Graeme Souness Names The Player Manchester United Should Never Have Sold

Graeme Souness has criticised Manchester United's recruitment and said the club were wrong to let defender Jonny Evans leave.

Evans came through the ranks at United and went on to make nearly 200 appearances for the club, winning three Premier League titles.

The former Sunderland loanee left for West Bromwich Albion in 2015 after struggling for game-time under Louis van Gaal.

Evans has since performed at a high level for Leicester City, where he's played 117 times and won the FA Cup since signing in a £3.5 million move in 2018.

Image: PA

United have spent big on central defenders like Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly but still had difficulties in their backline in recent times.

Five years on Souness still doesn't understand the sale of Evans, who he feels is better than all of their current centre-backs.

“I look at Manchester United without having any inside detail on how they work," Souness said on talkSPORT.

"I don’t see anyone putting their hand up and saying ‘I signed him, he’s my player’.

“I don’t see anyone taking responsibility. The thing you have to get right at a football club is recruitment and since Fergie went it has been a masterclass in how to get it wrong.

“That’s how I see it. You look at the players they’ve brought in, the players they’ve sold.

“Jonny Evans was allowed to leave. Jonny Evans is better than any centre-half they have now. I just don’t get it.”

Evans was well-liked by Sir Alex Ferguson, who was surprised that Evans was offloaded by United after Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic.

Image: PA

Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill recalled: "There was a conference in France for the coaches and Sir Alex was there talking about it and he openly said to me that he could not believe Van Gaal had sold Jonny from United because having seen him come through, he felt Jonny would spend his whole career at United or certainly to the latter stages of his career."

Souness slated Anthony Martial and Juan Mata in the same interview, as well as slamming the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as interim boss.

Topics: Graeme Souness, Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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