Gary Neville says £85m Man Utd signing must ‘explode’ for them to win PL title: ‘It would be unrealistic…’
Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville
Gary Neville has insisted that Manchester United winger Antony must ‘explode’ this season if the Red Devils want to have any chance of winning the title.
The former England right-back also suggested that Man Utd haven’t spent as much money on new players as their Premier League rivals this summer, which has left them at a disadvantage.
That is despite them spending £179m on Mason Mount (£60m), Andre Onana (£47m) and Rasmus Hojlund (£72m), and their transfer business isn’t done yet.
The Red Devils kicked off their Premier League campaign against Wolves on Monday, beating them 1-0 at Old Trafford. Despite the result, it was the visitors who dominated large portions of the game.
Wolves should have had a penalty in the dying minutes of the game, too, which would have given them the chance to get a well-earned point. VAR failed to step in, however, after referee Michael Salisbury missed a blatant foul by Onana.
It was clear from that performance that Man Utd have a lot of work to do to bridge the gap with Man City and Arsenal.
Gary Neville: Man Utd title charge ‘unrealistic’
Speaking after the Wolves game, Neville said that Man Utd challenging for the Premier League title this season is ‘unrealistic.’
“There will be those that say Manchester United should be challenging for the title now,” Neville told Sky Sports.
“But realistically, looking at where Arsenal are and how they have recruited this summer, and looking how established Manchester City are, I think it would be unrealistic and harsh to say Manchester United should be competing for the title.
“For that to happen, Antony would have to explode this season, Marcus Rashford would have to hit the same numbers, and Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Andre Onana would have to hit the ground straight away,’ he added.
“That is difficult; Hojlund is young, Onana has taken the most pressurised job in English football – Manchester United goalkeeper.
“I still think third and trophy would be success, but I understand where the pressure comes from after their spending under Erik ten Hag,’ he said.
Antony signed for Man Utd for £85m last summer. He has since made 45 appearances across all competitions, scoring eight goals and making three assists in the process. He will be looking to build on those numbers this season and get his goal tally into the double figures.
Man Utd could still sign more players, too. Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard is being heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford for example. Ten Hag also wants another midfielder.
Sofyan Amrabat is the manager’s main target, but Everton star Amadou Onana has also been sounded out as an option.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if Ten Hag can bring in some game-changing additions before the transfer window closes.
