Watford forward Troy Deeney has questioned Manchester United’s transfer policy after they sold Romelu Lukaku only to sign Odion Ighalo a few months later.
After joining from Everton in the summer of 2017, the Belgium international scored 41 goals in all competitions for United, before departing for Inter Milan in the summer, but Deeney feels United’s supporters were far too critical of the forward during his two seasons at Old Trafford.
But after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side failed to land a replacement last summer, the club were forced to dip into the January transfer market, and captured Ighalo from Shanghai Shenhua on deadline day.
And Deeney believes that not only have United been spoiled by having a wealth of attacking options to choose from over the years, but the signing of Ighalo was a reality check that the club needed.
“The hit they took on Lukaku is mad, when you think about it,'' the Hornets skipper told United Stand.
“They let Lukaku go and then they had to go and get Ighalo. Iggy has hit the ground running there, he will always score goals. But yeah, Lukaku?
“They’re both my boys. Look at his goal record. And what’s he paid to do? Score goals.
“When he was at Everton, ‘Ah, we need someone like him, he’d be great at United’ then you get him and it’s, ‘Ah, his first touch is bad’ but he scored like 60 goals, you know? ‘Nah, not good enough. His touch isn’t good enough.’
“It’s not what you’re used to. Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, [Teddy] Sheringham, [Ruud] Van Nistelrooy… these are all people you’re looking at. Even if you look at [Diego] Forlan, Forlan was sick as well… you can keep going, Michael Owen for that short time as well, and say this is what we’re used to seeing.
”‘Yeah, you score but we can’t put you in the same conversation as an Andy Cole. Andy Cole’s touch was better or was Andy Cole was faster’, it’s always going to be fighting back.
“The problem is with social media now is everybody’s got an opinion. That’s the problem.”
