Patrice Evra Interview - Exclusive August Insights on Stake

We caught up with French football legend and Stake Ambassador Patrice Evra to get his expert take on the latest stories and hottest topics dominating the football world. Evra shared his insights and predictions on the upcoming Premier League season, as well as discussing all things Ligue 1 & Bundesliga

You’ve said you’re a big fan of Aurelien Tchouameni, why haven’t Man United got him yet?

It's every season. I think it's the same. It's the transfer market. United want this player, United want that player, and he signed for another club after that. I don't know, you know, I didn't speak with INEOS or with Carrick about that, but he's definitely a player I would love to see for United. He's aggressive, he can score a goal. He had a difficult time at Madrid. Maybe he wants to change here. He’s more than welcome to come to United. But like I say, I'm not behind the scenes. I'm not talking with the football director or whatever. So I don't have the answer why he's not signing for United.

INEOS own your old club Nice, as well as United - do you think they are doing a good job as co-owners? Are they the right consortium to take United forward?

I mean, this is their second or third season, going into the third. I think people now, they will not be happy if United doesn't win the league or win at least two trophies. I think they are under a lot of pressure. I don't know how they manage to run two clubs, but it must be difficult because you have a big club like Man United and then Nice, a club I played for and I love. Nice are not doing that well and United this season, they did well because they qualified for the Champions League, so they are in the right direction. But I know United fans, I know they forgive, but they expect now United to win. They are like ‘why have Arsenal after 20 years? Why not us as a United, you know, a big club?’ And Liverpool waited for 30 years, Arsenal waited for 20 years, but now it's 13 years. I think the last Premier League we won, I was still playing for the club! So I think the fans won't be nice this year if Carrick and United don't win the league.

Do you think United are doing the right thing moving from Old Trafford to their proposed new stadium? Can that catapult them back to being arguably the world’s biggest team?

This is just a question when you want to be happy with the new generation. As someone of the old generation, I will say no, Old Trafford has a soul. Even with Alex Ferguson, he didn't want to change our dressing room. Our dressing room was smaller than even a district league. So I said ‘come on, boss, you need to change’. But he said ‘this is George Best, Bobby Charlton. This is the history, it's the soul’. So maybe we're going to miss the soul of Old Trafford.We had to win the Champions League and the Premier League in 2008 to have a bigger dressing room, with a screen and everything - we were like kids! There is the soul, but football is different now. Football has become more commercial, it's more of a business. Old Trafford really is getting old. We need a big stadium. Look at what Tottenham did. I think when I went to Tottenham, it's one of the best stadiums in the Premier League by far now. I know Arsenal also have a good stadium. But the problem is the world. The world is changing. The football is changing. So because I like to adapt, I'm like a chameleon. I will say this is a good thing to do. But as a player, as a legend, I will say no, because I don't want to lose Old Trafford, the soul of Old Trafford. Yeah, I think you see that with West Ham. A disaster!

United play Ipswich and Hull in their first two games, it’s a chance to top the table early - should Michael Carrick try to avoid being overconfident?

Yeah, yeah, I won't talk that fast! They are the toughest. And those first games when we were playing, especially with teams that just got promoted, we were maybe winning like 1-0 or 2-1. It was always tough. I don't think they will get carried away. It's a good chance to have six points for all due respect, but it won't be that easy. And trust me, if they don't get six points, people will start to have some doubts about Michael Carrick. And that's the big problem, I think United are more under pressure than those promoted clubs because they say ‘wow, first game, Man United. This is a dream.’ Everyone wants to watch that game, their families are going to record that game or whatever. So they try to impress. They have nothing to lose. They are the toughest games.

Is Bradley Barcola exactly what Liverpool need this summer despite not being a right-wing replacement for Mo Salah? Is his price tag too expensive?

