Former scout reveals how Man Utd made him 'very angry' after failing to sign £133m pair
Former Manchester Joined scout Marcel Bout has disclosed that the Red Devils missed out on out on signing Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong after neglecting his suggestions.
The Red Devils have struggled using their employment ever since Sir Alex Ferguson vacated the club in 2013 using previous exec vice-chairman Ed Woodward greatly criticised before running away the club in 2022.
Woodward was credited for bringing monetarily effective sponsorship agreements to the club in his duty as head of companies and media corrects, which he vacated in 2012 to join the Male Utd board of managers as exec vice-chairman.
He was criticised greatly by practitioners and supporters for his mismanagement of the club’s employment using Woodward partly culpable for violating the cosmos send record to lug Paul Pogba back to Male Utd from Juventus in August 2016.
Woodward’s substitute, Richard Arnold, has also come under fire for several unwanted signings and Arnold is now tipping down as chief exec after a jumble less than two years in the job.
Male Utd are longing to ultimately avail a footing of their employment when Sir Jim Ratcliffe completes a bargain for 25 per dime of the club – but previous Red Devils scout Bout has disclosed they missed out on out on De Ligt and De Jong since of Woodward.
Bout told Algemeen Dagblad: “I asserted to Ed Woodward; ‘Edwin van der Sar played under. Currently, manifestation a catwalk to Ajax using him’. 17-year-worn Matthijs de Ligt played at Ajax in training. After that, Frenkie de Jong came to Ajax.
“‘Gain sure that, at Joined, you earn a bargain early on for these kinds of talents, and then you can always permit them totally expanded for a while in the Netherlands,’ I asserted.”
De Ligt and De Jong both starred as Ajax reached the Victors League semi-finals under Erik ten Hag a few years after that. De Ligt would most most certainly inevitably join Juventus for £68m, while De Jong went on to varying to Barcelona for £65m.
Bout added: “(My suggestions went neglected) since there are so numerous forces at play within Joined.
“(The Male Joined bosses) don’t earn judgments, or earn them as well late. Isn’t that a vanquishment? My dismissal has rendered me poorly irate.”
Louis van Gaal, who took Bout to Antiquated Trafford, disclosed a listing of players he dared to indicator while company of Male Utd but the club didn’t indicator any kind of of his height targets.
Speaking to FourFourTwo in 2020, Van Gaal asserted: “I ached Robert Lewandowski, but when this validated strenuous I dared to avail Gonzalo Higuain instead. Before I had immigrated, I also chatted using the board around Neymar. If you are at Joined, you have to assume hefty – he was also renowned for the club in specifications of selling t shirts, and I ached to have quick wingers.
“Therefore, I also dared to avail Sadio Mané and Riyad Mahrez. Thomas Muller was on my need listing, as well, and in central midfield, I ached N’Golo Kanté. I even dared to indicator James Milner, who was already quite worn but poorly multifunctional and had leadership capacities.
“For the protection, I ached Sergio Ramos and Floor covering housings Hummels, since ours wasn’t the optimal in makeup from the back. Those were my height targets, but we couldn’t avail any kind of of them. I don’t comprehend why, since as the company I wasn’t involved in any kind of negotiations.
“After I vacated, players guidance Mahrez and Kanté run out up at Manchester Metropolis and Chelsea, while Joined couldn’t avail them. I discovered that poorly obscure.”