The Guardian has reported that the struggles of Pogba, Sancho, and other players serve as a wake-up call for Carrick in rebuilding Manchester United. In previous years, Manchester United was eager to sign major stars, hoping to boost jersey sales and attract commercial sponsorships through their star power. This strategy reached its peak with Ronaldo's acquisition. Under such a transfer policy, many renowned stars failed to deliver value at Manchester United, and most have since faded.

In football, five years is a long time. The summer of 2021 is now viewed as a turning point in Solskjaer's tenure as manager. The most notable move at that time was the emotionally charged signing of Ronaldo. After years of steady development, Manchester United lost direction.

Yet at that moment, even before Ronaldo's arrival, there was still optimism at Old Trafford. Manchester United won their opening Premier League match, and there was widespread discussion that, after Ferguson's retirement, Manchester United finally had a genuine chance to compete for the league title. After all, the club had just acquired England's most sought-after young talent on the transfer market – Jadon Sancho. The club hoped this £74 million recruit, together with Bruno Fernandes, midfielder Paul Pogba, and several other talented forwards, would form a formidable attacking force.

In that opening match, Sancho came on as a substitute, while Pogba was at the peak of his performance, providing four assists against Leeds United, matching the Premier League record for most assists in a single match. Manchester United also had Donny Van de Beek, signed in 2020 for £35 million, and many hoped this Ajax prospect would flourish. Additionally, there were academy products Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, and Anthony Martial. Whether the team still needed Ronaldo seemed irrelevant; Solskjaer had plenty of attacking talent to work with.

Many of these players have since gradually faded, with Pogba and Sancho even becoming free agents. This may also suggest that despite Solskjaer's best intentions, this group of players ultimately struggled to develop chemistry at Manchester United. At that time, the Norwegian manager, supported by Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna, attempted to shift the team's playing style from counter-attacking to one based more on possession and control. However, after a series of painful defeats, including home losses to title rivals Manchester City and Liverpool, morale in the dressing room became irreparable.

"We have to play like Manchester United," Solskjaer said in a 2024 episode of 'Stick to Football'. "We can't just sit back and counter-attack; we have to be brave and face our opponents head-on. If we don't, being at Manchester United loses its meaning. But we weren't ready at that time; we simply weren't strong enough."

Pogba and Sancho are prime examples of flawed transfer planning at Manchester United during Solskjaer's tenure, and even during Woodward's time as CEO. Years after Ferguson's retirement, Manchester United was desperate to sign major stars, hoping to boost jersey sales and attract commercial sponsorships through their star appeal.

This strategy culminated in Ronaldo's signing: the Glazer family believed that reclaiming the Manchester United legend from Manchester City would be a major PR victory in terms of public perception.

Pogba's signing in 2016 and Sancho's in 2021, with a combined investment of £163 million, marked the beginning and end of Woodward's era of lavish spending in Manchester United's transfer strategy, and also reflected the club's chaotic decision-making logic. Manchester United promoted both deals on social media as homecomings, with Sancho's announcement slogan being "This is home, he belongs here." But especially the former Dortmund winger clearly was not ready to bear such immense pressure.

Solskjaer later revealed that Sancho suffered an ear infection and was hospitalized shortly after completing his transfer, which directly delayed his recovery. "Sancho was the best player we could get at that time," the Norwegian manager said. "We wanted to take a step forward, change our playing style, and bring in a player who could break down opposition defences in the final third. Jadon's technique and ability to connect play could bring something different."

Sancho's Manchester United career proved disappointing, evident from the fact that his departure this summer barely caused a ripple. The 26-year-old winger quietly left after his contract expired. In the past three years, he barely saw playing time, having been loaned out to Dortmund, Chelsea, and Aston Villa. Sancho remains a free agent, with major European clubs no longer pursuing him, and this summer has seen only occasional transfer rumours.

Pogba's situation is similar yet more complex. He has just been released by Monaco. After leaving Manchester United at the end of the 2021-22 season, the French international returned to his former club Juventus. However, due to repeated injuries and a doping ban, he made only 12 appearances for Juventus before the club terminated his contract. Following an appeal, Pogba's four-year ban was reduced to 18 months, which he called the "end of his dream," and he subsequently signed with Monaco. However, the World Cup-winning midfielder made only 6 appearances for the Ligue 1 club before becoming a free agent again. Will any club still be willing to take a chance on this 31-year-old player?

Rashford made a rather awkward return to Manchester United this summer, after the club approved his loan moves to Aston Villa and Barcelona. Fernandes is the only player from Solskjaer's attacking era who has remained at Old Trafford since 2021 and has consistently performed well.

Greenwood last played for Manchester United in the 2021-22 season, after which he was arrested on suspicion of rape and suspended by the club. In February 2023, prosecutors dropped the charges against him. He was initially loaned to Getafe, transferred to Marseille in 2024, and then moved to Fenerbahce this summer.

Martial could never compete with Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani for the starting position up front and never regained his peak form. Like Pogba and Sancho, he is now also a free agent, his last job being at Monterrey in Mexico.

Van de Beek left Manchester United in 2024 with a transfer fee of only £423,000 and is now attempting to revive his career at Girona.

The rise and fall of these players serves as a cautionary tale. Carrick is now attempting to reshape Manchester United's playing style and close the gap with top Premier League teams, and he will surely learn from this.

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