Steven Gerrard has publicly questioned Manchester United’s decision to sign Andrey Santos for £50 million, suggesting the midfielder is not suited for the high demands of the club. The 22-year-old joined the Red Devils this summer from Chelsea, having previously spent time on loan at Strasbourg, but his limited impact has drawn skepticism from the former Liverpool captain.
Reflecting on United’s broader midfield rebuild, Gerrard noted that Santos arrived alongside Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba, who were acquired for £35 million and £65 million, respectively. Despite these investments, Gerrard remains unconvinced by the recruitment strategy. The 22-year-old was part of a midfield rebuild at Old Trafford which also saw Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba join the club for £35m and £65m respectively.
Midfield Performance and Standards
- Andrey Santos’s Premier League playtime: 83 minutes.
- Recent Premier League starts: Only on the opening day against Hull City.
- Other competitive starts: Carabao Cup match against Brighton, ending in a 3-2 defeat.
- Gerrard’s Verdict: “He’s not a Manchester United player.”
Speaking on The Overlap, Gerrard emphasized that the standard for a Manchester United midfielder must be world-class, citing the consistency required to challenge for league titles. He argued that while players like Kobbie Mainoo possess potential, they are not yet at the required world-class level. He described the current Manchester United midfield as being “way off that level” compared to the elite standards of past legends like Roy Keane and Michael Carrick. Having missed the start of the season through injury, while Tielemans has looked suspect at best alongside Kobbie Mainoo, baleba impressed off the bench on his debut for United against Tottenham on Saturday. “I just think to play in Manchester United’s midfield every single game, every single weekend, you’d expect to compete for the Premier League and the Champions League. “Forget the other cups, because obviously you try and win them as you go along, but the priority is the league and the Champions League. From whatever I’ve known and competed against United, that has been for decades. “Your midfield players have got to be world-class, they’ve got to be world-class, they’ve got to be consistently world-class, because when it comes to the business end, you’re going to be competing against, if you go to Arsenal, Declan Rice, for example, he’s creeping into that level, and Martin Odegaard, they’re world-level players. Week out and affect games, when it comes down to when the prizes are given out, or Champions League semi-finals, quarter-finals, I think he’d be found out against PSG, to be consistent week in.
Gerrard drew comparisons to title-challenging Liverpool teams that relied on high-intensity, world-class performers like Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum. He suggested that United’s current squad lacks the necessary consistency to perform at that peak level week in, week out.
Additional Sport Updates
Beyond the Premier League, other football developments have emerged
- Bento’s Mistake: A critical error by Al-Nassr’s Brazilian goalkeeper, Bento, prevented the team from securing the Saudi League title this Tuesday. The match remained at 1-0 in favor of Cristiano Ronaldo’s side until the 53rd minute of the second half, when the error occurred.
- Upcoming Fixtures (October 15-16, 2026): Several matches are scheduled, including RFS against SK Super Nova on October 15, and Obolon Kyiv facing Veres Rivne on October 16.
- Youth and Reserve Schedules: Various fixtures for clubs like Eintracht Frankfurt II, FC K’Lautern II, and Austria II are set to proceed tomorrow, starting at 22:30.
The critique of Santos comes amidst broader scrutiny regarding Manchester United’s recruitment strategy, with reports suggesting internal regret over transfer priorities. Despite the criticism, the club remains focused on January planning, aiming to improve the squad’s performance under its current configuration.
