BREAKING: “United’s £17M Mistake” — Pochettino Calls Out Manchester United Over Star Who Became World’s Best

Few stories in modern football sting as much as watching a former player blossom into a global superstar after leaving your club. That, according to Mauricio Pochettino, is exactly what Manchester United have suffered. The Argentine coach, who knows all about nurturing world-class talent, has delivered a brutal assessment of United’s decision to sell a player he now calls “the best in the world.”

“Manchester United were foolish for selling him,” Pochettino reportedly said in a candid moment that has set the footballing world buzzing. “They sold him for just £17 million, and now he has become the best player in the world, right at the very top.” Those words sting even more for United supporters who have watched their team struggle to maintain dominance while their former talent shines elsewhere.

The sale happened back in 2019, when United parted ways with the player for what seemed a fair fee at the time. £17 million was hardly a blockbuster figure in today’s transfer market, but it now looks laughable compared to the astronomical value this star commands. Since leaving Old Trafford, his rise has been nothing short of meteoric.

Week after week, he delivers. Whether it’s dazzling goals, decisive assists, or jaw-dropping individual brilliance, he has turned into a one-man highlight reel. Defenders are embarrassed, goalkeepers are left stranded, and trophies keep piling up. The very things Manchester United once hoped he would do in red are now being performed in another jersey, to the delight of rival fans.

For United supporters, this is a painful reminder of mismanagement that has haunted the club in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era. Too often, talented players have been allowed to slip through their fingers, only to achieve their full potential elsewhere. This particular case has become the most glaring example — a £17 million gamble that turned into a long-term regret.

Pochettino’s comments hit hard because they come from someone respected in football circles for his ability to spot and develop talent. At Southampton, Tottenham, and Chelsea, he worked with young stars who went on to dominate world football. If he calls a player “the best in the world,” people listen. And when he frames it as Manchester United’s colossal mistake, the criticism cuts deeper.

The irony is impossible to ignore. While United have spent hundreds of millions trying to rebuild their squad with mixed results, the player they once sold cheaply is now rewriting record books elsewhere. His impact at the top level is undeniable — Champions League nights, domestic dominance, and global recognition as one of the finest to ever play the game.

The footballing world is left with one burning question: how did United let this happen? Was it poor scouting, lack of patience, or a boardroom decision focused on short-term gains? Whatever the reason, the consequences are clear. United lost not just a player but an icon in the making, someone who could have been the face of their next great era.

Meanwhile, the player himself continues to climb. His name is chanted by thousands each week, his face plastered across billboards, his reputation soaring. Every time he lifts a trophy, the shadow of United’s mistake grows larger. Every time he scores another wonder goal, Old Trafford faithful sigh in unison.

Football history is full of what-ifs, but some stand taller than others. This is one of them. “The £17M Mistake,” as it is now being dubbed, will likely go down as one of Manchester United’s most painful transfer blunders. For Pochettino, it’s a case study in how clubs must treasure their talent. For United, it’s a bitter pill — one that gets harder to swallow with every passing season.

And so, while fans of the player celebrate his rise to the top, Manchester United fans are left only to wonder: what if?