He's not necessarily a Mohamed Salah replacement on the right wing, but they have to forget about that. Because Mo Salah is that, Barcola is not, but what a player. What a player. I think if he does a lot of training sessions about being like a killer in front of goal, they have a massive signing there. And you can see it in how Luis Enrique changed Dembele. So this will be the mission of the new manager to make sure he has got a killer because in 1v1 he can pass Everyone. Salah at the end was just like doing stats, assists, goal, assist, goal. And for 90 minutes, he wasn't playing a great game, but he’d always get an assist or goal.And for what they want from Barcola, for what we see now, this is not what they're going to get. I think the manager has a big job, and the staff to train Barcola to put him in the best condition. It's a new league. He will maybe need to have time to adapt. So let's see. Everything can happen. He's going to have this 100 million price tag. the Liverpool fans and the Premier League fans, they would like him to straight away score like two or three goals per game. And it's not going to be the case. So he’s always going to deal with that kind of pressure because of the price tag, we see it with many players. The fans, when they pay you that money, they want you to score. They want you to score goals.

What did you think of Curtis Jones having an on-pitch argument with Dominik Szoboszlai? Does Andoni Iraola need to iron that out before the season starts or do you think Jones will now leave?

I don't know if he will leave, but like I said, again, Iraola has come to a huge football club in Liverpool. So if mentally you're not ready, you know, it's the same like Mourinho going back to Real Madrid. You need someone like Jose to do that, to fix those things about ego. This is communication, because that's what we saw on the pitch. We don't know what's happening in the dressing room, behind the scenes, but this is the job of the manager. You need to have strong communication from the start. I think when you have a rift in the dressing room, you also love that. Ferguson used to love when we fought between each other because we showed passion. The players are under pressure and they want something big. But again, you need the manager to transform that anger, that passion for the team and winning for the team.

Chelsea have signed Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson, what do you make of them? Are they ridiculous or smart transfers?

So first of all, when Danny signed for Chelsea, I sent him a text and I put ‘fuck!’. That was my first reaction. I love Danny. Danny is a brother. And with Henderson, people forget. They think just with young players that you're going to win a trophy. No, I think this is a smart move. I see a lot of memes playing all about their age and all of that. I think Alonso knows exactly what he's doing and he wants control in the dressing room. People were surprised when Henderson went to the World Cup. But for a manager, he is a player you dream of. Liverpool lost Sadio Mane and many players, but when they lost Henderson,, look where they are. It's those kinds of players who don't get the credit enough because they are not like sparkling or shiny players. But trust me, inside the dressing room, they're doing a lot of work. And Danny Welbeck, I mean, what he's done in Brighton, I was so angry with him! He always scored against Man United. When he was at Arsenal, he was always scoring against United. So he's still got it. You need to understand, those players are not here to play all of the season. They are here to control the dressing room, but they are also here for when you have 20 minutes left of the game. You need that experience and you need those kinds of players to play the big games, because they know how to handle this pressure. So for me, it's a really smart move.

Eddie Howe, Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordon have all left Newcastle United in the last 12 months, is this the end of their project or do they still have a chance of becoming a consistent top 6 club?

I'm sad. I'm sad because everyone is a Newcastle fan. I was so happy when they won the League Cup. And now they just lost all of their best players. I don't know the strategy. Eddie Howe, if he left because he didn't have the guarantees, he wanted maybe to keep some of the players we saw like with Isak. He was the most hot topic we were talking about. And I think it's just too much. Like losing a player like Guimaraes, like Eddie, it’s too many. I don't know what they're doing. I'll be honest. I don't know what they're doing.

It’s the same with Aston Villa, they’ve just lost Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers, can Unai Emery keep succeeding with them or can you see him leaving too?

I mean, if he stays in charge, I’m sure he’ll have some of the money to spend. But if he stays in charge, it's because maybe he has some guarantee from the board. Maybe he thinks he can get the best out of the squad. So I think it's completely different to Newcastle. I think Aston Villa will still do well. Top half, 100%.

Do Bayern Munich have the world’s best young manager in Vincent Kompany? Could you tell in your rivalry against Manchester City that he’d go on to do great things as a coach?

