Gary Neville claims only one Man Utd signing in last 10 years has lived up to expectations
Gary Neville believes Bruno Fernandes is the only Manchester United signing that has lived up to expectations since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement 11 years ago. He has poured cold water over claims that United were solely to blame for Jadon Sancho's failures at Old Trafford amid his successful loan at Borussia Dortmund.
Related articles Man Utd suffer fresh double injury blow as squad left thin for Arsenal clash Mikel Arteta shares Arsenal concern as key star a 'doubt' for Man UtdThe Red Devils' recruitment strategy has largely failed across the last decade, with regular blockbuster deals making the club one of the world's biggest spenders with little to show for it.
Sancho is among the several examples, falling flat after completing a long-anticipated £73million move from Dortmund in 2021.
The 24-year-old winger registered just 12 goals and six assists in 82 appearances before an explosive row with Erik ten Hag prompted his return to Germany in January.
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It has sparked mass criticism of United for Sancho's shortcomings. However, Neville has pushed back on that narrative, insisting he was included in the unwelcome trend of big signings failing in M16.
"You talk about an example of Manchester United, and we'll come on to United in a bit, but Jadon Sancho, he was awful at United, he was awful. Let's be clear," Neville explained on The Overlap.
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Bruno Fernandes has been Man Utd's best signing since Sir Alex Ferguson. (Image: Getty)"His performance levels, his confidence, his belief. He goes to a different team, and all of a sudden, you start to see a player, where you think, 'How has that happened, why is that happening time and time again?'"
"Players with great reputations come into Old Trafford and they just don't work. And they come back out, and they're normal again. It's probably happened for 10 years."
Fernandes, now United's captain, has comfortably been the club's most successful recruit throughout a mediocre 11 years in Ferguson's absence.
Neville has gone as far as to say that the Portuguese maestro is the only marquee signing to live up to expectations in that period.
He added: "I think over the last 10 years, there's only be one player that United have signed that I think has actually lived up to expectations, or achieved what he has previous and that's Bruno Fernandes.
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Related articles Man Utd staff and Ten Hag on collision course as 'Arsenal plea made to players' Chelsea could axe Mauricio Pochettino based off match Blues aren't involved in Reason Man Utd 'rejected' Jim Ratcliffe's top choice to replace Erik ten Hag"I can't think of another signing that has gone onto excel at the club. Luke Shaw, to be fair, when he's been fit, has played at a high level, I think, and grown from where he was maybe at Southampton – you could maybe argue that.
"But all the other big signings, whether it's [Angel] Di Maria, [Bastian] Schweinsteiger, [Radamel] Falcao...
"Whether it's [Paul] Pogba, whether it's [Harry] Maguire, [Mason] Mount this season, [Raphael] Varane, every player – why is it that Jadon Sancho can come in, then all of a sudden just go back there [and succeed]?"
It's an issue that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has actively worked to address by forming a new-look recruitment team at Old Trafford featuring Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth and Jason Wilcox.
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Gary Neville claims only one Man Utd signing in last 10 years has lived up to expectations
Gary Neville claims only one Man Utd signing in last 10 years has lived up to expectations
Gary Neville claims only one Man Utd signing in last 10 years has lived up to expectations
Gary Neville claims only one Man Utd signing in last 10 years has lived up to expectations
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