Manchester United have been accused of signing second-tier players in the transfer window after signing Harry Kane and Declan Rice, who starred at their respective clubs, to rival teams.
Harry Kane has enjoyed great success since joining Bayern Munich (Image: Sebastian Widmann/Getty Images)
Manager Teddy Sheringham has accused Manchester United of allowing Harry Kane and Declan Rice to get past him, insisting that would never have happened under Sir Alex Ferguson.
The Red Devils are behind the eight-ball domestically as they continue their wait for the Premier League title. They are in the thick of the race for the top four, while Arsenal, with Rice spearheading the midfield, are top of the table.
Rice joined the Gunners from West Ham in 2023 for a club-record £105 million and has since proven to be a wise investment, widely regarded as the best in the world in his position.
That summer, Kane also became active. Despite being on the radar of United, he ended his spell at Tottenham and headed to Bayern Munich. It was the German who paid £86 million to sign him and Sheringham believes United are keen to sign a “second-rate” player.
“I think they should have taken Harry Kane two-and-a-half, three years ago when they came to take him. I said at the time that they should take both Kane and Declan Rice because they are leaders on the football pitch,” he told The Sun.
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“That’s what it takes to be a top player at United. You need leaders on the football pitch. They were two of England’s top internationals at the top of the game a few years ago. Sir Alex Ferguson would have brought them in to lead by example, but United didn’t do that.”
“They went for the next step in Wylund for £70 million instead of Kane’s £100 million. In the end you only get performances like that. You get second-rate performances. That makes it difficult for football clubs to thrive.”
Teddy Sheringham criticizes the club’s transfer business (Image: )
Rice was a big hit and Kane broke a number of records with the German giants. There are hopes he will eventually return to England, but Bayern have him at the peak of his career while United continue to struggle to sign the prolific forward.
They spent £70m to sign Benjamin Sesco in the summer, but he too is finding life difficult despite arriving with great fanfare. He has been in and out of the starting lineup, scoring five goals all year, but Sheringham is confident in his investment.
“I really like Sesco,” he said. “He’s up front, holding the ball in a two-man center arc and playing beautiful little balls into midfield. I’m very impressed with him.”
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