"I love this player" - Rio Ferdinand urges Manchester United to sign Premier League duo to solve problem area

Rio Ferdinand has asked Manchester United to snap up West Ham United's Declan Rice and Aston Villa's John McGinn in the upcoming summer transfer window to solve the issues in the middle of the pitch.

Midfield has been a problem area for United this season, with the likes of Fred and Scott McTominay often failing to impress the Old Trafford faithful.

The Red Devils are expected to be busy this summer to address this area of concern and a host of names have already been linked with a move to the club.

Two of the players mentioned are Declan Rice and John McGinn, with many media outlets reporting that the former is one of Manchester United's top targets in the upcoming transfer window.

Ferdinand delivered his take on both men on the Five YouTube channel, saying that he would be happy to see them join the club as United will be getting two strong characters.

"Yeah, massively. I think you’re getting two good characters. I think character is one of the main elements that we need – obviously you look for a certain amount of class and quality in the players," said Ferdinand.

The former England international explained that Manchester United will need the right characters in the squad to improve going forward and it will be a massive element considered by the recruitment team in the summer.

Ferdinand also commented that while McGinn may not be a 'sexy enough' signing, he is a great professional who isn't afraid to speak his mind to get the best out of his teammates.

"I think some would say, “oh John McGinn not a sexy enough signing”, but I think he’s a very good player and by all accounts a very good lad, a great professional, not afraid to say what he wants to say to people to get the best out of them."

"He’d be good in that element and on the pitch I think he would be good enough. Is he going to elevate us to being Champions League and Premier League winners? Probably not based on just ability, but I think character stands for a lot in this game," said Ferdinand.

When it came to Rice, the former Manchester United defender was full of praise for the West Ham midfielder, saying that he rates highly as a player. He also suggested that top teams would look to build their team around him.

"Declan Rice, I’ve said enough about him. I love this player, I love this guy. If you’re one of the top teams, you want to build a team around him," said Ferdinand.

Manchester United's midfield is set to undergo a major revamp in the summer

The upcoming transfer window will be crucial for Manchester United as there will be a lot of changes in the midfield.

The likes of Jesse Lingard, Paul Pogba and Juan Mata are expected to leave the club in the summer and there are doubts about Donny Van de Beek's future at the club.

Rice and McGinn could be the ideal additions to the squad as their Premier League experience will come in handy for United.

The West Ham man has been in top form this season with a pass success percentage of 91.1 and also has four assists in the league.

It remains to be seen if both men will indeed end up at Old Trafford as it will depend on the new manager who will replace Ralf Rangnick in the summer.