“It is amazing how Erik Ten Hag has managed to fill Manchester United with second rate players. Especially him, he’s not even worth 25% of the amount he was bought for. He is even worse than the player that he is supposed to replace and that’s just bizarre” – Marco van Basten has criticized Manchester United’s £50m transfer as ‘bizarre,’ claiming the player isn’t even worth a quarter of that amount.

Marco van Basten has criticized Manchester United’s decision to sign Manuel Ugarte, stating that the midfielder is “not even worth a quarter” of his £50.5 million transfer fee.

Ugarte joined United from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, with Erik ten Hag looking to bolster the defensive midfield.

The Uruguayan has made five appearances, starting in United’s 3-0 defeat to Tottenham on September 29, but has been an unused substitute in their last two games against Porto and Aston Villa.

Van Basten argued on Ziggo Sport’s ‘Rondo’ show that Ugarte doesn’t meet United’s required level, calling the transfer “really bizarre.”

When it was pointed out that Van Basten might not be familiar with Ugarte after watching only two of his United games, the former Ajax and AC Milan striker responded: “No, but even from that match, I could already tell he’s not worth even a quarter of that fee.”

Van Basten further stated: “It’s true that the top clubs like Real Madrid, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, and Arsenal attract the best players, while he consistently brings in second-rate talent. The team hasn’t improved.

“He’s still a good coach, but when you look at the transfer strategy and the players brought in for £700 million, I don’t see any value in that; they’re still poorly organized.

“There isn’t a standout player to take charge and lead.

“Just a few years ago, Marcus Rashford was an outstanding player, but now he seems unable to do anything; it’s unbelievable. It’s odd to see a player who was once a world star in this situation.”