Rooney Points Finger at United's Costly Transfer Mistakes
Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney has launched a scathing assessment of his former club's transfer policy, labelling a series of big-name signings as 'horrendous mistakes' that have held the team back for years. Speaking on the popular fan channel The Overlap, the former England captain did not hold back in his criticism of the recruitment strategy that followed Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.
A Decade of Decline and Billions Spent
Rooney's comments highlight a painful period for the club. Since the legendary manager's departure in 2013, Manchester United have spent close to £2 billion on new players. Despite this colossal financial outlay, the club has failed to mount a serious title challenge and hit a new low last season, finishing a dismal 15th in the Premier League.
The former striker specifically identified the signings of Romelu Lukaku, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and Paul Pogba as emblematic of the flawed approach. 'The recruitment at Manchester United before last summer was horrendous,' Rooney stated. 'They were just bringing big names in... they're good players but they were just bringing names in and spending enormous amounts of money.'
New Strategy Under Amorim Brings Hope
However, Rooney also offered a ray of hope for supporters, noting a clear and positive shift in strategy since the appointment of manager Ruben Amorim. He pointed to the club's more recent acquisitions, such as Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford and Matheus Cunha from Wolves, as evidence of a smarter, more targeted approach in the market.
The signing of young Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens for £18 million from Royal Antwerp has also paid immediate dividends, with the player already establishing himself as the team's first-choice. This new direction, focusing on proven Premier League quality and promising talent rather than global superstars, is starting to yield results on the pitch.
'If you look at Manchester United over the last ten years, the players have been absolutely battered,' Rooney added. 'Now they've got a couple of results and you can see a bit of confidence coming back.' United are currently unbeaten in five games and sit seventh in the table, just one point outside the coveted Champions League places.
While Rooney believes a title challenge is still beyond them this season, he is optimistic about a top-four finish. 'There's some promising signs and although they're not going to win the league they could possibly sneak into the top-four,' he concluded. The improved form offers a glimpse of a brighter future as the club looks to finally recover from a decade of transfer market missteps.
