Why Does Louis van Gaal bother having scouts at Manchester United?

Manchester United have a vast scouting network around the globe.

It’s what you would expect from such a big club and such a meticulous manager.

But, when you look at the signings that Louis van Gaal has made this summer we wonder whether he should bother with scouts at all.

Because any football fan could tell you that Bastian Schweinsteiger, Memphis Depay and Morgan Schneiderlin would be decent buys, from the comfort of their armchair.

Matteo Darmian had a lower profile but he is still a full international with one of the biggest football nations in the world.

Our point is that, Louis van Gaal continually bemoans the lack of pace and creativity in his side, yet Manchester United haven’t unearthed one hidden gem from the world of football in the Dutchman’s time at the club.

It’s obviously not an easy job.

But how Manchester United could do with finding a player like Philippe Coutinho now – a young player with great promise who is flying under the radar.

It’s increasingly hard to find such players, who would also be able to get a work permit to play in England straight away.

But, surely, this vast scouting team can do better than simply suggesting names that every single fan in the world knows already?

Are there no European youngsters, for example, with the sort of raw talent, pace and power to make a difference at Manchester United over the next few years?

Because with such an obvious dearth of top quality at the top end of the market right now, Manchester United should be planning for the future.

It’s all too easy throwing money at the likes of Ramos, Schweinsteiger et al. But what’s the point of having a scouting department at all if the stars of tomorrow aren’t being identified and acquired?