Man Utd blasted for passing up 'transformational' Harry Kane & Declan Rice transfers as Teddy Sheringham reveals doubts over Sir Jim Ratcliffe being the 'final decision-maker' at Old Trafford

Two England internationals, who are both proven on a Premier League stage, hit the open market in the summer of 2023. Neither would come cheap, with Tottenham and West Ham reluctant to part with prized assets. United, though, opted against joining the clamour for either, allowing Bayern Munich to swoop in for €100 million (£86m/$108m) Kane and Arsenal to snap up Rice in a £105m ($132m) agreement.

Former United striker Teddy Sheringham has questioned the Red Devils’ recruitment policy, telling Gambling Zone of why the Premier League giants continue to stagnate: “For me, it’s easy to put my finger on what is happening at Manchester United at the moment. When you buy decent players, you get decent consistency. United are sixth in the league, which isn’t horrendous, but isn’t anything other than decent. That tells me that they’ve got decent players with decent attributes. If you want to be the best, you need to sign the best. How United were not in for Declan Rice and Harry Kane at the start of the season is beyond me. Throughout my time as a player, and when I played for Man United, the club would always sign top players. Under Sir Alex, if a centre forward became available, he would go out and get that player. Top players elevate you. They elevate the players around them and raise standards. Fergie would always bring in that type of player if he felt it would improve his team. These are the type of players that perform to a high standard every single week. These are the type of players that can drag a team over-the-line in a tight game. Declan Rice would have done that in midfield and Harry Kane would have done that upfront. Signings like that have a transformational effect on the entire football club.”

United are about to receive much-needed investment from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, as he prepares to acquire a 25 per cent stake in the club from the Glazer family, but Sheringham is not convinced that Britain’s richest man will have the desired impact. The 1999 Treble winner added: “I’m not sure that Jim Ratcliffe is going to be able to have a transformative effect on the club and turn them into title contenders when he walks through the door. He wants to put some money into the club, but I can’t see how he can transform the club if he isn’t the final decision-maker. I’m not so sure what will change at the club unless he goes into the building and says, ‘I want to buy four world-class players’. I’m not sure he is going to be able to do something like that or have that level of input. We really don’t know what is going to happen when he comes into Manchester United or how much influence he will be able to have with a 25 per cent stake in the club.”

United have continued to struggle for consistency in 2023-24, leaving them outside of the Premier League’s top four and in serious danger of suffering a humbling early exit from European competition. Rather than splash out on the likes of Kane and Rice last summer, the Red Devils instead invested in Andre Onana, Mason Mount and Rasmus Hojlund – who are all yet to convince at Old Trafford.