100 per cent. I think he's one of the best managers. I think he is really underrated. It's not easy, and I will not play the racist card, but being a black manager, I don't see many of them right now. And what he's done with Bayern, after getting relegated with Burnley? Bayern are not crazy. Like myself, I'm not crazy. I could see Kompany was always a manager. I see the way when he was talking at City on the pitch or whatever. So he has had it for a long time and he can deal with ego. You saw some clip when he was at Burnley, when a player wasn't doing what he wanted, he was going crazy. They respected him because he's someone who achieved a lot of things and he won a lot of things. So he doesn't get the credit he deserves.Everyone was like ‘what's happening? Why is signing for Bayern Munich, a big club like that?’ But he proved everything wrong, everyone wrong. And I know he's going to keep doing even better than last year.

Who do you think will win the Ballon d’Or this year? Has Real Madrid’s poor form halted Kylian Mbappe from winning it? And how many Ballon d’Or titles do you think Lamine Yamal will win if he plays like this throughout his career?

Well, for this we have to wait. I think it’s too early for Yamal. I don't like to compare. We talk about Messi or Cristiano, we're talking about the legacy for 15 years when they were always consistent, scoring and proving to the world they are the best in the world. But Lamine Yamal for me is the best young player. At this age, I have never seen that. And I really wish him well. The thing with Lamine Yamal is that people, for the Ballon d'Or, have different criteria. Sometimes they are individual, sometimes it's about what you achieve with the team. Lamine Yamal will have the support of the media, because he already won the World Cup. If he has a strong start with Barcelona, he's a massive contender. Mbappe has been the best La Liga goalscorer, the best Champions League scorer, and the best World Cup scorer. So for everything individual, Mbappé should win the Ballon d'Or. But again, people want him to win La Liga, they want him to win the Champions League. Is it going to affect him? Normally in the past, Messi won some Ballon d'Ors when Barcelona didn't win trophies, but because he scored more than 100 goals, they gave him the Ballon d'Or. I hope Kylian will have a strong start with Real Madrid, he should win it. If he has a strong start with Real Madrid, Mbappe will win the Ballon d'Or. But Lamine Yamal is a really dangerous contender because he got the World Cup, and if he has a strong start, people will push for Lamine Yamal to win the Ballon d'Or.

Can PSG win three consecutive Champions Leagues? They’d be the first team to do so since Real Madrid, are they the best team the world has seen in that time?

I don't like to compare, but yeah, the last two years they've been the best team by far. To do it a third year under Luis Enrique? I know he's passionate, he always has the motivation. He's got to be tough, depending again on the players. If Dembele will shy away when they need him the most or whatsoever, but he's tough. But yes, they are the best team over the last two years. And in football history, I don't like to compare because every generation is different. I can mention United in 2008. You can mention the Galacticos. You can mention the invincible Arsenal team. So everyone will have their opinion.

Will Manchester United regret letting Casemiro go? He played well at the World Cup, and especially with Manuel Ugarte being out they could miss him.

I think that's where they've been smart to avoid the transfer window and, you know, buying Tielemans and Santos as well. So we're never going to replace Casimiro, and I always say: when a player leaves United, we're always going to regret him because we get the affection, we love him and especially for what he did for United. He scored some important goals, and thanks to him we qualified for the Champions League. But I'm happy with what we bought. We're not going to replace him, but we're definitely going to do something here in midfield and especially also, don't forget, Kobbie Mainoo also.

What do you think of darts star Luke Littler’s comments, saying he’s the best 19-year-old athlete in the world ahead of Lamine Yamal?

I need to see a picture. I don't like just the word athletes. When you say I'm the best in the world, I think every sport, it's different. And sometimes a Formula One driver can be better than a footballer if he's 19 years old. So it's difficult to compare. But I think it's the word athlete! I think his profession is not enough to be considered, you don't need to be an athlete in darts. Maybe to have the focus and everything. But doing darts, I can do many things to train for it! I don't know. I don't know. It depends on what we call a complete athlete. But if you feel that way, I mean, I love when people say that. I never say they are crazy. I never say they are arrogant. He's confident. If he thinks he's the best, let him think he's the best. What's the problem, guys?

If you could name one former player to become FIFA president after the Gianni Infantino scandal, who would it be and why?

