Nicky Butt's Call for Manchester United to Build a Stronger Squad

Nicky Butt has seen enough. Not just of Manchester United’s muddled recruitment, but of the idea that one more superstar signing will magically fix it.

The former United midfielder has urged his old club to rip up the galáctico-first playbook and start building a proper squad again – and he believes West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville is exactly the sort of signing they should be targeting.

“It can’t be all about superstars”

Speaking to Paddy Power, Butt painted a clear picture of what he feels United have lacked for years: depth, competition, and players hungry to grow rather than arrive as finished products.

“We've got to build the squad, the bench has got to be stronger,” he said. When United look across at the top sides, they don’t just see strong starting XIs – they see four or five game-changers waiting in reserve. United, in his view, are nowhere near that level.

The defeat to Leeds at Old Trafford last season still lingers in his mind. Butt pointed not to the eleven who started, but to those who didn’t. When injuries hit, when rotation kicks in, when games need rescuing, United’s options have too often fallen short.

“The players on the bench and around the squad weren’t good enough,” he argued. “When they're all fit they’re really good but they still need to build the squad.”

That, for Butt, is where someone like Summerville comes in.

Summerville’s rise catches United’s eye

Summerville has forced his way into the wider European conversation with his early performances for the Netherlands. A goal in a 2-2 draw against Japan only sharpened the focus on him, underlining why several top clubs – United among them – are tracking the 24-year-old.

Butt likes what he sees. Not because Summerville is the finished article, but because he isn’t.

“He's an explosive player, he's good to watch, but I don’t think he's consistent enough,” Butt admitted. It wasn’t a criticism so much as a challenge. The ceiling, he believes, is high enough to justify a serious move.

Summerville’s pace, direct running and willingness to take risks fit the kind of profile Butt thinks United have neglected. He sees a player who could grow into a regular starter at Old Trafford, especially off the back of his displays with the national team.

“Summerville was brilliant for the Netherlands in the first game, so he could potentially start every week for Man United,” Butt said. The word “potentially” matters. Butt is not selling a fantasy. He’s arguing that United should be the club that turns that potential into reality.

Value, depth, and a different kind of statement

In an era where United have often paid premium prices for marquee names, Butt also pointed to the economics of a Summerville deal.

“The money shouldn’t be a lot to get him, and United have to build a squad,” he said. That line cuts to the heart of his wider argument. This is not about one more £80 million headline. It’s about two or three smart, hungry signings who raise the level of the entire group.

For Butt, United’s long-standing problem is structural. Too much faith in the first XI. Not enough trust in the next wave. When he looks at the strongest sides in Europe, he sees benches that can flip a game on its head. United, he insists, must reach that point again.

“When you play a team and see their starting 11 but then they’ve got another four that can come on and make a difference, that’s massive,” he said. United used to be that team. Right now, they aren’t.

Summerville, in Butt’s eyes, is the kind of player who can help close that gap – not as a saviour, but as part of a broader rebuild. A winger with explosiveness, room to grow, and the mentality to fight for a place rather than expect one.

“I’m looking at him thinking he’s got to get a lot more consistent to get to the next level,” Butt concluded. “But I'd still definitely look at signing a player like him.”

It’s a simple question for United’s hierarchy now: keep chasing the next superstar, or start building a squad that can actually sustain a title challenge?