"He will be a fantastic signing" - Rio Ferdinand reacts to rumors linking 25-year-old with Manchester United

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand is backing the Red Devils' reported pursuit of Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong. There have been contrasting reports over an apparent deal being struck by United for the Dutch midfielder.

Gerard Romero (via BarcaUniversal) reports that de Jong will be a Red Devil in the near future with a fee of £68 million being touted. However, Sky Sports insist that despite United being interested in the 25-year-old, no deal is imminent.

Nevertheless, one former Manchester United player who is backing the move is Rio Ferdinand, who spoke highly of the former Ajax man on his podcast. Discussing the qualities de Jong could bring to Old Trafford, Ferdinant said (via Metro):

"They’re saying he could be the first signing under ten Hag. If he is, I will be sitting here going, 'Yes, a great sign of things to come.' He’s 25-years-old, not huge in terms of his frame. But what he has got, is he’s quick with the ball, really good dribbler, can get out of tight situations, good passer over the short and medium distances."

De Jong has a history with Erik ten Hag, who will be Manchester United's next manager when he takes over from interim boss Ralf Rangnick at the end of the season. Ten Hag coached de Jong at Ajax for two years before the midfielder left for Barcelona in a £75 million deal in 2019.

The current Ajax manager will likely instill a possession-based philosophy at Old Trafford once he takes over. Ferdinand feels that de Jong would be a valuable player in the Red Devils' transition under the new manager. He added:

"As a team who are looking for players who can control the ball and the game and get the team functioning in terms of balanced possession, I think he would be a good addition to the team. He’s not someone who scores loads of goals but he is more in terms of the controlling of the game."

Ferdinand then alluded to the midfielders who are set to depart the club this summer and said:

"This season, Manchester United are definitely losing Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard, Nemanja Matic, Juan Mata, so it [the midfield] does need reinforcement. I think he will be a fantastic signing if this deal goes ahead."

"[From] Ajax to Barcelona the fee was around £77million and they’re talking between £60-70m, so in today’s market, it would be a very good signing. He thrived under ten Hag’s management. He was the outstanding player in that [Ajax] team."

---

Manchester United need a defensive midfielder if they bring in Frenkie de Jong

Frenkie de Jong is one of Europe's most technically sound midfielders. His composure on the ball along with his vision is rated highly. De Jong has scored four goals and provided five assists in 46 appearances across all competitions this season.

However, defensively, the Dutchman is not the most comfortable and can be exposed if not given proper protection.

For a more defense-minded midfielder, the club are also interested in West Ham United's Declan Rice and AS Monaco's Aurelien Tchouameni, as reported by MEN. Boubacar Kamara is another name being linked as the Frenchman will be a free agent after his contract with Marseille expires.