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Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has detailed how Manchester United missed a chance to sign a top forward who went to Liverpool and is now doing well.
Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has revealed that Manchester United scouts rejected a move for Liverpool winger Cody Gakpo, claiming they "didn't rate" the Dutch international.
Manchester United's transfer dealings have been heavily scrutinised in recent years, often overspending on players who failed to deliver while missing out on future stars.
While the arrival of Matheus Cunha signals a potential shift in strategy under Sir Jim Ratcliffe's ownership, the club still lags behind rivals like Liverpool.
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McCarthy, who worked under Erik ten Hag, as the club’s attacking coach, has shed light on United's pursuit of Gakpo, who ultimately joined Liverpool for around £35m in the 2023 winter transfer window.
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Ten Hag and Benni Knew How Gakpo Would Perfectly Fit
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According to McCarthy, Gakpo was Ten Hag's top target, a player they believed would "fit in perfectly" alongside Marcus Rashford.
“Cody Gakpo was the one that we wanted the most and missed out on,” McCarthy told betonlinepromocodes.com as per Football365.
“I think he was the first player that we sat down and discussed, and decided that he was the player who would fit in perfectly. We knew we could play him alongside Marcus Rashford, when Rashy was really on song in 2022. I think we were so close to getting him.
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“At one stage, it was ours to lose. The agent knew Erik, and there were really good talks. The manager asked me to write up a profile for the player and to take it to the scouting department, so they knew my opinion.
“I watched the player, I made my case for why he would be ideal. He could play on the left, he could work as a false nine. With him and Rashford we’d have been strong down the middle and on the left. Then you had Alejandro Garnacho coming through, and we wanted to play him down the right. It would have been perfect.”
McCarthy Slam’s United’s Scouting Department
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The Harambee Stars boss expressed his frustration with the United scouting department who passed on the player as they “did not rate him” due to his ‘low numbers.’
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“Then I was told the scouting department had watched him numerous times and they didn’t rate him. They said the stats weren’t right,” McCarthy added.
“For me, with my experience, I know what you need to deliver at a special club. You don’t need stats to tell you that. The naked eye gives you so much more than just stats. Obviously, the club have a system, and the system won, so he joined Liverpool and won the league. People can say what they like but we tried to bring in great players that would fit.
“I know the manager always takes the blame, but sometimes the club needs to look at itself. Good players escaped our grasp. Erik knew what we needed,” said McCarthy.
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