Rio Ferdinand urges Man Utd to sign midfielder ‘who can do it all’
Rio Ferdinand has urged Manchester United not to miss out on signing a midfielder he describes as ‘someone who can do it all’.
Borussia Dortmund and England star Jude Bellingham has emerged as one of the top young talents in European football since leaving Birmingham for the Bundesliga in 2020 for £25million.
The 18-year-old is currently being linked with a move back to England, having starred in the Bundesliga and Champions League for Dortmund over the past 18 months.
Liverpool are believed to be the leading contenders to snap up the youngster. However, United worked hard on a deal to beat Dortmund to Bellingham’s signature and Ferdinand strongly believes they should try again.
Asked which midfield role Bellingham fits best, Ferdinand told Vibe with Five: “Any. He is that good. In the England youth teams, there were times he was playing as a holding midfielder, the no8, box-to-box, and times he can go on and join the attack even more.
“He has the capability and capacity to play all of the roles, he is that good. I think for him I see him as someone who can do it all.
“There aren’t that many midfielders now who can attack and defend and affect the game at both ends of the pitch.
“When you are one of the super clubs, you think if we have got the financial muscle to get him, he is one you don’t want to miss out on.”
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Prem centre-back namechecks Man Utd
Meanwhile, a Manchester United defensive target has namechecked the Red Devils, along with Manchester City and Chelsea when discussing potential ‘dream’ moves in the future.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have had their defensive issues since the Norwegian took charge, while his side have shipped four goals at Leicester and five goals at home to Liverpool this season to heap pressure on the United manager.
Raphael Varane’s arrival has made a difference but the Frenchman did not feature in either of the defeats to the Foxes and Jurgen Klopp’s men.
Harry Maguire’s struggles has been well publicised. However, the England star has looked a different player when lined up alongside Varane.
But with Victor Lindelof and Eric Bailly never really fully convincing at Old Trafford, the addition of another centre-back either in January or next summer has been mooted.
And that is where Leicester star Wesley Fofana comes in. The Foxes ace, along with Sevilla’s Jules Kounde, has been strongly linked with both United and Chelsea. Indeed, another report on Thursday claims that Chelsea have resumed talks to sign the player.
Fofana set for New Year return
Fofana is currently out until the new year after suffering a leg fracture in pre-season. However, he is expected to make a full recovery, having had a superb season last time around.
Now an interview with Fofana from Actu Foot (as cited by Sport Witness) has revealed where the player potentially sees his future.
When asked about possible moves for the future, the 20-year-old said: “A club that makes me dream? There’s Marseille, Real Madrid, Barça. In the Premier League, there are Chelsea, United, City… But you have to work to make your dreams come true. Through work, you can achieve anything.
“Playing for Marseille one day? Maybe we’ll see. I have been a Marseille supporter since I was born. Marseille is a dream. We don’t know what football is made of.”
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