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Manchester United legend Gary Neville has called on his former club to try to sell Mason Mount in order to raise funds to rebuild their defence and midfield.
Sunday’s 3-2 win over Liverpool at Old Trafford secured the club’s return to the Champions League next season, with Michael Carrick having now overseen 10 wins in 14 games since taking the role of interim manager.
He is in pole position to land the role full-time this summer – but Neville believes the squad needs significant surgery if United are to complete on domestic and European fronts.
‘Michael Carrick will be very happy tonight but I think he will also be disappointed deep down that they haven’t gone on to win that game 3-0 or 4-0,’ Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast after United had thrown away a two-goal lead against their bitter rivals, only for Kobbie Mainoo to hit a winner.
‘They should have killed that game and put Liverpool to sleep because they were nowhere near this football match. He’s won the game and that’s the most important thing but Carrick won’t be fooled by some of what he saw in that second half.
Mason Mount has suffered an injury-hit three seasons at Old Trafford
Former Man United star Neville believes his old club should look to ‘trade’ Mount this summer
‘He will know he needs to rebuild the defence and midfield. If you’re going to play 4-4-2, which I am massively in favour of United doing, you have to have two very special players in there and defenders who can play one-on-one.
‘You’re asking a lot of the players. I think United need a left-back for next season because Luke Shaw has played every game this year and he may struggle. They need a centre-back, 100 per cent, and they need two midfield players.
‘They are the four priorities right now. They’re the players I would look at adding to this squad.’
And they could bring in another star, Neville argued, if they sell Mount – who joined from Chelsea in a £60m deal in 2023 but has been restricted to just 69 appearances having suffered a series of injuries.
The 27-year-old joined from Stamford Bridge on a contract that runs to June 2028, with the option of a further year.
‘Look, if you could then maybe trade Mason Mount for someone else who maybe can play in and out and can be a bit more flexible across the midfield and forward line then I would say go for a fifth,’ said Neville.
‘But if you can’t, I would say those four areas are the priority and they’ve got to be top-notch, those players.’
