Rio Ferdinand says his former Manchester United teammate Jonny Evans should not be at the club in a damning assessment of the club’s recent recruitment.
United’s miserable 2023-24 Premier League campaign came to an end on Sunday with a win over Brighton, finishing in eighth place a staggering 31 points behind champions Manchester City.
United meet their city rivals in the FA Cup final on Saturday where Erik ten Hag will be fighting to save his job ahead of what is expected to be a summer of major change at Old Trafford.
Evans, 36, returned to Manchester last summer on a one-year deal to serve as United’s fifth choice centre-half. A spate of injury problems at the back saw him called into the side more than expected however, making 29 appearances this season – 18 of those starts.
‘Jonny Evans, really, no disrespect – I love him – but really he shouldn’t even be there,’ Ferdinand told Five.
‘Really, if you’re looking at Man United being a progressive club [he shouldn’t be there]. But he’s come in and probably been their best centre-back this season. And now you’ve got Casemiro playing there, just filling gaps, and respect to him for doing that, to put himself out there to do it.’
Over the last decade, United have routinely struggled to offload underperforming members of the squad – often struggling to recoup decent fees on those they have manage to shift.
Anthony Martial and Raphael Varane will leave the club having reached the end of their contracts this summer Ferdinand fearing the club will struggle to sell on others nearing the end of their contracts.
Victor Lindelof and Aaron Wan-Bisssaka and Christian Eriksen will all enter the final year of their contracts this summer, along with Harry Maguire and Scott McTominay – although United do have a one-year extension option on the latter two.
‘We’ve got players going on free transfers who have cost us a fortune in wages and transfer fees.’ Ferdinand continued.
‘And we’ve got players still sitting there with one year left on their deals who are going to probably just see them out and we’ll get nothing for them.
‘I can’t remember off the top of my head, but there’s about six or seven players who are on one year left on their deals and are going to just sit there and smoke it up, chill. The recruitment in and out has been poor.
‘We can’t get rid of players, do you know why? Because on the way in their get given astronomical contracts that are above market value and that no-one else will pay if it goes wrong. So they sit there.
‘Harry Maguire is a good example. West Ham wanted him, they’re willing to pay him half what he was earning at Manchester United, but Harry Maguire [says no]. I’d be the same. What do you mean go and get half? And uproot my family? No thanks.’
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