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Former Netherlands international Ruud Gullit reckons Manchester United are the problem amid their struggles over the past couple of years. Gullit used Scott McTominay, Marcus Rashford, and Antony as examples of players who flourished once leaving Old Trafford, despite initially struggling at the club.
Manchester United have struggled for consistency over the past few seasons, despite winning the EFL Cup and FA Cup under Erik ten Hag. They finished in 15th place in the Premier League table last season, a record low for the club. The Red Devils also lost the UEFA Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur, missing out on qualifying for the Champions League.
A key factor that has played a large part in their struggles have been signings that haven't worked out. The Red Devils have the highest net spend over the past five years (£-721.88 million) in the Premier League, signing the likes of Antony, Jadon Sancho, and Rasmus Hojlund in high-profile deals. Despite impressing at other clubs, most of their signings have struggled to make a positive impact at Manchester United.
Gullit also used McTominay, Rashford, and Antony as examples of players who turned their careers around the moment they left the Red Devils. The Dutchman made a recent appearance on an episode of Rondo, a talk show on Ziggo Sport, where he said (via Transfer News Live):
"Everyone who leaves Manchester United suddenly plays great at their new club. Scott McTominay at Napoli, Marcus Rashford at Aston Villa, and Antony at Real Betis. Manchester United is the problem, 100%."
While McTominay was renowned for his late goal heroics, he often struggled for gametime and was criticized by fans. The 28-year-old joined Napoli last summer and has flourished ever since, helping them win the Serie A title and being nominated for the 2025 Ballon d'Or in the process.
Meanwhile, Ruben Amorim opted to exclude Rashford from his plans last season, resulting in the latter joining Aston Villa on loan in February. The 27-year-old made a good enough impression and joined Barcelona on a season-long loan earlier this summer.
Similarly, Antony joined Real Betis on a six-month loan last season after struggling for form. The Brazilian made a great impact, leading the LaLiga side to their first-ever European final in the UEFA Conference League.
"The player is disappointed" - Fabrizio Romano provides update on Kobbie Mainoo amid Manchester United exit links
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has provided a transfer update on Kobbie Mainoo after Ruben Amorim refused to sub him on during their league fixtures against Arsenal and Fulham. Multiple reports were released soon after, hinting that Mainoo was looking to leave Manchester United, with Real Madrid allegedly interested in his signature.
However, Romano shut down these rumors on his YouTube channel, stating (via United in Focus):
“Kobbie Mainoo is not happy to sit on the bench and play zero minutes. But I can guarantee that there are no negotiations, no bids, and no active talks for him to leave Man Utd. The player is disappointed. It’s not an easy situation to handle. Man Utd still hope to control the situation. They hope to speak to Mainoo, to explain to him the situation around him. Let’s wait for the next steps, but for now, the situation is quite calm around Mainoo.”
Since making his debut for Manchester United during the 2022-23 campaign, Mainoo has impressed in multiple systems in midfield. However, in a recent interview, Amorim admitted the 20-year-old was benched due to being in direct competition with skipper Bruno Fernandes for a spot in the starting XI.
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Silas has been a European and international football writer at Sportskeeda for 2 years. A Computer Applications graduate, he is a versatile writer who conducts in-depth research and verifies information from multiple sources to ensure complete accuracy in his articles. Silas was introduced to the beautiful game back in 2008, watching the Premier League on television.
Silas is a Liverpool supporter through and through and admires everything about the club – it’s history, culture, style of play, and all of its iconic players and managers. His favorite player is Steven Gerrard, who was also one of the primary reasons to get interested in football and support Liverpool.
Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who transformed the Reds from a mid-table club to Premier League champions. Liverpool’s fourth goal in their 4-0 win over Barcelona, scored by Divock Origi after the iconic ‘corner taken quickly’ moment from Trent Alexander-Arnold, holds a special place in Silas’ heart.
Apart from Europe’s top five leagues, he also follows Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League. When not writing, he indulges in reading, traveling, fitness and gaming.
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