As Manchester United’s search for a new striker to lead the line next season, United legend Rio Ferdinand has given his thoughts on who the club should prioritise
As pre-season begins and Ruben Amorim prepares for his first full campaign at Old Trafford, Manchester United are still chasing a number of their transfer priorities.
Revamping the forward line has been one of Amorim’s top objectives this summer, and with the arrivals of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, that vision is already taking shape.
With the transfer window entering its final month, United are still targeting an experienced centre forward, a goalkeeper to challenge André Onana, and a defensive midfielder to partner captain, Bruno Fernandes.
Following a £127.5 million investment in Cunha and Mbeumo, the club now needs to offload several key players including the likes of Alejandro Garnacho and Antony in order to fund further signings.
Ferdinand believes United should target midfielder
Much of the Summer transfer window so far has been surrounding the need for a centre forward to complete the attacking rebuild of a club that scored only 44 goals in the Premier League last season.
In the midst of being linked with a move for RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, United legend Rio Ferdinand spoke on his latest YouTube video, naming Carlos Baleba as his priority signing over the striker, despite the obvious need for a new forward.
“If I don’t get a striker, I’d go midfield. There’s only one name I’m thinking about, I’ve got to be honest, who I think fits the bill for what we need.”
“An Amorim-type player as well. Physically great, can drive with the ball, can take it in all areas, very good tactically, great energy, great legs, Premier League experience, centre midfield. (Carlos) Baleba. That’s who I go and get. That’s my man. That’s the one I go and get. I go and break the bank.”
What Brighton’s CEO had to say about Baleba
As it’s usually the case in every transfer window, Brighton are bracing themselves for incoming bids for their star players, with the club having a history of selling player for huge profits, as seen by the likes of Marc Cucurella, Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister.
As reported by SussexWorld, in an interview with the BBC, CEO Paul Barber was asked if the club will be able to keep the likes of Carlos Baleba and Kaoru Mitoma.
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“Well, we know that our best players are always going to be sought after by bigger clubs, with big budgets,” said Barber, who is in charge of transfer negotiations for outgoing players.
“But we’d love to keep our best players for as long as we can, but part of our model is being prepared to sell at the right time. “We’re not saying that’s going to be this summer, but certainly in the future, we know that that’s probably likely to happen.”
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