Man Utd sent Leny Yoro warning amid £36m ‘red flag’ for Erik ten Hag

Manchester United have been told they may be asking too much of new signing Leny Yoro and fellow summer recruit Joshua Zirkzee is something of a “red flag”.

Man United have not been shy in splashing the cash this summer, with 18-year-old Yoro signing from Lille in a £52m deal and 23-year-old striker Zirkzee joining for £36m from Bologna.

The Red Devils are also targeting centre-back duo Jarrad Branthwaite of Everton and Matthijs De Ligt of Bayern Munich, while they also have their eye on Benfica midfielder Joao Neves and Paris Saint-Germain star Manuel Ugarte.

While much of United’s squad needs strengthening, defence is perhaps the biggest cause for concern. Last season, Erik ten Hag’s men faced more shots than the vast majority of Premier League teams and shipped 58 goals; which, albeit, was the joint fifth-best in the division.

Questions have repeatedly been asked of United centre-backs Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, Lisandro Martinez has had multiple injuries, and Jonny Evans has struggled at times, too.

DON’T MISS: Ratcliffe at it again as Man Utd launch optimistically low bid for Matthijs de Ligt

Now, club legend Dwight Yorke believes a lot will be asked of teenager Yoro in the Premier League and the fact that Zirkzee isn’t playing regularly for the Netherlands, with the 6ft 4in forward only called into the Euros squad after an injury to Ronald Koeman’s 26-man squad, is a cause for concern.

He added that the Red Devils have signed “middle of the road players” in recent years rather than the “creme de la creme” and that is why they have struggled so much, with Ten Hag’s side finishing eighth in the Premier League last season.

‘Difficult’ time for Yoro amid Zirkzee ‘red flag’

Yorke told BoyleSports: “Manchester United are bringing in Leny Yoro and asking an 18-year-old to come in at such a difficult time and asking them to help raise your own level. The Premier League is the toughest place to sort of apply your trade for the first time.

“Then you’ve got Joshua Zirkzee who seems to have a decent season with Bologna and could make an impact, but you have to ask why he is not a starter for Holland?

“That’s a red flag for me when you come in at the United for that sort of fee. In recent years the club have brought in middle of the road players rather than the creme de la creme players that they should be getting.”

READ MORE: Man Utd flop ‘excited’ by PSG offer with blockbuster swap deal to entice Ratcliffe

Zirkzee, who was also linked with Arsenal and AC Milan before moving to Old Trafford, scored 12 goals and bagged seven assists for Bologna last term.

But he was initially left out of the Dutch squad, with manager Koeman preferring ex-United loanee Wout Weghorst and former Atletico Madrid forward Memphis Depay in attack.

“United should be signing the very best players in Holland and the best players in whatever national team they are playing for, United are not in the position to do that anymore and it worries me,” Yorke added.

“I’m not saying the kid is not a good player. I’m not saying that he definitely can’t go and light up the Premier League, but why is he not playing in the Holland first team? Does that mean he can’t be that great for United? But we can only judge him on that at the end of the season.”