– Jamie Redknapp believes that the Red Devils would be occupying a top-four position in the Premier League had they used their Armenian summer signing more frequently.
Manchester United’s reluctance to offer Henrikh Mkhitaryan regular football during the early part of the season has cost them “six or seven points”, according to former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp.
The Red Devils spent big on the Armenian forward over the summer, with a reported £26.3 million fee taking him to Old Trafford from Borussia Dortmund.
Mkhitaryan has impressed since being brought back in from the cold and, after he netted the winner in Sunday’s crucial victory over Tottenham, Redknapp believes that United would be sitting inside the Champions League places had they shown greater faith in his ability.
“I don’t buy the argument that Henrikh Mkhitaryan needed time to adjust to the Premier League,” he wrote in the Daily Mail.
“If he had started sooner, I’m convinced Manchester United would have six or seven more points.
“He is like Philippe Coutinho or Mesut Ozil in his ability to unlock the door and see passes that others don’t.
“He shone in the fast and furious pace of the Bundesliga so why wasn’t he even on the bench for so long?”