Manchester United have been accused of "living in the past too much" with major names now preferring moves to the likes of rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.
The Red Devils have found it difficult to secure headline names in the transfer market with Michael Carrick preparing for his first full season. The club have made midfield additions a priority this summer, but have missed out on some of the players they've been linked with.
Missed targets
Elliot Anderson made a £116million move to City having been linked with United, but ultimately decided that the blue half of Manchester was a better fit. Sandro Tonali was another name reportedly on the United radar, but he made a club-record £100m switch to Tottenham.
So far Carrick has seen Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos arrive at Old Trafford, but more was expected of United this summer. Ruud Gullit believes top players want to join other clubs in England with the Red Devils struggling to evolve as their league title drought extends to 13 years.
Gullit's criticism
He told NY Sports Day: "Manchester United sometimes live in the past too much. You have to adapt to modern developments. Since Sir Alex Ferguson left, football has evolved rapidly. Clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City adapted far better to modern tactical interpretations. That’s why top players wanted to join those coaches and stay there, whereas United struggled to attract the very best talent."
Mateus Fernandes was another player linked with a move to Manchester, but the midfielder ultimately moved to Tottenham for £85m. Real Madrid's Aurelien Tchouameni was another on their radar, but the Old Trafford hierarchy have also been criticised for their refusal to challenge their rivals when it comes to transfer fees.
Previous success
United were able to bolster their forward line this time 12 months ago with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko all joining. That trio helped the club blossom in the second half of the season as Carrick led them to a third place finish - and a Champions League return.
That was done with the club having no European football and going out of both cup competitions at the first hurdle - meaning they played just 40 times all season.
This year Carrick will have to attempt to compete across four fronts, putting a greater strain on the squad's resources. As a result new arrivals were a must and the club are still eyeing up reinforcements at left-back and in attack, especially with some players potentially leaving Old Trafford.
