Michael Owen: Premier League legend issues Manchester United verdict and makes Harry Kane claim | OneFootball

United have struggled badly with their recruitment in the past

Michael Owen has claimed that Manchester United do not have the right “environment” to help top players perform at their peak.

The former Ballon d’Or winner made 31 appearances in a United shirt, scoring five times for the club.

This summer, Ruben Amorim’s side signed Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, and Senne Lammens.

But Owen doesn’t think that United has the right setting for players to truly perform at their best.

“You put Joe Bloggs, an average player into Liverpool's team now, and you just watch him,” Owen told Rio Ferdinand on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast.

“You'd buy him for a million quid, you'd be able to sell him for 30 [million]. I'm not saying he's going to be world-class, but you'd sell him for 30 million in a few years.

“It's an environment, it's the whole thing. I just think that it's easy to say, oh yeah, but they keep buying bad players. But do they? Yeah, there will be a lot of them, but not all of them were bad.

“When they bought [Angel] Di Maria and millions of them, they weren't all bad. And half the time when they leave, they're all bloody good again.”

Last term, United finished 15th in the Premier League table, and were beaten in the Europa League final by Tottenham.

This season, they have won just one of their opening three league games, and they were humiliated by Grimsby Town in the second round of the League Cup, losing on penalties to the League Two side at Blundell Park.

“It will come eventually. Man United will win the league in 10 years, won't they?

“Nobody could look at you and say [they have] no chance. It could be in four years. It could be eight.”

One player Owen believes United missed the boat on was Harry Kane, who departed Spurs in 2023 to join Bayern Munich.

United had been linked previously with the England captain, but did not make a move for the striker.

“Harry Kane should have happened a couple of years ago,” Owen said.

“They could have got him, I think. They do need an environment.”