• Premier League

Neville questions United spending spree

Gary Neville claims Manchester United have overpaid for players this summer and questions how manager Louis van Gaal can accommodate all of the club's world class talent.

He also added his voice to the growing number criticising the sale of Danny Welbeck to Arsenal for £16 million, describing the decision to agree the transfer with a key Premier League rival at that price as "strange".

Van Gaal was allowed to spend over £150 million on Radamel Falcao, Angel Di Maria, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo this summer but has still yet to win a competitive game in charge.

Neville, the former United stalwart and England coach, told talkSPORT: "In one sense I am excited because they have signed world class players. People jumped on the bandwagon last year and said they wouldn't attract player.

"They have a massive commercial operation. The have overpaid, there is no doubt about that, but people will still go there. Now Van Gaal has to mould the into the team.

"He asked for three months but I doubt he expected to see what's happened at the start of the season. Pre-season probably lulled him into a false sense of security. They have to get the performances right.

"Falcao tipped them over the edge, it surprised and shocked everyone. How he [Van Gaal] gets them in that team I don't know. How they get Rooney, Di Maria, Van Persie, Falcao, Herrera, Januzaj and Mata into that team I don't know."

Neville's reservations came after the club announced record annual revenue of £433.2m despite an awful season under David Moyes last campaign in which they finished seventh and subsequently missed out on European football.

While United have made a profit, the club have received criticism for the way they conducted their transfer business. Former coach Mike Phelan claimed the sale of homegrown players such as Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley caused United to lose their identity, a viewpoint assistant manager Ryan Giggs did not agree with.

Neville was left puzzled by Welbeck's £16m sale to Arsenal and the former defender said United's decision to offload the striker to a rival - at what he believes is a cheap price - was strange.

"I can't work it out and I know I worked with Welbeck last week [with England], but it's odd. I have to admit I thought the Welbeck sale was a strange one, but that's just me," Neville said.

"Of all the prices paid this summer, there are right backs and left-back galore who have been bought for £14m, £15m, £16m?

'How have Arsenal got him for £16m? I can't work it out. It has helped out a competitor because Arsenal are the team they are fighting for fourth. I am struggling to work out the logic, I can't understand it."

United's executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has warned that, after the club's outlay this summer, he is not expecting to spend big in January.

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