Former Man Utd midfielder Owen Hargreaves would like to see Benjamin Sesko dropped for Bryan Mbeumo in a tactical reshuffle.
The Red Devils spent around £74m on bringing Sesko to Old Trafford from RB Leipzig in the summer transfer window with INEOS splashing well over £200m on new additions.
Sesko has only started four of his seven appearances in all competitions and only scored his first goal last weekend as Man Utd lost 3-1 to Brentford in west London.
Mbeumo also cost Man Utd around £71m with the Cameroon international scoring 20 goals in the Premier League for Brentford last season.
The 26-year-old also only has one Premier League goal to his name this season as Man Utd continue to struggle under the guidance of Ruben Amorim.
And now Hargreaves wants to see Bruno Fernandes playing further forward with Mbeumo as the No.9 in place of summer signing Sesko.
Hargreaves said on TNT Sports: “They decided to get goals and sign proven Premier League players in Cunha and Mbeumo, which I like.
“But now Bruno has to play deeper to get on the ball and create. He’s not playing his natural position, he’s playing deeper.
“He’s playing as a box-to-box midfielder. Bruno’s one of the best creators in the division. So you’ve got to play him in his natural position.
“But because they play two 10s, you could argue Man Utd’s two best players last season were Amad [Diallo] and Bruno.
“They were the two 10s, and then they went and signed two more 10s in Cunha and Mbeumo when you didn’t have a keeper or a striker.”
Hargreaves added: “I’d love to see Bruno play as a 10, maybe with Mbeumo as a No. 9. If you have Cunha and Bruno playing as two 10s plus Mbeumo, that’s good.
“Maybe play Amad as a wing-back on the left if you want to stay with the formation. I just think it’s harsh on Bruno, him being criticised. I can’t imagine where they’d be without him. I said that to him last year, towards the end of the season before the Europa League final.
“What he’s been able to produce in terms of consistency for them, that’s what you need from everybody.”
Hargreaves’ comments come after Paul Merson insisted that Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta is “a much better player than Sesko” and Man Utd should have bought him in the summer.
Merson said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast: “Manchester United went out and signed the lad Sesko. He’s never going to score a goal because no one is crossing it to him.
“He’s got two players behind him [Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo] that play off the cuff. He’s never going to get balls in from wide so I feel sorry for him.
“I said last season on transfer deadline day that Man United needed someone like Jean-Philippe Mateta. Big, strong, leads the line, he’s a threat and causes problems.
“But they’re not going to buy him because he plays for Crystal Palace, he’s not fashionable enough.
“But he’s a much better player than Sesko, much better. And he’s doing it in the Premier League week in week out. As a player you would love Mateta in your team.”