Ferdinand slams Man Utd for five player sales as they lost ‘everything the club stood for’
Rio Ferdinand thinks Man Utd made a huge mistake by selling Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez, Jonny Evans and the Da Silva twins when he left the club.
Ferdinand left the season after Sir Alex Ferguson departed the club and Man Utd have still not won a Premier League title since the Scot’s legendary tenure at Old Trafford.
And Ferdinand thinks the sale of Evans, in particular, was a “travesty” and thinks the Northern Irishman the best centre-back at the club after he left.
Evans was sold to West Brom for £6m in 2015, while Welbeck and Hernandez were both allowed to depart after they struggled to make an impact after the Ferguson era.
The Da Silva brothers are still playing in Brazil with Rafael at Botafogo and Fabio at Gremio, Chicharito is appearing for LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the USA, while Welbeck has scored seven goals in 37 matches for Brighton this season.
And former Man Utd centre-back Ferdinand has criticised the club for failing to hold onto players who were the “lifeblood” of the club.
“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,” Ferdinand said on Vibe With Five.
“They were the lifeblood of Man United, they all came through the system, all Man United boys, and that was lost as well.
“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 the quintet waas good enough to play for Man Utd when they left the club, Ferdinand replied: “Yeah.
“Welbeck’s good enough now, Chicharito 100 per cent, Rafa and Fabio Da Silva, what they did at Man United they could’ve done that for the rest of their career, 100 per cent.
“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.
“[Chris] Smalling’s had a great career, don’t get me wrong, but Jonny Evans is a better player, 100 per cent.”
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