“Could have been absolutely fantastic”: Schmeichel predicts United will regret selling 23-yo powerhouse

Legendary former Manchester United shot-stopper Peter Schmeichel believes the club are on the verge of making a huge mistake in the upcoming transfer window. The former Denmark international signed for the Red Devils for an approximate fee of £500,000 and went on to make 398 appearances for the club, keeping an astonishing 180 clean sheets. Across an eight-year spell at the club, Schmeichel won five Premier League titles, three FA Cups, and captained the team in the 1999 Champions League final, helping the team to complete the historic treble. Impressive recent recruitment After a number of poor signings over the last decade, including big-money flops Antony, Andre Onana and Jadon Sancho, the club enjoyed a stellar transfer window last summer. Bryan Mbuemo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko were signed to reinvent the Red Devils’ forward line, and the trio have certainly done just that. Between them, the three players have over thirty goal involvements, and all of them have certainly benefitted from Bruno Fernandes‘ potentially record-breaking season. Moreover, young Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens was brought in to replace Andre Onana and has brought some much-needed stability between the sticks. The talented young stopper has kept six clean sheets in a truly impressive debut season. Fans will be hoping United can produce a similarly brilliant performance in the transfer market this season to bulk out the squad for the upcoming return to the Champions League. Are United making an error? While United’s recent recruitment has been rightfully lauded by many, Schmeichel is worried the Red Devils might live to regret potentially selling his compatriot, Rasmus Hojlund. The 23-year-old Dane, who was signed for £72 million, enjoyed a solid debut season at the club, finding the back of the net 16 times in all competitions. He struggled during his second season, though, managing to score only four goals and often drifting on the periphery of games. This resulted in the club loaning the young striker to Napoli for the season. “I think the deal is if Napoli qualify for the Champions League then they are obliged to sign Rasmus Hojlund permanently,” Schmeichel said on ‘The Good, The Bad & The Football’ podcast. “So that’s a bit of a shame because I like Hojlund by the way and think he could have been absolutely fantastic.” “But I don’t think he wants to come back and I don’t think he can because Napoli have already qualified for the Champions League.” Nicky Butt agreed with the sentiment, and even expressed concerns that Sesko could wind up with a similar fate. He said, “What they did with Hojlund was wrong because they brought a young boy in who’s not got any Premier League experience and asked him to carry Manchester United.” “I’m scared they’re going to do that with Sesko. I know Sesko has done really well of late but they still need to get another centre forward, we had four top players in that position.” Only time will tell if Hojlund does leave Old Trafford and whether Schmeichel is right and the hierarchy at Old Trafford will live to regret their decision. The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Mike Walsh Mike Walsh is an experienced freelance journalist who has written about a variety of topics over multiple years. He is very happy to finally be writing about the Red Devils, especially now that his favourite player, Michael Carrick, is in charge of the team.