Wayne Rooney believes Manchester United still needed attacking signings and claims it was a ‘mistake’ to focus entirely on strengthening Michael Carrick’s midfield during the summer transfer window.
United spent around £150 million on the signings of Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba in the summer but opted not to submit a bid for Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall, who was their top left-back target.
Last summer, United spent just over £200m on signing Mateus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo.
But Rooney insists Carrick is still short of options in attack and should have brought a new striker to Old Trafford this summer.
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‘When the window shut, I was surprised we didn’t signe more players, it’s frustrating,’ Rooney said on Stick to United.
‘I heard someone yesterday say that we [United] fixed the attacking line and now we’ve done the midfield. I don’t think we fixed the attacking line last season. We got players in but didn’t fix it. Mbeumo did okay, Cunha did okay, didn’t set the world alight.
‘When the season finished last season and going into the World Cup, I was looking at it thinking they need a No.9.
‘Cunha needs someone to play off. Cunha doesn’t need to be the player who brings others into games. He has moments, like he did at Arsenal last season where he produces something brilliant and then he’ll frustrate you.
‘I think Mbeumo a lot of the time comes inside on his left foot from out wide. I actually think his best games for Man United have been as a No.9, rather than from out wide.
‘I think we miss Amad massively, a bit like what [Iliman] Ndiaye does obviously for Everton and for City [against United], Amad is someone who will get the ball and drive at someone, he’ll carry the ball, we haven’t got the best ball carriers in the team.
‘I just think the depth of the squad is not great. Mason Mount has never really done it in a Man United shirt, we haven’t got players on the pitch who are starting games thinking, ‘if I’m not playing well here I’m getting taken out’, that’s a problem when you’re not looking over your shoulder, it’s not a good place to be and I think that’s where the team are at the minute.
‘I think Michael Carrick would have been pushing for more players, that’s what managers do. You don’t know where financially the club are at. But I just think we’ve overloaded the midfield when we’ve needed more in other areas, so I think that’s a mistake.
‘If you overload the midfield and you bring in another forward and you bring full-backs in, great, you’ve got competition for places, but I think we’ve just focused on that midfield area and we’ve spent a lot of money in that midfield area without developing any of the other issues which probably needed fixing more.’
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