Paul Ince 'baffled' by £50m Andrey Santos transfer as Man Utd legend issues verdict on Marcus Rashford return

Ince questions Santos transfer strategy

Speaking to

"Whether [Manuel] Ugarte comes back, I don’t know, but they’ve signed the lad Santos from Chelsea for £50m, which is a lot of money for someone like him. I think the jury’s still out on that one," Ince explained. "So to spend £50m on a young central midfield player when you’ve got [Kobbie] Mainoo coming through the ranks, kind of baffled me a bit."

Competition for places in midfield

United have also brought in

"Obviously Tielemans I think is a fantastic player. More of a Fernandes type of player, but a very good player," Ince said.

Regarding Mainoo, he added: "Towards the back end of the season, he started to tackle, win balls, set things up, get himself in the box, make things happen. And he looks a completely different player."

Carrick urged to support Rashford

Aside from midfield changes, Rashford's future remains a significant talking point. The forward impressed during a loan spell with Barcelona, registering 14 goals and 14 assists, but his permanent future is unresolved following his struggles under Ruben Amorim. Ince is confident that Carrick can unlock his true potential. "I think Carrick can get the best out of him. I really, really do," Ince stated.

"If Carrick just puts his arm around him and says, 'Yeah, listen, you know, I want you at the club, I need you at the club. This is where you’re going to play. This is what you’re going to do.' Then I believe you’re going to see a very, very good Rashford for Manchester United."

What next for Manchester United?

United will look to build momentum ahead of the new Premier League campaign. After bouncing back from an initial defeat with a 5-0 victory over Rosenborg, they face Atletico Madrid in Stockholm this weekend. Further warm-up clashes against Paris Saint-Germain, Leeds United and AC Milan await before kicking off their domestic season away against Hull City on August 22.