Transfer: 'Madness' - Paul Merson identifies five players Man Utd hierarchy made mistake signing

Arsenal icon Paul Merson has laid into Manchester United’s transfer strategy, naming five players he believes the Red Devils’ hierarchy should never have signed in recent windows.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of Man United’s Champions League clash with AS Roma on Tuesday night, Merson questioned the club’s recruitment choices, pointing to Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, Youri Tielemans and Andre Santos as evidence that the decision-makers at Old Trafford have got it wrong.

Merson argued that Man United’s first priority was strengthening the attack, but he feels the forwards brought in are not prolific enough to transform the team.

“They [Cunha, Sesko and Mbeumo] are not 20-to-25-goal-a-season players,” Merson said.

He also questioned the signing of Santos and Tielemans, saying, “I don’t know what the club saw in Andre Santos to [justify] a £50m [transfer deal].”

On Tielemans, Merson added, “he lacks the legs around him in Man United’s team”.

Merson also mocked the idea that Man United will now turn their attention to the defence in the next transfer window, calling the overall approach “madness.”