Owen Hargreaves names one issue affecting every United new signing

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Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has shed light on the biggest challenge for new signings at Old Trafford. The Premier League giants have invested heavily in the squad this summer after finishing third in the league last season.

The Red Devils’ focus was almost entirely on midfield following Casemiro’s departure, with INEOS signing Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans, and Carlos Baleba. United also signed Karl Darlow on a free transfer to bolster their goalkeeping department.

Tielemans and Santos started together in the 2-0 defeat to Hull City last weekend, which temporarily soured the optimism surrounding the Red Devils of late. However, with long-term target Carlos Baleba added to the squad earlier this week, things are looking up for the Premier League giants once again.

Meanwhile, Michael Carrick will be expected to deliver this season after raising the bar last campaign with a third-place finish. Hargreaves has now provided his opinion on United’s summer transfer business.

United did well to improve their midfield

Speaking to TNT Sports, Hargreaves praised his former club for addressing their midfield conundrum this summer despite missing out on top targets. He said: “They realised they needed to score more goals last year and addressed that in the window with [Matheus] Cunha and [Bryan] Mbeumo, and it worked because they finished in the top four last season.”

“This year, they needed to address the midfield area, and they tried to sign [Elliot] Anderson and [Matheus] Fernandes but they were too expensive, and I thought they pivoted well.”

“Tielemans is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. I remember watching him play as a teenager for Anderlecht and thinking this kid is special, and 14 years later, he’s still doing the business.”

The Red Devils were hot on the heels of Elliot Anderson and Mateus Fernandes at the beginning of the summer. However, the English midfielder ended up joining Manchester City, while Fernandes moved to Tottenham Hotspur.

The major issue affecting new signings at United

Hargreaves went on to warn that the pressure of expectations is the biggest issue affecting new signings at United. He continued: “I really like Tielemans and Santos, but one of the biggest issues at United down the years has been the pressure put on these players when they join one of the biggest clubs in the world.”

“It’s almost not fair to them because the team isn’t performing at the same level as our team did in the past. Before, you could sign one player, but there was already Paul Scholes and other established players in the squad and that hasn’t been the case in recent years.”

“Some of these young guys have signed and not been able to manage the expectations. Just let these guys grow. They’re good players, but you can only start comparing them to previous teams when the team starts to win Premier Leagues and Champions Leagues. Nowadays, the club is not near that, but they’re building towards that goal.”

Hargreaves went on to cite Carrick’s example to explain why it is important to be patient with young players. He concluded: “Michael Carrick at 21 wasn’t the same player at 28, so imagine critiquing him at the time like he was the finished product. That wouldn’t be fair.”

“With the likes of Santos, Kobbie and the incoming Baleba, these guys are still so young, so let them develop and with the experienced players around them, the team can become really good.”

Final Thoughts

Expectations are always high at Old Trafford due to United’s rich tradition and history of success. Should the Red Devils manage to further bolster the squad in the coming days, fans could be in for a treat this season.