Ryan Giggs told Manchester United to sign Kylian Mbappe and Gabriel Jesus when they were worth just £5m

The Welshman said he scouted Mbappe for a year and saw Jesus three years ago

Ryan Giggs has claimed that he told Manchester United to sign both Gabriel Jesus and Kylian Mbappe when they were worth just £5m.

The Welshman was assistant manager to Louis van Gaal for two seasons before leaving the club once Jose Mourinho took charge in 2016 and he suggested that United’s transfer policy was to blame for missing out on a lot of young talent.

Jesus joined rivals Manchester City from Palmeiras last January, while Mbappe, who was recently voted Fifa’s the Golden Boy, joined Paris Saint-Germain for £160m.

“I watched Gabriel Jesus play three years ago,” Giggs told The Times. “I watched Mbappe for a year. I was watching them with the scout and it was a no-brainer. It was just like, ‘get them.’

“It would have been £5m or something — get them, loan them back — and that's where the recruitment could have been better.”

United’s all-time record appearance maker also revealed he clashed with Van Gaal over the departure of players from the club, such as Danny Welbeck and Jonny Evans, who were “United through and through”.

He also believed he had a chance of succeeding the Dutchman after he was sacked following the 2016 FA Cup win – but knew he would be leaving once Mourinho took over.

“I thought I was in with a shout, but the club were in a difficult situation,” Giggs added. “They had fallen down the pecking order. They went for a winner, in Jose, a win-at-all-costs type of manager.

“Is Jose a typical Manchester United manager? Probably not, but United were in a situation of ‘how quickly can we get back to the top?’

“I totally understand that. I just felt I could have brought continuity. I knew the players. I know what a Manchester United player looks like.”