says Teddy Sheringham Manchester United showed a 'damn lack of ambition' by not signing England stars Harry Kane And Declan Rice last summer.
Both Kane and Rice were on the move before the start of the 2023/2024 season, with the striker ending his 14-year spell at Tottenham to join Bayern Munich and the midfielder moving from West Ham to Arsenal.
Kane has had a sensational first season at Bayern on a personal levelscored 44 goals in 44 appearances and helped Thomas Tuchel's side reach the semi-finals of the Champions League.
Rice has been just as important for Mikel Arteta's arsenalstarting all but one Premier League match as the Gunners challenge Manchester City for the title.
Sheringham insists Manchester United, who are only eighth in the Premier League, desperately miss the likes of Kane and Rice, and says it was a wake-up call that his former club were not close to signing the pair last summer.
“I said at the start of the season that it was a bloody lack of ambition for a club of Manchester United's size not to chase Harry Kane and Declan Rice,” says Sheringham. Genting Casino.
“I used to, Fergie [Sir Alex Ferguson] would have picked up both players. These are two top players, top players at Premier League and international level.
“Fergie would have qualified for both of them. You don't just get the player with Kane and Rice, you get the professionalism, the winning mentality, you get leadership.
'These guys drag players along with them and set your standards. There is currently no player who does that at Manchester United.
'Everyone looks at each other and says: 'I'm doing my job, are you?' and you don't need that if you want to win titles.
'Leaders don't do that. Even if they don't have a great game, they have the presence and talent to elevate everyone else around them.
'They guide you through matches and you get results in matches where you weren't necessarily the best team because of the leadership qualities that your experienced players show.
'When those two players weren't even on the radar at Manchester United, that was a wake-up call. Wow! How times have changed at the football club.'
United's dismal league form and premature exit from the Champions League have led to The future of manager Erik ten Hag is being intensively examined.
Sheringham, who won three league titles and the Champions League during his time at Old Trafford, believes the Dutchman will be 'very happy' if he keeps his job after the summer.
“You can't get results like that and continue with your job,” the former striker added. 'I know they are in an FA Cup final, I would like to see Manchester United beat Manchester City, but that would require a terrible performance from City and a brilliant performance from Man United.
'It is unheard of for a club as big as Manchester United to be such a huge underdog in a final. It just underlines the size of the gap between the two clubs at the moment.”
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