“They were the lifeblood of Manchester United” – Rio Ferdinand blasts Red Devils for offloading 5 players after Alex Ferguson retirement
Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand recently blasted the club for selling Jonny Evans, Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez, and the Da Silva twins soon after Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
It has been a decade since Ferguson retired from management and Manchester United have failed to win a Premier League title since. All five players mentioned played an integral role in the Red Devils' squad but were offloaded by David Moyes and Louis van Gaal from the club.
Rio Ferdinand slammed this decision on his YouTube channel, Vibe With Five and said (via METRO):
"One of the big things they messed up on… they sold the Da Silva twins, they sold Welbeck, they sold Chicharito, Jonny Evans, all in a short space of time. They were the lifeblood of Man United, they all came through the system, all Man United boys and that was lost as well."
He added:
"That was a part of what the club had been built on before, people who would come through the academy were integral to everything Man United stood for. And they were getting rid of those players willy-nilly, I couldn’t believe the club even allowed it."
When asked if all five players were good enough to play at Manchester United at the time, he replied:
"Welbeck’s good enough now, Chicharito 100 percent, Rafa and Fabio Da Silva, what they did at Man United they could’ve done that for the rest of their career, 100 percent. Jonny Evans was one of the biggest travesties in that time to have left. He should never have been allowed to leave the club. He was the best centre-half at the club when we all left."
All five players are still playing to this day. Jonny Evans captains Leicester City, while Danny Welbeck is part of an impressive Brighton & Hove Albion side that qualified for the Europa League this season.
Meanwhile, Hernandez plays for MLS side LA Galaxy while the Da Silva twins ply their trade in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A.
Borussia Dortmund interested in signing Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho on one condition: Reports
According to German news outlet BILD, Borussia Dortmund are interested in re-signing Jadon Sancho this summer on a loan deal.
Jadon Sancho made a name for himself between 2017 and 2021 at Dortmund, scoring 50 goals in 137 appearances by the age of 21.
Manchester United signed him for a reported fee of £73 million but the England international has failed to justify his price tag. The 23-year-old scored only 12 goals and provided six assists in 79 appearances.
A return back to the Bundesliga could be plausible as Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Khel has reportedly been in contact with Sancho's representatives.
It is unlikely that Manchester United would accept a loan deal and the BILD report suggests that they would be willing to cash in for £55 million and take a loss.