Man Utd have been told by a former club scout that they “gave up” on Real Madrid star Alvaro Carreras too soon with the Patrick Dorgu signing “a dud”.
After an inconsistent start to the season, Man Utd are now five Premier League matches unbeaten after winning three and drawing two under Ruben Amorim.
That has moved them up to seventh in the Premier League table – but there are still areas of concerns with left wing-back still causing Amorim some issues.
Diogo Dalot and Dorgu – who was signed last January from Serie A side Lecce in a deal that could reach €35m – have not impressed with Paul Parker recently speaking out over Dalot’s performances in particular.
Former Man Utd youngster Carreras moved onto Real Madrid in the summer after leaving the Red Devils in 2024 to sign for Portuguese side Benfica.
And Man Utd have been criticised by their former Polish scout Piotr Sadowski, who also left Old Trafford in 2024, for allowing Carreras to move.
Sadowski told Przeglad Sportowy of Carreras: “Initially, his career path was quite good. He was loaned to Preston, received good reviews, and…United gave up on him, selling him to Benfica for a small fee.
“Carreras is a truly top-class player. There’s a good chance he’ll become the best, or one of the best, left-backs in the world. He scored a beautiful goal recently against Valencia in La Liga. It was a huge mistake for United to let him go.
“So something is missing here and I think that something is United’s lack of courage in investing in young players.”
On Dorgu, Sadowski added: “A dud, I definitely agree. And he was brought in for €30 million. Honestly, having recently worked at Blackburn Rovers and operating on a much lower transfer budget, I would have had no problem finding a few players at Dortmund’s level for Manchester United, but not for €30 million, only up to a maximum of four.
“Manchester United have been in crisis for several years now, desperate to return to the top, so they’re wary of bringing in youngsters. Coach Ruben Amorim was supposed to be the one to do this, but the results haven’t been right, so he prefers to buy ready-made players.
“Whether he has anyone to choose from in the backroom is another matter. In my opinion, Harry Amass is the only player currently capable of making it into the United first-team squad after returning from his loan spell [he plays for Sheffield Wednesday]. The club’s biggest shortfall right now is the transfer players.”