Ruben Amorim told Man United made 'big transfer mistake' amid glowing two

Ruben Amorim told Man United made 'big transfer mistake' amid glowing two-word verdict

Manchester United added RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko to their attack in the summer transfer window but have now been told they should have looked a little closer to home

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has been told that he should have looked to sign Crystal Palace centre-forward Jean-Philippe Mateta in the summer transfer window to strengthen their attack.

The forward line was one of the main areas that Amorim pinpointed to improve at the start of the previous window. Wolverhampton Wanderers' Matheus Cunha, Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo and RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko were all signed to address this issue while Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho, Rasmus Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho were all moved on either on loan or permanently.

Depth in the centre-forward position is now somewhat limited. While both Cunha and Mbeumo can play there, they are often needed as No.10s while Joshua Zirkzee has been largely frozen out this season despite Amorim's reluctance to sell him in the summer.

Speaking on his podcast, No Tippy Tappy Football, former Premier League manager Sam Allardyce insisted that United missed a trick not adding Mateta to their team. "Man United should have bought him without a doubt," Allardyce explained.

"Arsenal could have bought him, you know what I mean? And he would have flourished.

"I mean, look at Crystal Palace. Crystal Palace are 18 games undefeated and he is one of the main reasons that they are where they are.

"Because it's not just his goal scoring ability, it's all round play. No bullying [Mateta].

"You can't bully him, he can bully you and is that because it's not fashionable for the top clubs now? They have to be more slick, more rubbish - get him in your team.

"Listen, a centre-forward who can batter a centre-half now, it would be such a shock to a centre-half now. They’d go: ‘What's happening? What's going on? What's he doing? What does he think he's doing, physically challenging me like that?’

"It's the all round ability and the skill and his goal scoring ability that’s absolutely totally and utterly essential and would have made Man United a much bigger and better team already this season and he'd have scored goals. And that's what they're struggling with still, as well as defensively.

"So I thought it was a big mistake because Crystal Palace would have had to sell somebody which they did. You know what I mean? Sold [Eberechi] Eze didn't they in the end?

"I mean they're always having to sell one you know to to balance the books. You [have to] go for Mateta. Just class."

Mateta has been a consistent starter for Palace so far this season and has bagged four goals in all competitions already this season. This has included two in seven in the Premier League.

The 28-year-old was fleetingly linked with United during the summer window but this interest was not formalised. Mateta will have just a singular year left on his contract at the end of this season.

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