Ferdinand tells Man Utd to scrap move for £50m Prem midfielder as it’d be ‘like buying Fellaini again’
Club legend Rio Ferdinand has told Manchester United that they should not sign Amadou Onana as it would be “like buying Marouane Fellaini again”.
The Red Devils have already spent heavily to sign Mason Mount, Andre Onana and Rasmus Hojlund this summer but they are not finished there.
It is being reported that Erik ten Hag is looking to sign a centre-back and centre-midfielder before this summer’s transfer window closes.
Man Utd have been heavily linked with Sofyan Amrabat over the past year and his stunning performances at last year’s World Cup have increased his chances of getting a major move away from Fiorentina.
Amrabat is also being monitored by La Liga giants Atletico Madrid so Man Utd may have to consider alternatives and Everton’s Onana is reportedly on their radar.
The midfielder has been a standout performer for the Premier League strugglers, who reportedly value the midfielder at £50m this summer.
Ferdinand does not think Onana would be a suitable signing for Man Utd as he would not suit Erik ten Hag’s preferred style of play.
“McTominay upgrade? What is he, tell me what he is? Onana is not a holder, he’s not a destroyer. Every single attribute listed, that’s not Ten Hag to me. Ten Hag’s about playing through the lines, playing off angles,” Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five podcast.
“I think he has really good attributes but I don’t think for Man Utd. It’s like Fellaini, it’s like buying Fellaini again for Manchester United.”
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Gary Neville meanwhile feels Amrabat could “give Casemiro some help” in midfield.
“One thing he [Ten Hag]’s not going to do is go back to the Fred and McTominay style of midfield because they can’t play the ball properly. He wants everybody on that pitch to be able to play the ball his way,” Nevills said on Sky Sports.
“What I will say is Amrabat could come in and play alongside Casemiro, perhaps give him some help. Look, he got absolutely torn to shreds tonight Casemiro, Manchester United’s midfield were non-existent, they got ripped apart by Wolves.
“Last season when they got emptied in midfield, they moved Fernandes forward and ended up putting Fred or McTominay in alongside Casemiro to be more solid. He wants to get away from that and that’s why he has signed Mason Mount. But I think in certain games he will be forced to bring another midfielder in to play alongside Casemiro to handle the ball.”
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