I have to find someone who will beat the corruption! Wow, this is tough. I will go for Eric Cantona. Why Eric? Because he is not going to be corrupt. It’s that simple. It's someone who loves the game and there's no way you can corrupt that man. So I definitely say Eric Cantona. It's going to be controversial, yes, but I know why we have problems with FIFA because when we think about FIFA, we think about corruption. And that's the main problem. So fix that with someone who has like a perfect integrity - the rest can come itself. I can mention Arsene Wenger. Yeah, people are better than Eric, but I will go for Eric. I know him personally. I played for his club. Thanks to him, you know, he represents the French player and that's why United like to buy a French player. I would be always grateful to Eric. But like I say, if we want to talk politics...Eric is the best.

This is probably the worst Brazil team we have seen in our lifetime. What does Ancelotti need to do ahead of Copa America 2028 to make them competitive again?

I think it's a tough job. France is the Brazil of 1994. I think France is the new Brazil. Having those players from the street and all of that, you have got so many players. For me, France is the new Brazil. Now it's tough because if you ask me, the only Galactico of Brazil was Neymar and they didn't even use him for the World Cup. So I don't know what's happening behind the scenes. I was feeling quite sad for Neymar and frustrated because he's the only Brazilian player people fear. Of course you have Vini Jr, but for me the last Galactico is Neymar, and he probably won't be playing anymore. It's gonna be tough. I think Brazil are going to have a tough time. And I feel sorry for Ancelotti because he's one of the best managers in the world. Let's see how he's gonna manage this for the Copa America. Maybe now he's not have the issue about Neymar. He's gonna call Joao Pedro, so let's see. I don't see Brazil as a strong national team anymore, like it was back in the day. Back in the day, you could name all the players. Now, you’re like ‘who is this player, where he's come from, which league is he playing in. People have to forget, it’s not the old Brazil anymore.

Would Vinicius Jr bring a Champions League-winning mentality that Arsenal so desperately need? Or could you imagine a clash between him and Mikel Arteta?

No, it would never be a clash. I hate to say it, but if he comes to Arsenal, it's game over. It's game over. He's going to make so much difference. He has the experience. He's going to bring the winning mentality. If Arsenal sign Vinicius, it's game over. But I don't think he will come. I saw the way he was smiling in training. And Mourinho is not that crazy to leave a player like him. I think he just has to fix the ego between him and Mbappe. And people say ego, I just say a player with personality and they want to win, they want to be the best with Madrid. I think Mourinho can fix that. If not, yeah, he needs to join Man United, not Arsenal, please!

Joao Pedro has shown Carlo Ancelotti what he’s been missing out on in pre season, do you think he’ll have a brilliant season for Chelsea?

Yes. I think he was really hurt not being in this World Cup. I didn't understand why Joao Pedro didn't make it. But now, yes, he wants to come back even more. He will be so motivated to prove.You know, this is a chance for himself to prove people were wrong, to not pick him. And you know, we need to respect the choice of Ancelotti. But yeah, I think Joao Pedro will be so motivated this season, so motivated.

Could we see a divide between Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers if they’re competing for the same position?

I have a good feeling about Chelsea. First of all, Alonso, what he achieved with Bayern Leverkusen being invincible. He has a good base for the defending side, and he’s got the players to make the difference. Palmer you mentioned, and other players, so I think Chelsea will surprise a lot of teams this year. I respect every opinion is just a feeling. Maybe I'm wrong, you know, it's not like because some player plays for a while and they're going to be the best manager or whatever. So no, I respect this is just a personal feeling.

You played with Cristiano Ronaldo during your career. What would you say has led to his longevity?

His work ethic, his passion. I never played with anybody else who was more professional than Cristiano. Like I said, training was at 10 in the morning and this guy was showing himself at 8am, practicing everything. I feel that Cristiano has a nice disease! How you say it in English, he’s addicted. He’s addicted to working hard, and to pushing himself. And that's why I'm not surprised with his longevity. He can still play for another one or two years and I wouldn't be surprised. People always like to talk about his age, but he had a difficult World Cup. I don't blame Cristiano. I think the team around him should have played for him the same way, you know, Argentina did for Messi. That's what was missing for him in this World Cup.

There is an ongoing debate among football fans over the number of games being played nowadays. Do you feel that argument has merit?

