. It’s something that Man Utd are looking for; his numbers are good, his profile is good, he has experience; it would be a good signing in my eyes.
United need guaranteed goal scorers, they need good characters, and at the moment, they have four players who don’t seem to want to protect and play for the badge. They are not children; that is a sad thing.
Martinez vs Onana
Emiliano Martinez is a winner, he's a leader, he's got character. He will definitely provide this kind of balance that sometimes Andre Onana didn’t show last season.
Yes, he's a confident goalkeeper, Onana, but he made too many mistakes. It doesn't mean that Emiliano is not going to make any mistakes because that position is very fragile.
Last year, I have never seen any goalkeeper go through that at Manchester United or at any of the big clubs. It was horrific to see, and I'm sure that he understands what people were saying.
I think the competition is going to be healthy. He needs to realise for his career that he needs to do better and that those types of performance is almost unacceptable. We're all human, but some of those mistakes were just not up to his standard and obviously not up to the standard of United.
A player who won the World Cup, who has been really an asset for Argentina and for Aston Villa the last three years, I think he's a great goalkeeper.
Mbeumo Concern
It is concerning that a deal for Bryan Mbeumo has taken so long. I don’t think it’s down to the player; he will trust his agent and the process.
But when you are joining a big club, it’s better to do it early; questions will be asked of you, and that isn’t easy. The signing of Bruno Fernandes took three or four months because his agent knew the value of the player.
He understood that things can change, and what his player deserved, I think it could be the same for Mbeumo. He can bring a really strong connection with the players that Man Utd have already, he is a type of player that can link up with others and can really build something.
The new formula is a bit like PSG. Man Utd need players who can run, players who can really disrupt any defence at any moment –Mbeumo represents that for me.
Could Watkins Replicate Van-Persie?
I can see similarities between signing Ollie Watkins and the signing of Robin van Persie from Arsenal, but they are not the same calibre.
When we signed Robin, we knew that Arsenal would struggle in the Premier League because they had lost their best player. It was a piece of really bad business for Arsenal and a really good bit for United.
With Watkins, I think he's a great player; he can assist, can link up really well with others, but I don't consider him in the capacity of winning you the title. Van Persie arrived and scored 30 goals and changed the dynamic of the team. he was unbelievable, and straight away the impact was huge.
Rodrygo Better Than Mbeumo
It’s very sad that Man Utd are not in a position to tempt Rodrygo to the club, he is a top player and not just because he is playing for Real Madrid, his profile is amazing. He’s very versatile, very realisable. He runs all day and does very difficult things on the pitch.
I don't understand what is going on with Real Madrid because he deserves more respect. I'm a big fan of his. I think he's sad because if United were in a better position, his profile would be better than Bryan Mbeumo, in my view.
He'll be able to play in Europe and hold onto the ball under extreme pressure. When you play for Real Madrid and you do what he has done, it means that you can go anywhere.
McTominay Mistake
I wasn’t happy with the sale of Scott McTominay last year; it should’ve been a loan, but Man Utd needed the money, the future can catch you out, and that has happened with Anthony Elanga too.
He had a tremendous season last year and would be a real asset for Manchester United. he is direct and physical, and United are lacking that. An issue at United might be giving young players too much pressure too early.
Elanga needed time to develop as a young player, and he didn’t survive when the team needed results, and the manager was under a lot of pressure. It might be similar with Alejandro Garnacho, he needs to understand from more experienced players in order to grow step by step.
It might be the same for Marcus Rashford, who came in so early, and maybe he didn’t learn enough. It’s a pattern because it hasn’t just been one manager. They are being thrown into the team so young, and it doesn’t benefit them.
Tchouameni: The Missing Link
Aurelien Tchouameni is a top player; he should be playing regularly for Real Madrid, but I was disappointed last year. Something was missing from his game. I didn't see someone that was willing to improve. At Real Madrid, you can tell when that isn’t the case. It’s not good to be linked away when you are at the best club in the world, every player would love to be in his position.
There is a sign there that something is off. I think there is a lack of concentration. I’m a bit critical, but only because I think he can achieve much more.
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