Warnock claims Man Utd 'should have bought' £55m Arsenal star
Neil Warnock believes Manchester United got their summer transfer priorities badly wrong, and he has pointed directly at Arsenal's acquisition of Ezri Konsa as proof.
The former Premier League manager says United's failure to strengthen defensively, while spending heavily on midfielders, is at the root of their dismal start to the season. Speaking to The Mirror, Warnock did not hold back on the scale of the problem at Old Trafford.
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“They spend money on forwards, they spend money on midfield players like you've never seen and yet they still haven't got a defence,” Warnock said. “I don't understand how a top club like that can't buy defenders, and they've never had any full backs that can defend either. They could have bought Konsa this year. Why didn't they spend money like that? They'd rather spent £100million on a midfielder, even though the defenders can't defend!”
Konsa joined Arsenal from Aston Villa in a £55million deal over the summer and has quickly established himself in Mikel Arteta's starting line up, stepping in following William Saliba's injury absence. He has helped the Gunners win eight of their opening nine Premier League matches this season.
United, by contrast, have not won a league game since a 5-2 victory over Ipswich Town in late August, a run of results that has placed their recruitment strategy under intense scrutiny, particularly their decision to overlook defensive reinforcements in favour of midfield investment.
Warnock warns of continued struggles
Warnock went further, suggesting United's issues run deeper than one transfer window and pointed to smaller clubs as a model of smarter business.
“If nothing changes, they are going to struggle. I'm not bothered who comes in. They will struggle,” Warnock said. “You look at Brighton and Bournemouth and clubs like that, and you think that's a good recruitment strategy. But when you look at Man United, if the recruitment can't see that what I've seen for the last five years, there's something wrong somewhere.”
Ferdinand echoes the sentiment
Warnock is not alone in his assessment. Rio Ferdinand made similar comments recently on his YouTube channel, expressing regret that United did not pursue Konsa themselves.
“He's a top, top player and another one I thought Manchester United should have got because he's a top player,” Ferdinand said. “He's giving Mikel Arteta some big decisions to make and big headaches because he's slipped in seamlessly and put in some big performances. What a signing he's been for Arsenal.”
Konsa's early form has given Arteta a selection headache at centre back, with competition for places only increasing once Saliba returns to full fitness. For now, his performances continue to be held up as an example of astute transfer business, in contrast to the struggles being highlighted elsewhere in the Premier League.
