Former Liverpool midfielder Dietmar Hamann claims full-back Luke Shaw’s £27million switch from Southampton to Manchester United is “ridiculous”.
The 18-year-old England international completed the move just days after making his first competitive start for the Three Lions, in their final World Cup group game against Costa Rica.
Their tournament ultimately ended in failure courtesy of successive 2-1 defeats to Italy and Uruguay and Shaw benefited from manager Roy Hodgson’s decision to name an inexperienced line-up in the last fixture.
Despite winning rave reviews for his performances on the south coast throughout the 2013-14 campaign, Hamann feels the Red Devils have paid massively over the odds for his services.
He believes the transfer is a perfect example of how English players come with inflated price tags, and insists he would have been £17m cheaper if he was from overseas.
Ex-Germany international Hamann said on Twitter: “You wonder why young English players don’t get a chance in Premier League? United paying £27m for Shaw is all you need to know. Ridiculous.
“My point is that if Shaw wasn’t English he would cost £10m the most. That’s why Premier League managers buy abroad because they get more for their money.”
Shaw is United’s second summer signing, following hot on the heals of midfielder Ander Herrera, who joined from La Liga side Athletic Bilbao.