No, I think you're talking with the wrong person! I was someone where most of the time, I had a one week holiday or maybe two weeks, because I was always going with the French national team. And I'm someone I always say, when I die, I have plenty of time to rest! So even sometimes, Alex Ferguson was saying: ‘Patrice, you are tired, you're playing more than the goalkeeper!’ ... I don't care. I just want to play the most I can. It's about more recovery. Maybe, the football now is more intense. I don't know. It's a different generation. I hope they're not going to do the World Cup every two years because this is going to kill the beauty of the World Cup. It’s good when you wait for four years. But no, as a player, Iwill never complain about too many games because this is what I like. I like to play every three days. That's why I signed for United. I want to compete in every competition. And now it's more like a machine to recover or whatsoever. So no, we want more games. Some of the games, like I know in the US it was the Club World Cup or something -, this is maybe sometimes too much. But come on, you play in the World Cup, you have to be back after two weeks. How much do you want? You want one month? You want two months? Like, come on.

Would Vini Jr have what it takes to succeed in the Premier League?

He's an exciting player. He likes to entertain the crowd. You know, in La Liga, he has already done everything. He won the league, he won the Champions League. He was that close to winning the Ballon d'Or. So for me, it would be difficult for him to reach that level again in Spain. In the Premier League, I don't hesitate even once. Come here, you're going to have fun! It's different. You're going to have more motivation because it's a new adventure. It's not something he already knows. So, you know, sometimes for players, it doesn't matter. I played nine years in the Premier League because every year I find myself some motivation and passion and I know I want to keep winning back to back. He's at Real Madrid so he could stay playing for Real Madrid all his life. He’s not in a bad club in Spain but for him, for entertaining more fans, he should come in the Premier League. Absolutely. But not for Arsenal, for United!

How do you see Zidane’s time as French national team manager going?

Zizou is like Paris without the Eiffel Tower, if you were to take the Eiffel Tower away! For me, this is the same for all the French people. He has a special aura. You know, when he came to Madrid, he said Cristiano is better than Messi and Cristiano is even better than himself. So, you know, to talk, he doesn't need to coach that much. It's a job he was waiting for so long. But now to say if he's going to succeed, this is a different story. That's why I think there is a lack of respect and gratitude about what Didier Deschamps achieved. He made two World Cup finals, and he won one. Yes, we had a bad Euros, but I'm really happy with what Didier Deschamps achieved. Zizou has to be the man to do more. So he has to win the World Cup. He has to win the Euro. That's what people will expect from him. But he's a player, you know, to handle the pressure. And I know those young kids, for him, he is like a legend.So straight away, they would like to die for him because they don't want to disappoint Zizou. Nobody wants to disappoint Zizou. So I think he's positive, he's going to do well and I wish him all the best.

When and how will the FIFA scandal end?

You know when you say FIFA, the first word that comes into your head is corruption! That's the big problem. I know Gianni Infantino personally, and he is a good person, he's a good man. But sometimes when you reach that level, you know, there are maybe some people above you and you know, you maybe have to do what they say. And that's what happened for the World Cup with Donald Trump. He was the one dictating everything. Like even about this crazy [Folarin Balogun] red card when he said out loud, Infantino to remove this red card’. ‘Oh, I call him for The breaks, four time breaks. It was like the NFL. They say it was too hot, but I think it was just commercials. So it’s tough for Infantino, he's in a difficult position. I really believe in him. He can change things. But like I say, sometimes, you know, you get to one level when people tell you what to do. And unfortunately, if you don't do what they say you're going to lose your job. But now he went into the spotlight, he came out with this statement, then removed it. Is it too late, or he can still do good? That's the question.

What are the areas that United still need to address in the transfer market? Are there any players in particular that you think should be signed, maybe some players nobody is talking about?

