Joshua Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt
Joshua Zirkzee and Matthijs de Ligt
Former Chelsea star Joe Cole has warned Manchester United that their summer transfer business may have "set them back by a year".
United spent big in the first summer transfer window of the Ineos era. Manuel Ugarte, Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro all arrived for huge fees, though none of the aforementioned players have really had the desired impact at Old Trafford so far - the latter has made just two competitive appearances having picked up an injury in pre-season.
Noussair Mazraoui was the cheapest of the first-team signings made in the summer and he has had the biggest impact since his arrival.
Despite United sitting 13th in the Premier League table, Cole doesn't believe this season should be written off by fans, but he has warned that the club's summer business may have set them back by a year.
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“I wouldn’t say this season is a write-off for Manchester United, they could still build some momentum, but they are absolutely going through a rebuild," Cole told Paddy Power. "There are so many players in that Manchester United team that I don’t think can take them where they want to go.
“I praised the Manchester United staff, who have all come in with stellar reputations, but their first transfer window was terrible – it probably set United back by a year. They can’t miss in the next transfer windows; they need to get players that can play for this United squad.
“They won’t get the top players – they won’t want to go to Manchester United. They need to go underneath that and find the best young players with characters you can develop and become top class. Manchester United are not eating at the top table – that's just a fact.”