"I question that" - Rio Ferdinand points out problem with Christian Eriksen's impending Manchester United arrival

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand believes Christian Eriksen will not be a regular first-team starter at Old Trafford during the 2022-23 season.

The Danish international has verbally agreed to join the Red Devils on a free transfer after his six-month contract with Brentford expired last month. According to Fabrizio Romano, Eriksen will be signing a three-year deal with Manchester United.

Rio Ferdinand has stated that Eriksen's best position on the pitch happens to be the same as Bruno Fernandes'. Erik ten Hag could play both of them together, but Manchester United's lack of a defensive midfielder might hinder that plan.

Speaking on his FIVE YouTube channel (via The Metro), Ferdinand said the following:

"I think Christian Eriksen is a squad player. He doesn’t come as a starter, I would be very surprised if he comes into Manchester United as a starter. I think he’ll come in and play a particular role in and around it. The position he is likely to occupy will be similar to Bruno Fernandes and I don’t see him taking him out of the team."

He added:

"Can you play both? Yes, but then have you got the person defensively behind them to be able to mop things up and secure things behind them? I question that."

That said, Ferdinand believes Christian Eriksen's arrival is a big step forward. The Dane contributed a goal and four assists in 11 appearances for Brentford during the second half of the season.

However, Ferdinand pointed out that United fans will be expecting a lot more in the summer, saying:

"So there is a lot of positives with him because I think he is a fantastic technician with fantastic ability but if he’s coming to be someone who fills in here and there, I can see that. But Man United fans are anticipating big names coming in the door."

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Christian Eriksen will be Manchester United's second signing of the summer

Manchester United are set to announce Christian Eriksen as their second new signing in the summer transfer market. The Red Devils have already completed the signing of Dutch full-back Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord for a fee of around £13 million.

The 22-year-old will provide some much-needed competition to Luke Shaw in the left-back position during the upcoming new season.

It is worth mentioning that many other players have been linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer. These include the likes of Frenkie de Jong, Antony and Lisandro Martinez.