The best players won’t join Manchester United because they can’t guarantee trophies, Eric Cantona warns

Eric Cantona has warned his former club Manchester United that the world’s best players will not move to Old Trafford because they cannot guarantee trophies.

And to add insult to injury, the Frenchman said his old employers should copy arch-rivals Liverpool’s methods and develop talented players into world champions like Jurgen Klopp did with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

United boss Erik ten Hag believes many of United’s signings in recent years have been “average”, but the club are on the verge of loaning Dutch striker Wout Weghorst from Burnley after the 30-year-old ended his spell at Besiktas early Cantona said their transfer policy needs to change.

According to Eric Cantona, Manchester United have run out of traction to attract the best in the world

“During Alex Ferguson’s time you wanted a player, the best in the world, he came to Manchester United because they won in England and Europe,” said Cantona, who admitted he didn’t know Weghorst or his move to United.

“Manchester United was the biggest club in the world and they had the money to buy every type of player.

“Now it’s different because the best players on a team want to play to win things and United aren’t able to pick the best because the best won’t come to United.

The Red Devils legend has warned the world’s best players will not move to Old Trafford

“So you have to be smart. Smart like Liverpool. They took Mane and Salah, not the best players in the world, but with a great team and atmosphere, they won things together.

“And then Mane and Salah became the best players in the world. It’s a great example for United.”

However, Cantona, who joined United in 1992, believes Ten Hag has the right approach in introducing a stricter regime at the club.

In-form Marcus Rashford ran afoul of the new policy when he was dropped from the side to play Wolves two weeks ago because he overslept and missed a team meeting, but he came off the bench to take the winner achieve.

“It takes a bit of discipline to win things. But it’s not just about that, it’s about so many things,” added the 56-year-old, speaking at the National Football Museum in Manchester, where a Cantona-commissioned exhibition by local artist Michael Browne entitled “From Moss Side to Marseille’, opens to the public on Saturday.

“It’s about attitude, it’s about how you behave. When you play for a club like Manchester United, you have to have the club in your blood.

“You have to give your life to this club, the fans. Then if you win, OK, but if you don’t win, at least you gave it your all.

Cantona challenged Erik ten Hag to copy Liverpool and develop talented players into world champions

“It’s difficult to win in England because there are so many clubs that can win. So if you don’t win it, you have to at least give your all in every game or at least try to give your all in every game.

“And to give everything in every game you need a minimum of discipline, discipline is the basis of everything.

“But it’s also about the joy of playing football.

“I always say, not just in football but in anything you have to do to find that confidence and if you’re confident enough you can enjoy it.

Cantona said Liverpool have shown the way forward with the development of Mo Salah and Sadio Mane

“But to enjoy it you have to have that confidence and to have that confidence you have to work hard, work hard, work hard. Be 100 percent physical, 100 percent technical, 100 percent tactical.

“It’s not just about the first team, it’s about the atmosphere at the club, the atmosphere between people, the respect you have for your team-mates, the respect you have for the women who work at the entrance to the game or the bar.

“If you respect yourself, you can respect others. If you don’t respect others, it’s because you don’t respect yourself.

“And if you don’t respect yourself, United is not the club for you.”