Paul Ince has expressed bewilderment at Manchester United's decision to spend £50 million on Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos, stating that the 'jury's still out' on the Brazilian and that the fee is excessive given the presence of academy talent Kobbie Mainoo.
United's midfield overhaul
Manchester United prioritised overhauling their misfiring attack last year, bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko for a combined fee of around £200 million. This summer, the Red Devils have focused on bolstering their midfield options, with Casemiro's recent departure intensifying the need for reinforcements. United expressed strong interest in Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes, but Anderson joined Manchester City, while Tonali and Fernandes signed for Tottenham. The Old Trafford giants subsequently turned to Chelsea's Santos, moving quickly to wrap up a deal worth around £50 million for the 22-year-old Brazil international.
Ince's verdict on Santos and Mainoo
After backtracking on a proposed move for Ederson, United fixed their gaze on Youri Tielemans, prising the Belgian away from Aston Villa by triggering a £35 million release clause. 'I think when you look at what Manchester United are trying to do, they obviously need to strengthen in that area,' ex-United and England midfielder Ince told Oddschecker. 'Whether [Manuel] Ugarte comes back, I don't know, but they've signed the lad Santos from Chelsea for £50m, which is a lot of money for someone like him. I think the jury's still out on that one. So to spend £50m on a young central midfield player when you've got [Kobbie] Mainoo coming through the ranks, kind of baffled me a bit.'
Tielemans and Ederson interest
Ince praised Tielemans, describing him as 'a fantastic player' and 'more of a Fernandes type of player.' He added, 'I still think they're trying to do the Ederson deal from Atalanta. So, they've got a whole load of midfield players in that position which needed to be strengthened.' Ince also backed Mainoo to thrive, saying, 'I think he's the man who can play that role. He's got a really good head on his shoulders. He's young, he's got legs, he can keep hold of the ball.'
Mainoo's development
Ince noted Mainoo's evolution, stating, 'I always thought when Mainoo, when I watched him, he kind of did things easy, got it, passed it. When you play that role, and I've played that role for 20 years you've got to do more than that. You've got to get forward, get into the box, and take shots, he never really did that. He just did the simple things. Towards the back end of the season, he started to tackle, win balls, set things up, get himself in the box, make things happen. And he looks a completely different player. So if he can repeat that form this season, then I think it'd be great for United. But they've got plenty of options in there. So it'll be interesting to see which way Carrick goes.'
Rashford's future
Ince also addressed Marcus Rashford's situation, expressing sympathy. Rashford enjoyed a productive loan spell with Barcelona last season after falling out of favour under Ruben Amorim, and reports suggest manager Michael Carrick is willing to give him an opportunity. 'I kind of feel for Rashford. I really do because I think he's a fantastic player,' Ince said. 'He can play off the left, he can play off the right. I'm not sure if many people watched him last year playing for Barcelona, he was scoring goals, he was enjoying himself, and he looked a completely different player. And then when you think are they [Barcelona] going to take him, are they going to take the deal? And then to go and buy Gordon for 75 million. It absolutely kills him.' Ince added that Carrick can get the best out of Rashford by showing support.
Pre-season and upcoming season
United began their pre-season with a 1-0 defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki, but bounced back with a 5-0 victory over Rosenborg. They face Atletico Madrid in Stockholm next, followed by matches against Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United and AC Milan. The Premier League season starts away to newly promoted Hull City on August 22.
