Former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has urged the club to avoid signing marquee stars this summer amid links with a move for Neymar.
Herrera spent five years at Old Trafford, winning the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League, before moving to PSG on a free transfer where he was teammates with Neymar for three seasons. Despite winning three major trophies during his time at United, Herrera was never part of a side which truly competed for the Premier League.
They did finish second during the 2017-18 campaign, but were still a whopping 19 points off champions Manchester City. And Herrera believes one of United's biggest mistakes during his time there was failing to adequately balance the squad, with club chiefs signing too many big name stars similar to Neymar.
The Brazilian is said to be interested in a move to Old Trafford this summer, with L'Equipe claiming that United are in advanced talks to sign him. However, Herrera has warned United against trying to "sign stars" and instead urged them to bring in more "team players".
Speaking to Manchester United's Scandinavian supporters club, he said: "When you make a building you have to start from the foundations, and sometimes I saw that the club tried to sign stars and stars and stars but we needed sometimes team players, you know what I mean?
"I don't know if one day I will be something [a coach or director] in my club, in Real Zaragoza, the club that I love – or here in Bilbao, or Manchester, I don't know! – but you can make sure that I will always start from the bottom of the building, from the first step, because you need the basis to create something important.
"We can see even Manchester City, it’s painful for us, very, very painful, but they started from the back. You remember when they signed Kyle Walker, when they signed Vincent Kompany, Nicolas Otamendi, Fernandinho. They are not going to make you win trophies, but without them you are not going to win, that's for sure.
"And now I think United have done it, with Lisandro Martinez – I love Lisandro! – and I love Casemiro, the way he plays: for the club, for the badge. But sometimes I saw that they tried to sign stars when we needed a base, something to make those stars shine."
Herrera went on to outline what his philosophy would be for United this summer, stating that they should look to "sign players that give you that balance". He added: "If I was the sporting director of the club I would try to have two players per position.
"It's not always the same because you always have one in a better moment than the other, but try to make a team where the injuries or the changes or the bad moments of the players doesn't affect the team. For example, now Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.
"I think it was right to bring Malacia to the club because you can see, when Luke cannot play, Malacia is doing great. You have the example now of Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka – Wan-Bissaka now is in a great moment.
"You know what I mean? I don't control the market right now, who is available or who you can sign or who you cannot, but I would try to sign players that give you that balance to the team.
"For example I remember a season where we had Radamel Falcao, Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, we had so many attacking players and then in the midfield you had to put Wayne Rooney because we did not have enough players. I would try to make that balance, and then with that solidity you can make the stars shine. That's my philosophy."
