A former Manchester United scout has launched a scathing attack on the club's transfer strategy, branding Ruben Amorim's £25 million signing Patrick Dorgu as a complete 'dud' and highlighting major concerns about the club's youth development system.
Scout's Damning Verdict on Recent Signings
Piotr Sadowski, who spent seven years working as a scout at Old Trafford before leaving in August 2024, didn't hold back in his assessment of United's recent recruitment during an interview with Polish publication Przeglad Sportowy. The experienced talent spotter specifically singled out Patrick Dorgu, the £25 million signing from Italian side Lecce in February, as an example of failed transfer policy.
When Dorgu's name was mentioned as evidence of unsuccessful recruitment under current manager Ruben Amorim, Sadowski responded bluntly: 'A dud, I definitely agree. And he was brought in for €30 million.' The scout contrasted this with his recent experience at Blackburn Rovers, where he operated on a much smaller budget, claiming he could have identified several quality players for United at a fraction of the cost.
Youth Development Crisis at Old Trafford
Sadowski expressed deep concern about Manchester United's declining ability to develop academy players into first-team regulars. He pointed to the departures of homegrown talents who have flourished elsewhere as evidence of systemic problems within the club's youth structure.
'They currently lack players who, after leaving the academy, would establish themselves in the first team and only then leave,' Sadowski stated. He specifically mentioned Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay as the type of success stories United should be producing regularly, while expressing regret over the sales of Anthony Elanga and others.
The former scout saved his strongest criticism for United's decision to sell Alvaro Carreras to Benfica. The 22-year-old left-back joined Benfica for just €6 million (£5.1 million) last year, only to be snapped up by Real Madrid for €50 million (£42 million) in the recent summer transfer window after impressive performances.
Amorim's Transfer Approach Under Scrutiny
Sadowski believes the pressure on Amorim to deliver immediate results has forced United into a cycle of buying 'ready-made players' like Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, rather than trusting in youth development. This approach, he suggests, stems from the club's prolonged crisis and desperate attempts to return to the top of English football.
'Coach Ruben Amorim was supposed to be the one to do this, but the results haven't been right, so he prefers to buy ready-made players,' Sadowski observed. He questioned whether the Portuguese manager even has sufficient quality youth prospects to choose from, suggesting that Harry Amass might be the only current academy player capable of breaking into the first team after his loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday.
The scout also highlighted concerning statistics about United's youth international representation compared to rivals Chelsea and Arsenal, indicating deeper issues with the effectiveness of their training programmes.
