Rio Ferdinand has criticised a decision at Manchester United which has also left club chiefs like Jason Wilcox ‘frustrated’.
Manchester United were extremely busy in the summer transfer window, finalising four headline signings as part of their squad overhaul.
Ruben Amorim strengthened his side with the arrivals of Senne Lammens, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Šeško, all brought in to increase both quality and depth. Promising fullback Diego Leon also joined, taking the club’s total outlay for the five additions to around £215 million.
Equally significant were the departures, with several players leaving Old Trafford — three of them on deadline day.
Among the most high-profile exits were Jadon Sancho, Antony, Rasmus Højlund, Marcus Rashford, and Alejandro Garnacho, who departed either permanently or on loan.
Ferdinand criticises United decision
While several senior players left on loan this summer, Rashford’s loan to Barcelona has a buy-option included and Højlund’s Napoli loan move includes an obligation to buy if certain criteria is met.
Sancho’s last-minute loan move to Aston Villa is the only departure which doesn’t solve the long-term issue, as the Midlands club have agreed to a straight loan deal.
Now there will likely be debate at Old Trafford over whether to take the risk and extend Sancho’s contract by 12 months to try and sell him next summer, or bite the bullet and allow him to leave for free at the end of his United contract.
Rio Ferdinand has criticised this deal for those exact reasons when speaking about the Sancho deal on his Rio Presents podcast. “Ain’t Sancho’s got an obligation to buy at the end of it? No. I don’t like that,” he stated.
“I said this ages ago, if you’re going to take massive losses on these players, take them. Just to get them out.
“I don’t think you can think about the financials too much if you’re going to have them around the place and let them be a bad smell around the place. No, get rid. I don’t care.”
United frustrated by Sancho
United were hoping for £20 million after AS Roma’s bid for Sancho but the player refused. United can’t really be blamed for that.
It has been reported that United chiefs like Jason Wilcox were left ‘frustrated’ by Sancho rejecting the Serie A club despite him not having any permanent moves lined up.
Overall, United managed to get most of their desired transfer work over the line and some of the exits were good financial deals.
It is not entirely surprising that the only deal that didn’t work out was Sancho; a player who Chelsea paid money to get out of buying permanently.
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