Manchester United great Teddy Sheringham believes the club missed a trick by not signing Harry Kane or Declan Rice.
United were heavily linked with swoops for Kane and Rice in recent years.
However, Kane ultimately moved to Bayern Munich for an initial £82million, rising up to £100m with add-ons, in August 2023.
Despite missing out on Kane, United still signed a striker that window in the form of Danish international Rasmus Hojlund, who arrived for £72m after scoring ten goals for Atalanta across all competitions the season prior.
As for Rice, he joined United’s Premier League rivals Arsenal for an eye-watering £105m in July 2023 and seamlessly slotted into the Gunners’ midfield.
Sheringham lamented the fact United were unwilling to commit to such a large outlay for either player and felt if Sir Alex Ferguson was still in charge, there would have been no such problems.
The 51-time England international also pointed to the duo’s leadership skills as another key reason why United should have moved heaven and earth to sign them, a trait he believes the Red Devils’ incumbent captain Bruno Fernandes does not possess.
“For me, they need to make some big signings,” Sheringham told talkSPORT.
“If they don’t make the big signings, people don’t follow what the big players do.
“I’ve been saying for the last couple of years, when Harry Kane and Declan Rice became available two years ago, if Fergie was in charge he would have gone out and broke the bank to get one of them. Both of them, probably, to lead by example.
“Bruno is a fantastic player, but he’s not a leader as such of football men. You need to have players that lead by example, do the right things, play 100 per cent every week. Proper professionals that people look up to, that lead by example and people follow you.
“That’s how top football clubs work.”
Sheringham, who played under Ferguson for four seasons, pointed out the legendary manager’s eye for young talent as to why his teams had such tremendous success.
“You look over the years when he signed Gary Pallister, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney,” Sheringham said.
“They were all top young players at the top of their game and he knew that if he got them in his football club, they lead by example and people follow them.
“They want to be like them and they want to play as well as them and they don’t want to let people down and those players drag other players along.
“You need them in top football clubs.”
Although United may struggle to afford players of Kane or Rice’s ilk, the Red Devils are anticipated to be active in the summer transfer window.
talkSPORT understands United boss Ruben Amorim is looking to bolster his attacking ranks.
One name who United could move for is Victor Osimhen, who has netted 26 times in 30 matches across all competitions for Galatasaray this term.
However, it could be a case of one-in, one-out as Hojlund looms as a likely candidate to get moved on.
“I think Osimhen is the most likely because I think he’s going to be available for this type of price that United can afford,” talkSPORT’s chief football correspondent Crook said on Inside Devils.
“I think his wage demands have come down from where they were a year ago, obviously he’s been playing in Turkey, and I think he has that proven pedigree.
“So it wouldn’t surprise me if Hojlund goes back to Italy, and there’s interest from the likes of Napoli I’m told, and Osimhen comes in the opposite direction.”
