Rio Ferdinand to exit Manchester United?

Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand could be set to leave the club and move to China, the Guardian reports.

According to the paper, he has told friends he is not considering retirement, and is not necessarily certain to stay at United. A financially lucrative move to China could be on the cards.

Only recently Sir Alex Ferguson had told reporters, “I think Rio can play for two or three more years,” the manager said. “He is not as quick as he was but that is not a big issue for me. His experience is important and there is no reason he can’t stay on. I didn’t even realise his contract was up.”

But after that particular statement, Ferdinand talked to Inside United, the club’s magazine, where he revealed, “The best thing I can do is to look at it at Christmas, and then again in the summer, to see how I’m feeling and go from there. But hearing the manager say things like that definitely puts the spring back in your step.”

Which was either a ploy to gain the advantage in contract negotiations or a real indication that his United career might be over at the end of the season.

The Guardian further claims that Ferdinand has received at least one offer from China, where former Chelsea stars Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba already ply their trade.

With both earning wages close to £200,000 a week, and Ferdinand currently earning £130,000 at United, money may tempt Ferdinand into making a move, but won’t be the sole motivating factor.