Rio Ferdinand rates Manchester United summer transfer window out of 10; expresses ‘concern’ about one new signing

Rio Ferdinand has given his assessment on Manchester United’s activity in the recently concluded summer transfer window. The former England defender offered glowing remarks for the club’s spending and squad management while voicing concerns over one of the new signings.

Manchester United were one of the busiest teams in the window, with their arrivals and departures hitting double figures. They made high-profile additions, including Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, while goalkeeper Senne Lammens also joined the club from Royal Antwerp on transfer day deadline.

Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, Ferdinand expressed his excitement at how United were able to part ways with fringe players, calling it ‘a positive transfer window’ for the club. However, he voiced concerns over the acquisition of Lammens. He believes the Belgian shot-stopper could find it difficult adjusting to the Premier League due to inexperience.

However, he revealed how Thibaut Courtois gave him a positive remark about Lammens, and said that he hopes the young shot-stopper can shine at the club.

“Thibaut Courtois gave me a resounding judgement on him. He told me Lammens has got great potential. Obviously, he’s going to need a little bit of time adjusting to the league. That is my only concern with a young goalkeeper, inexperienced and coming to the club. I hope that given the opportunity, he goes out and produces because goalkeeper position at the moment isn’t the most confident position we’ve got at the club.”

Assessing Manchester United’s summer business, Ferdinand rated his former side’s transfer window 8 out of 10.

He added:

“Cunha coming in, Mbeumo, Sesko. £223 million pounds spent in this window. So, no one can sit here and say INEOS aren’t putting their money where their mouth is. If I’m going to give this transfer window a mark out of 10, I’m going to give it an 8 based on the players they have got out of the club because those players had the potential of affecting the ambience if they were hanging around."

The Red Devils spent a whopping £216,000,000 on new signings in the summer window and generated £68,000,000 from player sales, including loan deals.

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Rio Ferdinand details why Manchester United were ‘hampered with transfers’ in the summer window

In the same episode, Ferdinand explained why Manchester United were unable to make as many more signings as they would have made in the summer transfer window. The 46-year-old claimed that Manchester United's financial freedom was restricted because of the signings they made in the past coupled with a number of players on high salaries.

He said:

“INEOS are working from a hamstrung position. I think the recruitment that’s been done in the past has really hampered the way that INEOS have been able to attack the market. But I think INEOS have done a good job this window. We could see sit here and go could Man United have gone got a midfielder, that was a position people think that Man United needed to strengthen.”

“I think in yesteryear, in the regime before, Man United would have gone out and blown 80, 90, million pounds on that player and paid over the odds, 30-40 million pounds and had to pay him probably double the wages that they would have got anywhere else. That’s why we’re in the position we’re in now. We’re hampered with transfers. We’ve got players on far too much money. They’re sitting here and saying, ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ And I’ll make the players right. They’re in a great position. Why am I going to leave Man United or why am I going to leave any club when I’m sitting on 200 to 300 pounds a week.”

Manchester United return to action in the Premier League on September 14, Sunday, when they face rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.