Joe Cole has slammed Manchester United for not signing striker Ivan Toney from Brentford last summer.
The former Premier League star has claimed that Toney is exactly the player the Red Devils needed but their failure to sign him has surprised him.
Man United eventually completed the signing of Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna to support Rasmus Hojlund in attack.
It has not worked well for the Red Devils with Zirkzee only scoring one goal this season which came in the very first match of the Premier League season.
Since then, the whole Man United attack has struggled to perform and their league position at the moment explains the whole story.
Erik ten Hag’s team is currently 14th in the league and they have just scored five goals in the Premier League this season, only Southampton have scored fewer.
Cole told Paddy Power, as reported by Metro:
‘Manchester United got gun-shy in the transfer window.
‘I think Ivan Toney is a cracking player, and he is exactly what Manchester United need. His personality can comfortably play for a top side.
‘It’s smart from United to take stock and when you’ve got a manager at the helm who’s indifferent, you might really fancy another manager to come in and they might want another striker.
‘Then you’ve got to get another player out to get another one in so it’s smart business but if I was Manchester United and had the job tomorrow, I would’ve said, “I need Ivan Toney” and I would’ve made it happen.’
Such decisions in the transfer market may end up causing Ten Hag his job at the club.
The Dutch manager is walking on a thin rope and his team’s failure in the next few matches could get him sacked.
Manchester United have made some poor decisions
The signing of Antony, Casemiro, Mason Mount, Andre Onana and a lot of others have not worked in favour of the Red Devils, while decisions like selling Scott McTominay have raised eyebrows, with Federico Macheda the latest former player to criticise the club’s decision to sell the Scotland international midfielder.
Ten Hag does not have long left at the club and if his team cannot move closer to the top four position in the Premier League soon, he will be sacked by the club.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is on the shortlist of INEOS to replace Ten Hag but it remains to be seen if they will be able to get him from the Magpies.