‘Man United can’t buy any top players’ amid ‘unbelievable’ situation
Man United have been sent a major warning about their prospects for the summer transfer window by Paul Merson and Kris Boyd.
This has been another challenging season for the Red Devils, who have struggled for consistent form since the appointment of Ruben Amorim as manager back in November.
The Old Trafford outfit are languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table, and have been knocked out of both the FA Cup and League Cup.
As a result, the Europa League is now their only chance of silverware, after Man United drew 1-1 with Real Sociedad in the first leg of their round of 16 tie in that competition on Thursday (6 March).
Wayne Rooney’s Man United claims spark pundit response
That situation the club now find themselves in is a far cry from the dominance they used to enjoy under Alex Ferguson.
As a result, the fact that trohies do not seem to be as readily on offer, may influence the decisions of potential transfer targets over possible moves to the club.
Speaking recently, one member of one of Ferguson’s hugely successful Man United teams, Wayne Rooney, suggested he would not join the club if he was given the chance to do so now.
It is a claim which has led to suggestions that other top players will also feel the same about a potential move to Old Trafford when the transfer window reopens at the end of this season.
| Man United last five games | Result |
| Tottenham (A) | Lost 1-0 |
| Everton (A) | Drew 2-2 |
| Ipswich (H) | Won 3-2 |
| Fulham (H) | Drew 1-1 (lost 4-3 on penalties) |
| Real Sociedad (A) | Drew 1-1 |
After being asked about those comments from Rooney while on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday, former Arsenal star Merson stated (1:15pm): “He wouldn’t, surely he wouldn’t.”
In response, ex-Rangers striker Boyd pointed out: “I don’t think he would, and by the way he’s not the only one.
“If you’re an elite player right now, an elite player like Wayne Rooney was, you ain’t going to Manchester United right now.”
Merson also feels the club’s challenging financial situation will hamper their efforts to potentially sign those very best players, as he added: “They are one of the biggest clubs in the world, but they’re nowhere near one of the biggest teams.
“You want to go and be successful, these players now want to win trophies and play in the Champions League. Man United are not gonna do that at the moment, it’s a million miles off.
“The players they’re down to buying now… are going to be heads or tails players. Will they be a success or will they not? They can’t bring in top, top drawer players any more because of the fair play rule.
“I read the other day they owe a billion pounds. I mean, unbelievable.”
Man United struggles set to continue impacting transfer business
Football Insider Verdict
When you look at the current footballing landscape, Man United are a long way from being the trophy-winning machine they used to be.
That ensures the very top players will not be as tempted to move to Old Trafford as they were in the past, given they are going to want to win those major honours.
There have also been reports that it will take INEOS owner Jim Ratcliffe “years” to fix the financial situation at Man United.
Consequently it is going to be harder for the Red Devils to attract the best players from both a financial and football perspective.
As a knock-on effect, that means it is unlikely the squad will improve drastically, and the club will continue to languish for some time yet.
With that in mind, previous suggestions Ruben Amorim will be working on a budget at Man United may be set to linger for many years to come.