MY ACCOUNT
Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick says the club’s transfer strategy needs to improve and is one of the key reasons why they have fallen behind Manchester City and Liverpool.
United trail Sunday’s Premier League opponents Manchester City by 19 points and have not finished above their Mancunian neighbours on the table since 2012-13 when Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
The Red Devils have spent more than £1 billion on players since Ferguson’s departure yet have not been genuine title contenders in that time.
“It’s a question of consistency, continuity, knowing exactly how I want to play as a club, as a manager,” former RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg head coach Rangnick told reporters.
“Having a clear transfer strategy, signing players who fit into that system and that’s what both clubs have been doing in the last five or six years.
“If I look at their transfer success, they haven’t had many players who after one or two years somebody would have said, ‘maybe that wasn’t the right signing’. They’re pretty successful, both clubs and this is where I think Manchester United has to go again.
“Under Sir Alex they were there until 10 years ago but since then, there’s been quite a few different managers here at the club and in order to close the gap towards those two clubs, I wouldn’t say we have to do the same thing.
“We have our own identity, Manchester United as a club, we should always go down our own pathway but in total, professional football is pretty easy.
“You have to have a clear identity of how you want to play, how even the supporters want to see you play and this has always been attractive, offensive, proactive, entertaining football and then from there, make sure that the recruitment is right, that you get the best possible players, that you’re quick enough in the transfer market, knowing the transfer market and then signing the right players at the right moment.
“Then, on top of that, having the best possible manager, head coach, coaching staff who can develop those players.”
Angel Di Maria, Memphis Depay, Anthony Martial, Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Donny van de Beek, Jadon Sancho and Harry Maguire are among the big-money transfers United have made since Ferguson’s exit.
