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Why Sir Alex Ferguson will LOVE Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first new Man Utd signing - Hislop
MANCHESTER UNITED signing Daniel James would start to bring back the values Sir Alex Ferguson had at the club when it came to transfers.
Man Utd signing James going back to Ferguson era claims Hislop
That is the opinion of ESPN FC pundit and former West Ham goalkeeper Shaka Hislop.
Manchester United are said to have agreed a £15million fee for Swansea winger James.
The 21-year-old looks set to become Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s first signing as United manager.
James came through the academy at Swansea and played for Wales’ youth sides before making his senior debut under Ryan Giggs towards the end of 2018.
It’s a signal that says Manchester United are going back to what they do and what’s brought them success
Hislop admits the signing of James will not make an immediate impact in terms of closing the gap on title-challenging rivals Manchester City and Liverpool.
However, he says it will start to bring back the youth policy that was so successful under Ferguson.
“It’s a signal that says Manchester United are going back to what they do and what’s brought them success,” Hislop said.
“And why I say that is, listen he’s not going to solve their problems, but I spoke to Sir Alex Ferguson a couple of years ago and he was telling me that in his blueprint for success in building Manchester United to the club that it is now, the academy was always his focus.
“You had to have a strong academy, you had to bring young players though, you had to give those young players an opportunity.
“Maybe bit by bit early on but then bed them into the team over a longer process.
“And then you would bring players in, those big-money signings, to fill the gaps where the academy didn’t really have that talent coming through, to lend the experience, to lend the kind of steel to Manchester United.
“But this was all bought on a strong academy and good youth players coming through.
“So this signing, again, doesn’t move them any closer to City or Liverpool, but it moves them closer to what Manchester United had been, or certainly how they started under Sir Alex Ferguson.”
James has played 37 times for Swansea this season, scoring five goals.
He has netted once in his two caps for Wales.