Gary Neville names the two players Man Utd needed to sign this summer to challenge for the Premier League

Gary Neville has named the two players Manchester United needed to sign in order to challenge for the Premier League title this season.

Erik ten Hag has had the worst possible start to the new campaign, picking up just two wins from United's opening five Premier League matches.

A 3-1 defeat to Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday added insult to injury, with the Red Devils slipping to 13th in the table.

That is despite spending £176.9m on new recruits, including Mason Mount, Andre Onana, Ramus Hojlund, Altay Bayindir, Jonny Evans. Meanwhile, Sofyan Amrabat and Sergio Reguilon arrived on loan.

But former United defender Neville reckons they needed to sign Declan Rice and Harry Kane in order to challenge for the league title this season.

On his own podcast for Sky Sports, Neville explained: "I was worried at the start of the season.

"There was this feeling Manchester United had got their business done early in the transfer window and that was good, but I was concerned the players they had brought in wouldn't improve them from last season. I never thought for one second they would challenge Manchester City and Arsenal from the players they brought in.

"That would have needed a Harry Kane-type signing or Declan Rice, as an example. They didn't have the money to do those types of signings."

United were linked with both players over the summer, but were beaten to his signature.

Rice ended up joining Arsenal for a club-record fee of £105 million from West Ham, with the 24-year-old scoring a stoppage time winner for the Gunners against United prior to the international break.

Meanwhile, Kane signed for Bayern Munich for a reported £86 million, with Ten Hag adding young Danish striker Hojlund to his weaponry instead.

Neville went on to discuss fans' low expectations of United, admitting they weren't surprised to lose to Brighton.

"They're not very good at the moment," Neville said of United. "There's no hysteria. I went to the Brighton game as a fan thinking: 'Could I be surprised?'

"You're always optimistic. I have never walked over that forecourt at Old Trafford and not been optimistic because that's the job of a football fan going to any ground where you support your team.

"But 72,000 Manchester United fans in that stadium, who are informed and know Brighton and know their current team, I don't think any of them were surprised at what they saw. Before the game there was that feeling of, 'Let's see what happens', 'Take a point', those sort of comments speaking to people as you go in."

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Topics: Declan Rice, Football, Gary Neville, Harry Kane, Manchester United, Premier League, Transfers, Erik Ten Hag

Joe Adams

Joe is a Journalist for SPORTbible with a primary focus on football. He has previously covered a number of other sports including boxing, rugby and F1. Wishes he was born left-footed.

@joeadamsjourno