Manchester United have been handed a painful reminder of a transfer blunder from the summer of 2024.
Paris Saint-Germain star Joao Neves produced a jaw-dropping masterclass in Portugal’s 9-1 demolition of Armenia on Sunday.
Both he and Bruno Fernandes fired stunning hat-tricks, stepping up brilliantly in Cristiano Ronaldo’s absence to drag their nation to a statement victory.
It is a partnership that could have been dazzling at Old Trafford every week, had United pushed harder to bring Neves to Manchester last summer.
Instead, the Red Devils opted to sign Manuel Ugarte from PSG, while Neves moved in the opposite direction to replace him.
PSG invested around £50 million to prise the Portuguese sensation away from Benfica, a fee that now looks like daylight robbery.
United believed Ugarte offered the perfect profile, a midfielder who could instantly handle the intensity and physicality of English football.
The 24-year-old was also viewed as the ideal ball-winner to take over from the ageing Casemiro.
Neves was seen as a hybrid of a number six and a number eight.
United’s lack of UEFA Champions League football further weakened their pull, allowing PSG to swoop in uncontested.
Fast-forward just 12 months, and Neves has exploded into one of the world’s most complete midfielders, playing a pivotal role in PSG’s Champions League triumph last season.
Meanwhile, Ugarte has started only twice this campaign and was on the receiving end of a brutal dressing-down from Ruben Amorim at the end of last season.
United fans cannot help but imagine how unstoppable their midfield might have been with Neves and Fernandes orchestrating games together under Amorim.
Stats from Fotmob.com