I'm really happy with the transfer window with Tielemans and Santos. We lost Casemiro, and it would be difficult to replace him. But I think with these two players, we have got something we can fix. Kobbie Mainoo, I hope he's going to have more time to play. But anyway, Carrick, I love him. I just think United have brought some more hope. To win the title? No, we need more than that. I wish and I still don't understand why we didn’t sign a striker like Osimhen. You know, he's just crazy and I don't want him to end up in Madrid or Arsenal or whatsoever. So we need a big striker. We still need a left back because Luke Shaw has a lot of injuries, maybe to support him because now Dorgu can play left back, but as a winger, I think he's more efficient.It's more in the midfield to make sure Bruno will be free to be focused more on the attacking side. And midfield, I think that's the problem. Midfield.

What should United do about Marcus Rashford, should he be sold this summer or does he deserve another chance?

Well, this is really tricky. I don't know, is there a curse when you come back to your club, you will never do great? But it's not the case with Marcus because he left and people weren't happy. He went on loan. It depends. I think if Marcus comes back and forgets he's been an academy player for Manchester, and he forgets he's from Manchester, then he can do great. But you need to lower the pressure, and when the fans see that he doesn't make a run or whatever, they're going to blame him straight away. If I am the manager, I want Marcus in my team. It is the communication. I think it would be really important to see his conversation with Michael Carrick. What Michael Carrick will say to him to get the best of him - ‘forget about the media forget about the pressure, I trust you. ’ I want the best for Marius Rashford because he has still got it and we all know that. He's not an old player. Personally, in my opinion, yes, but also when you come back to your old club, it never happens like it was amazing.

Who will win the Premier League? Who will finish in the top five, and where will United finish?

You see normally, it's Arsenal. They are the most complete. Now they have broken that curse. I used to call them Netflix because you always had to wait for the next season. After 20 years, they broke that curse, so they don't have this pressure anymore. But again, maybe those players will say ‘OK, we won it. We don't have the same motivation, the same passion. ’ I won it three times in a row with United, but it's because our motivation was always on point. So if they still got it, I don't see why Arsenal don't win. Liverpool? I don't know what Liverpool are doing. Chelsea will surprise people. I think Chelsea will be a challenger. Manchester City, I don't understand why people never talk about Manchester City - only because Guardiola left, but the players are still there. They're going to reinforce. I love Maresca. I was with him when I was at West Ham. I think he did a great job with Chelsea. He won the Club World Cup and the Conference League, and he was fifth when they sacked him. He's still a great manager. So my top five is Arsenal, City, United. Chelsea and Tottenham. It will surprise you but I believe in De Zerbi. I love this coach and I remember everyone was already celebrating that Spurs weregoing to be relegated. When I saw De Zerbi, I said to all my friends, there's no way Tottenham are going to get relegated. We'll see. I'm crazy anyway.

Can Harry Kane lead Bayern Munich to a Champions League title or has the landscape become too competitive?

I love Harry Kane and yeah, it's tough for him, but he has a great manager in Vincent Kompany and he's in a good club. I think people like to laugh and say it's the Farmer League, the same as Ligue 1, but it's not easy to win the league there. I hope he can, but there are many players - like Ronaldo [Nazario] and Ibrahimovic - who have never won the Champions League. There are so many players, Henry had to leave Arsenal to win the Champions League with Barcelona. We have these big legends of football, who when I mentioned their name, people look at me and they're like ‘yeah, actually he's right, they never win the Champions League. ’So, yeah, it's going to be tough. It's going to be tough for him.

Do you think Michael Olise will stay with Bayern Munich long-term?

Oh, man, it's going to be tough. It's going to be tough. But, you know, I remember Ribéry when he was playing for Bayern and, you know, a lot of clubs wanted him and he stayed loyal. So it's just up to Olise if he's happy there, or if he wants to have a chance to join his friend Mbappe because of the connection we know, we saw it at the World Cup, at Real Madrid. It's going to be tough, but it depends on Olise and if he doesn't feel bored to win every time in the Bundesliga. If he wants to change, if he wants a new challenge, it depends on the player. Yeah, 100%. I think he could break the world transfer record maybe.

Has Dayot Upamecano developed into a top 5 center-back in the world or does he still have improvements to make?

