Manchester United made a huge blunder last summer by not signing a midfielder.
United’s Director of Football, Jason Wilcox, is one of the most important voices at the club.
Under his leadership, the Red Devils decided not to sign a midfielder, and the repercussions are already very clear by mid-season.
Casemiro has performed admirably in patches, but at 33, expecting consistent elite-level displays was always an unrealistic gamble.
Arsenal moved decisively, snapping up Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad for £60 million in the summer of 2024.
The Spain international has been a revelation for the Gunners at the base of the midfield.
He has started 20 of the 21 Premier League games this campaign.
He has been a perfect controller for Arsenal, spraying passes from a deeper role and allowing players around him to flourish.
Freed from excessive defensive responsibility, Rice has pressed with greater intensity and contributed decisively in the final third.
United were crying out for precisely this type of controlling midfielder to unlock their own squad’s potential.
Instead, Wilcox and the United hierarchy prioritised attacking reinforcements, focusing on Benjamin Sesko despite already adding Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
They splashed £73m to bring Sesko to United but that transfer budget should have been spent on a world-class midfielder.
That imbalance ultimately left former manager Ruben Amorim exposed, with the fallout contributing to his dismissal.
Yet, while Amorim paid the price, the toughest questions continue to bypass Wilcox.
The Red Devils are now desperate to sign at least one new midfielder next summer.
Stats from Fotmob.com