Andrey Santos signing a ‘sackable offence’, says Jamie Redknapp

Jamie Redknapp says whoever signed Andrey Santos for Manchester United should lose their job, calling the Brazilian midfielder “not a Manchester United player”.

United paid Chelsea £50m for the 22-year-old in the summer. The former England midfielder made the comments on The Overlap Daily as pressure on the club’s recruitment team grows.

Santos joined Manchester United from Chelsea for £50m in the summer. Photo: North West Air Ambulance / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Andrey Santos signing a “sackable offence”

Redknapp’s comments were reported by Metro.

“Can I throw one player at you? And this is no disrespect to the boy, because he’s not a bad player, but whoever brought in Andrey Santos, that for me is a sackable offence.

“He is not a Manchester United player. He’s a decent player, he’s okay. But they brought [Youri] Tielemans in just after it.”

He also questioned the thinking behind United’s whole midfield rebuild.

“What makes them think, ‘Okay, I’m going to get two midfield players’, when I’ve got [Kobbie] Mainoo there – three very similar players that haven’t got any athleticism to get round the pitch?”

Recruitment chief in the firing line

Redknapp was told that United’s director of recruitment, Christopher Vivell, knew Santos from his time at Chelsea. That only made it worse in his eyes.

“Even worse, then. I’d let them off the hook if they didn’t know him.”

Vivell’s role in the rebuild was already under scrutiny, as our look at the next Man Utd manager candidates explains.

How Andrey Santos has fared at Man Utd

United needed midfielders in the summer. Casemiro had left Old Trafford, and Manuel Ugarte suffered a serious knee ligament injury playing for Uruguay at the World Cup.

They spent around £150m on three midfielders, according to Football365: Santos, Carlos Baleba and Tielemans. All three have made slow starts. So far, United’s midfield has not done enough to protect a leaky defence.

Santos played only 47 times for Chelsea before his move and has struggled to hold down a place. He was dropped to the bench as United came from behind to beat Roma 3-2 in the Champions League earlier this month, as our Manchester United vs Roma line-ups showed. Read the Manchester United 3-2 Roma match report for how the game played out.

Redknapp’s point is about profile as much as quality. He feels United bought three similar midfielders who lack pace and energy.

Gerrard had the same doubts

Redknapp is not the first big name to question the deal. Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard said something similar on The Overlap last month, as reported by Football365.

“I’m not sure Andrey Santos was the right signing for Manchester United at £50m.”

Gerrard also said Santos was “not a Manchester United player”, before turning his attention to the wider midfield.

“Manchester United’s midfield is way off that level. It’s way off that level.”

Schmeichel slams United’s transfer window

Peter Schmeichel also hit out at the club’s summer business on The Overlap Daily, according to The Independent. The former United goalkeeper said defenders were the obvious priority.

“They got through a whole transfer window without signing a single defender. You can’t win games if you concede 30 goals in 10 games… that was not addressed.”

He added that the way Carrick’s exit is playing out is “very disrespectful” to the head coach.

Carrick set to pay the price

United are 18th in the Premier League, and the poor start looks set to cost Michael Carrick his job. The club have not made an official announcement yet.

Mauricio Pochettino is the frontrunner to replace him, as we reported in Man Utd finalising Pochettino deal. Phil Neville has already warned that United face a relegation fight if things do not change.

Whoever is in charge will need more from the summer signings, and the January window could bring changes. For now, Redknapp’s verdict on Santos is brutal, and the young Brazilian has plenty to prove before the season is out.

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FAQ

What did Jamie Redknapp say about Andrey Santos?
Redknapp said Santos is “not a Manchester United player” and that whoever signed him had committed “a sackable offence”.

How much did Man Utd pay for Andrey Santos?
United paid Chelsea £50m for Santos in the summer.

Who is Man Utd’s director of recruitment?
Christopher Vivell, who knew Santos from his time at Chelsea.

Which midfielders did Man Utd sign in the summer?
Andrey Santos, Carlos Baleba and Youri Tielemans, for a combined fee of around £150m.