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MANCHESTER UNITED

Mbappé, Jesus for £5m? Giggs laments Man Utd transfer misses

Kylian Mbappé and Gabriel Jesus are two of the hottest prospects in world football and Ryan Giggs wanted them at Manchester United.

Update:
Mbappé, Jesus for £5m? Giggs laments Man Utd transfer misses
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Ryan Giggs has claimed he told Manchester United to buy Kylian Mbappé and Gabriel Jesus for a fraction of the price they would now command as emerging global superstars.

Mbappé will become the second most expensive player of all time when his loan at Paris Saint-Germain becomes permanent for a reported €180 million at the end of this season, having shot to prominence with a series of electric displays last season that steered Monaco to the Ligue 1 title and Champions League semi-finals.

Jesus is yet to finish on the losing side in the Premier League since arriving at Manchester City from Palmeiras for an initial £27m back in January and the Brazil striker has been an integral part of Pep Guardiola's dominant squad this season.

Mbappé celebrates after scoring for Paris Saint-Germain against Caen on Wednesday.
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Mbappé celebrates after scoring for Paris Saint-Germain against Caen on Wednesday.FRANCK FIFEAFP

Giggs believed buying Jesus, Mbappé early "was a no-brainer"

But Giggs has revealed Jesus might have been plying his trade on the other side of Manchester along with Mbappé, had United heeded his advice during his time as assistant to José Mourinho's managerial predecessor Louis van Gaal.

"I know what a Manchester United player looks like," he told an interview with The Times on Friday, reflecting upon an estimated £700m spent in the transfer market since Alex Ferguson left Old Trafford in 2013. "It's not saying it in hindsight, the recruitment hasn't been great.

"I watched Gabriel Jesus play three years ago. I wanted Mbappé for a year. I was watching them with the scout and it was a no-brainer.

"It was just like, 'Get them'. It would have been £5 million or something - get them, loan them back. That's where the recruitment could have been better."