Ralf Rangnick insists Manchester United have 'leadership problem' as he questions transfer business | OneFootball

Rangnick spent six months in interim charge at Old Trafford and said he did not know who was in charge

Ralf Rangnick has claimed Manchester United have had a “leadership problem” for more than a decade, something that was apparent to him in his brief time at the club.

Rangnick was open in his opinions of the club at the time, claiming “open heart surgery” was needed to recover and get back to competing at the top of English football.

"I think we have to go back to 2013, when Sir Alex left the club,” Rangnick told Sport.

“And at the time he was still there, he was the mastermind behind it all. He probably also brought a lot of important people to the club.

"And the moment he left, some of those people probably left the club as well. And, since then, I think they have a leadership problem.

"Who's really making the decisions and why are they making them? Are they really the best people for the job? I can only tell you that the six months I was there, it was difficult to say, even for me as head coach.

"Who were the decision-makers? Who? Who could I talk to? If we wanted to sign new players, it was difficult. There were people, but in the end, it was difficult."

After a heavy defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in 2022, Rangnick stated that United were six years behind their big rivals and needed to improve on their transfer business.

Rangnick, now in charge of the Austria national team, insists that has not happened, with the club focusing on the wrong profile of player.

"If I were the owner or sporting director of a club, I would only try to sign and invest in young players,” he said. “Because no matter how you look at it, it only makes sense.

"Does it make sense to spend £30, 40, 50 million on a 28 or 30-year-old signing? Not really.

"Let's calculate it. You sign a 28 or 30-year-old with a five-year contract. You spend £50m more on the transfer fee, an average of £15m per year multiplied by five.

"That's £65m plus the £50m transfer fee equals £115m, plus the agents' fees. The whole operation costs you around £130m."