Manchester United have been on the Premier League for over 10 years without winning the Premier League, but former United defender Rio Ferdinand pointed out two major transfer mistakes
It’s been more than a decade since Manchester United won the Premier League, and one of the team members could have been very different with just two signatures. Rio Ferdinand won his sixth and final league titles in 2012-13. I believe this may have set United for years since then as part of the strong English core under Sir Alex Ferguson.
Since Ferguson stepped into the end of that season, United have secured just five top-four finishes. They were the far runners-up behind Manchester City in 2018 and 2021, but their 15th place finish last season was the worst in a half-century.
United spent the last 12 years and broke their transfer record in 2014 with Angel Di Maria’s move and again in 2016 when Paul Pogba rejoined the club from Juventus. Three of their 10 most expensive signatures arrived at the window. Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko joined for a total of £200 million.
However, there are many expensive mistakes and Ferdinand doesn’t think Rice or Kane had struggled in some ways. Both had links to the Old Trafford Switch in the past, but only Rice joined Arsenal when he left West Ham in 2023 and left Kane a few weeks later to trade Tottenham for Bayern Munich.
Ferdinand described United’s failure to sign Kane as their biggest mistake in the last decade. “I think if they paid the number the Spurs wanted, they would have got him,” he said he presented the podcast in a conversation with Michael Owen at Rio Ferdinand.
read more: Michael Owen is aiming for Harry Kane for his career decision for “Nuts” – “I won’t see it.”read more: Michael Owen has Trent Alexander Arnold and sides over Liverpool fans
“And if you believe it, if it didn’t happen with millions here and there, I think it would have been a horrifying decision,” Ferdinand continued. “To be honest, I think I would say this, and I am sure.
“As we’re back to the environment, these two drive the environment. We have two players who are Earth-type people, top professional salt.”
United spent the money in the summer of 2023, but they spent money on Kane and Rice. Rasmus Hojlund was signed as the new mainman on the offensive, but he was now loaned to Naples after two challenging seasons, but £60 million midfielder Mason Mount began to show what he could do with the injury.
Just 12 months later, United paid another £200 million in October with plenty of new signatures, only to get the bag. His successor, Reuben Amorim, has overseen another busy summer, and it remains to be seen whether his signature will help United return where they want to be.
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