Nicky Butt Advocates for Squad Depth at Manchester United

Nicky Butt has seen enough of Manchester United’s recent missteps in the market. In his eyes, the obsession with marquee names has to stop. The club he once patrolled in midfield needs something far less glamorous, and far more valuable: a squad.

And in that search for depth, one name keeps catching his eye – West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville.

The 24-year-old has carried his club form onto the international stage with the Netherlands, sharpening the focus of scouts across Europe. His goal in a 2-2 draw with Japan did more than level the score; it underlined why a club like United are tracking him as they look to bolster their attacking options.

Butt, speaking to Paddy Power, didn’t dress it up. Summerville, he said, fits the profile United should be targeting.

“He's an explosive player, he's good to watch, but I don't think he's consistent enough,” Butt admitted, before immediately framing that as an opportunity rather than a red flag. The key, in his view, is value. “The money shouldn’t be a lot to get him, and United have to build a squad.”

That last word keeps coming back. Squad. Not brand. Not shirt sales.

For Butt, United’s long-standing flaw isn’t just the odd misfiring star, it’s what happens when you look beyond the first XI. Too often, he believes, there’s a cliff edge where there should be competition. Elite teams, he argues, throw on substitutes who raise the tempo, not lower it.

“We've got to build the squad, the bench has got to be stronger,” he said. When he looks at the top sides, he doesn’t just see strong line-ups; he sees four more players ready to come on and change a game. “That’s massive.”

Summerville, in that context, becomes more than a speculative name on a list. Butt views him as the kind of player who could grow into a regular starter at Old Trafford, especially on the back of his standout display in the Netherlands’ opening game of the current international window.

“Summerville was brilliant for the Netherlands in the first game, so he could potentially start every week for Man United,” Butt said. There’s a challenge in there too. “I'm looking at him thinking he’s got to get a lot more consistent to get to the next level. But I'd still definitely look at signing a player like him.”

The message is clear: United can no longer afford a bench that looks like an afterthought. Butt pointed to last season’s defeat to Leeds at Old Trafford as a warning sign. When injuries bite or rotation kicks in, the drop-off has been too steep, the replacements too underwhelming.

“When United played Leeds at Old Trafford last season and they got beat, the players on the bench and around the squad weren’t good enough,” he said. When everyone is fit, he still sees a “really good” side. The problem comes when they’re not. The gaps appear, the standards slip.

So Butt’s blueprint is blunt. Less fixation on the next superstar unveiling. More focus on players like Summerville – hungry, affordable, with room to grow and the potential to strengthen not just the team sheet, but the entire matchday squad.

If United listen, the next big turning point at Old Trafford might not arrive with fireworks and a blockbuster name. It might come from a deeper bench, and a winger from West Ham ready to seize his chance.