Yes, yes, 100%. He had a lot of criticism because as a centre-back, when you make a mistake, two or three people don’t forgive you. But did you see the World Cup, even the first game? He’s a great centre-back and Kompany is not crazy. I don’t think he will let him go, and he will make him one of the best centre-backs in the world again. I believe in the quality of Upamecano. He’s strong, he’s really confident when he gets the ball. I love Upamecano. Man Utd clearly want a new left-back - is Lewis Hall the one or are there better alternatives they should go for? No, but you know, you have to be careful. With Malacia, people wanted to say straight away, ‘this is the new Patrice Evra’. I say, for all due respect, when you play for United, it’s different. The jersey is really heavy. Luke Shaw could have been the one, but unfortunately he had that bad injury when he broke his tibia. And to recover from that, I think what he’s doing is amazing. He can perform in a World Cup because it’s just three months, and people couldn’t understand why for the English national team he’s performing so well. But it’s tough. And I had a talk with Luke, it was like maybe five years ago. And you know, when you have that kind of injury, you don’t want to go 100% in the challenge again because you still have some trauma. So that’s why we need someone to come. Hall is a good left-back. But like I say, I don’t like to be carried away. Malacia was ‘the new Patrice Evra’. Even myself, I was looking and saying wow. Then after one injury or whatever, something happened. When you want to be the new Patrice Evra, you mean you need to play nine years consistently. You need to play even more than the goalkeeper. It will be your first challenge when people want to compare players with myself. Then after, of course, you need to be good defensively and offensively. So what Hall is doing with his club right now? Yes, but I always say when you play for another club, when you do a good game, people will say it was an amazing game. And when you play for United, a good game is normal. A super game when you play at your best, they will say it’s normal. When you play a normal game, they’re going to say it’s a bad game. When you play a bad game, they’re going to say this was the worst game of his life. Are you ready to accept those kinds of critics? That’s what we have to ask him.

What do Man Utd need to do before the transfer window closes to bridge the gap to your eventual winners?

A striker, someone who scores a goal. I think that’s what I’m looking at. That’s why for me, Osimhen is the best. He’s a perfect example. We’re going to miss Casemiro, but I believe in Santos and what I saw in preseason, he can do something good over there. And Bruno, he’s still Bruno. Dorgu and Mbeumo are playing, we’ve got Amad Diallo. So we have got something offensively. Defensively, they may need to find a good alternative left-back. Maybe another centre-back. Harry Maguire, for me, is doing his job and you know, he’s criticised a lot. But he shows you the resilience. I think maybe we need to find a good right-back, a good attacking and defensive right-back.

On the Marcus Rashford situation - should he be brought back in from the cold?

I think United fans, they forgive. They forgive. But after, you know, there’s all the pressure on social media and stuff like that, I think Cunha is doing very well. It’s Marcus to accept that maybe he’s not the first choice. I’m not the first choice, but I’m going to prove to you guys that when I’m going to be on that pitch, I will bleed and die for Man United. So he just needs to be honest with himself. But the fans forgive. Some of them, yes, on social media, they’re gonna make some noise, but the real United fans, they really want Marcus Rashford to succeed at United.

How do you analyze the arrivals of Andrey Santos and Tielemans at Manchester United? Do they have the potential to assume starting lineup roles at the beginning of the season?

They are the two that are really going to come through the middle for Carrick. Yeah, I was really happy with those two signings. I love what I saw in pre-season, especially Santos. So I think they can be superstars. Let’s see. But what I feel, you could see they’re happy to come to the club. For them, it’s like a dream. And they want to die for the club. And that’s what United want. You know, when I saw about Santos when he broke those lines, he reminds me a little bit of Michael Carrick, and that’s the kind of player we need in the midfield. And they’re going to give more freedom offensively for Bruno Fernandes.

You once joked about Arsenal for not winning trophies, but the club has finally become English champions. Do you think they can dominate the league with Guardiola’s departure?

People need to stop, especially with Pep Guardiola leaving. I firmly believe City will still be strong. I know they lost Bernardo Silva, some key players, but I believe in Maresca. You remember when Klopp left and straight away, Slot straight away won the league. So when you talk about this season, I think there will still be something left by Pep Guardiola and there’s still going to be a strong side. To win the league, let’s see if Arsenal will still be angry to win the league again, passionate and motivated. So everything can happen, but don’t write off City that easily.