Former Manchester United striker Louis Saha has warned the club against making big-money signings in the ongoing summer transfer window.
Saha feels United need to rate players based on how aligned they are to the club's philosophies instead of simply cherry-picking the biggest names in the market. Speaking on Sky Sports (reported via Express), the Frenchman said:
"Man United have to make the right choices and sign the right players for the club. It's very important not to panic buy, those in charge of signings need to make sure the philosophies at the club are right and that the players coming through the door are buying into the project."
He added that big-money signings can sometimes disrupt harmony in a squad and that United will have to learn how to make the right signings:
"It doesn't matter how much you're spending, it's about quality. You don't need to spend £100 million on a player who is going to disrupt your club. They don’t need to worry about being left behind by their rivals."
Saha, who spent four years at Manchester United and won as many titles, concluded:
"Obviously the big teams are going to attract big names, but every team has problems that they have to deal with and United shouldn't be pushing the panic button."
Manchester United's big money signings after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson
Manchester United have made some major big-money moves in the market in the post-Alex Ferguson era. The signing of Paul Pogba from Juventus for a club-record £89 million in 2016 particularly stands out.
The Frenchman spent six years in Manchester but failed to make a marked impact at the club. He is set to leave United this summer on a free transfer when his contract expires.
Other names include Angel Di Maria (£59.7 million from Real Madrid), Harry Maguire (£80 million from Leicester City) and Aaron Wan-Bissaka (£50 million from Crystal Palace). Di Maria failed to make an impact and left the club soon after for Paris Saint-Germain. Maguire and Wan-Bissaka, on the other hand, are still on United's wagebill, but have flattered to deceive.
Going forward, the club needs to be extremely cautious of the players they sign, especially those who arrive at Old Trafford on big-money transfers. There is no harm in spending the big bucks on a player, but the profiling has to be better from Manchester United's end than it has been of late.
The signing of Bruno Fernandes, who has been a hit at Old Trafford, is one such example they can draw upon.