"We're at a disadvantage" – Rio Ferdinand highlights area where Manchester United are inferior to Tottenham Hotspur ahead of UEFA Europa League final

Manchester United great Rio Ferdinand has asserted he is worried about Ruben Amorim's side potentially struggling physically in the UEFA Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur.

The Red Devils will face Spurs in the Europa League final this Wednesday (May 21) after defeating Athletic Club in the semi-finals. They beat Ligue 1 side Olympique Lyonnais in the quarter-finals after easing past La Liga outfit Real Sociedad in the last-16 stage.

During an interview on talkSPORT, Ferdinand offered his honest thoughts on Manchester United's Europa League final against Spurs. He remarked (h/t Metro):

"The worrying thing for me from a Manchester United perspective is that physically we can't keep up with any team in the Premier League. If they go man-to-man and go toe-to-toe with us, we're at a disadvantage because our players are not players who can run as hard and as fast, and as long, and they're not as powerful as other teams. That's a big thing in the Premier League."

Ferdinand, who played for United between 2002 and 2014, concluded:

"In the Europa, we've overpowered every team. There's only one team that we struggled against and thought, 'Ooh, that was a bit too close for comfort.' Rangers, who are more akin to a Premier League side, physically. So that's the concern for me in the final playing against a Premier League team, who have beaten us three times, that physically can, minimum, match us."

Despite losing 18 of their 37 Premier League matches this campaign, the Red Devils are unbeaten in the 2024-25 Europa League term. They have recorded nine victories and five draws in 14 Europa League games so far this season.

Spurs, on the other hand, are on a three-match winning run against the Old Trafford club. They defeated United 3-0 and 1-0 in the league earlier this season and also registered a 4-3 EFL Cup quarter-final win over the Amorim-coached outfit.

Manchester United close to signing Brazilian star

According to Sky Sports, Manchester United are set to activate Matheus Cunha's £62.5 million release clause this summer. However, they are yet to directly approach Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Cunha, 25, has arguably been Wolves' best performer this campaign. He has scored 17 goals and laid out six assists in 34 overall appearances for Vitor Pereira's outfit in the ongoing 2024-25 season.

Should Cunha join Manchester United in the future, the Brazilian attacker would likely start in a number 10 role in Ruben Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system.