Rio Ferdinand says Man Utd are selling one of the 'best players' he’s ever seen at youth level

Rio Ferdinand has stated that Manchester United are selling a player who used to dazzle him when he played football as a kid.

Manchester United are going through a rebuild… again. This time, it’s the role of Ruben Amorim to reconstruct the Red Devils in his image. And so far this summer, he’s doing a stellar job.

The purchases of two of the Premier League’s best in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo have instilled some much-needed optimism around Old Trafford.

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But to balance the books, outgoings are also essential. One of which has been destined for some time – and that’s Jadon Sancho.

Rio Ferdinand lauds Jadon Sancho when he was a youngster

Sancho looks destined to leave Manchester United in this window, after a rotten relationship with the club and the last few managers, alongside fans.

It’s such a shame, given the talent the Englishman showcased at youth level and Borussia Dortmund. Talent noted by United legend Rio Ferdinand.

“I’ve known him for a long time, he’s from my area, and this kid’s ability… is up there with the best players around,” Ferdinand told TalkSPORT.

“If you look at clips of him as a kid from Man City, they are always head and shoulders above anyone. But for whatever reason that is, and we don’t know – again, people at Man United have been trying to unpick: why can’t we transfer that into a Man United shirt?

“Is it the size of the club? Is it the application from the player? Has the club let him down? There are so many – like, what is the reason?

“Until he comes out one day and speaks about it, I don’t think we’ll know. But he hasn’t been able to transfer his abilities that we’ve seen as a player at Dortmund into a Manchester United shirt. It just hasn’t happened. It’s been disappointing.”

Sancho’s United exit really depends on whether anyone will take a punt on him. The 25-year-old couldn’t work it out with Chelsea, and now looks to be exploring options away from the Premier League.

It leaves you with the age-old question. Where did it all go wrong?

Why do players like Sancho fail at Manchester United?

There’s no determining factor, but Ferdinand also shared his hypothesis.

Ferdinand states: “There are different expectations, and the focus is on Manchester United.

“If a Chelsea player at centre-half has a bad game one week, really, do we hear about it? Do you guys make it a focal point of your Monday morning discussions? Not as much.

“It’s the same with an Arsenal player. If it’s a Man United player, it’s a months-long conversation. Leny Yoro had a bad game against Southampton – everybody’s writing him off.

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“How many bad games did Levi Colwill have last year? He would have had one or two – never heard about it. There’s a big difference in the attention that Man United get.

“And other fans of other clubs will go, “Ah, what are you talking about?” It’s a fact. Yeah, because I speak to the players now that go to Man United and they’re like – all of them, no matter where they’ve come from – it’s like: didn’t realise how big this club was.”

Alongside Sancho, the same has been seen with Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, and even Antony – so there’s probably proof in the pudding from Rio there.

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