Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has issued a scathing assessment of the club’s recent recruitment strategy following a frustrating 1-1 stalemate against Leeds United at Elland Road. The Red Devils required a second-half equalizer from Matheus Cunha to salvage a point after Brenden Aaronson had given the hosts the lead, leaving Ruben Amorim’s side with just one victory in their last seven outings.
This disappointing run has seen United slip three points adrift of the top four while falling a staggering 17 points behind league leaders Arsenal, prompting Ferdinand to highlight two specific transfer blunders that continue to haunt the 20-time champions.
Ferdinand specifically criticized the decision to spend £74 million on Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko last summer instead of pursuing Nigerian international Victor Osimhen. While Sesko completed the full 90 minutes against Leeds, he failed to find the net for the 11th consecutive match, leaving him with a meager tally of two goals in 17 appearances. In stark contrast, Osimhen—who joined Galatasaray for £65 million after United withdrew their interest—has already registered 12 goals in 16 matches this season. The former defender also revisited the 2014 sale of Danny Welbeck to Arsenal, noting that the 35-year-old Brighton forward currently outshines United’s attack with eight goals this term.
“I’ve said before they should never have sold Danny Welbeck. I couldn’t believe we let him go. Now we’re seeing why I was so sure about that because he’s doing his own thing at Brighton. He’s scoring goals and you can count on him as a reliable player. But that ship has already left, it’s gone now. He’s too old, but we shouldn’t have let him go in the first place,” Ferdinand stated on his YouTube channel.
Reflecting on the missed opportunity to sign Osimhen, Ferdinand emphasized that the Nigerian’s proven pedigree would have provided the immediate impact that Sesko currently lacks. He suggested that the lack of service to Sesko remains a systemic issue, but argued that the club prioritized potential over immediate, guaranteed quality during the summer window.
“I still think we should have signed Victor Osimhen. I don’t want to keep talking about it, but we really should have signed him because there were no doubts or questions about it. It’s just pure experience with him. We aren’t passing the ball to Sesko enough, and that’s a major issue. He’s still developing and I believe he needs to handle the ball more,” Ferdinand added.
Manager Ruben Amorim now faces significant pressure to reverse this downward trend as Manchester United prepares for a midweek trip to Turf Moor to face Burnley on Wednesday night. With the Champions League spots slipping further out of reach, the Portuguese coach must find a way to integrate Sesko more effectively or explore alternative attacking solutions during the January window. Fans remain anxious as the club’s lack of clinical finishing continues to undermine their defensive efforts and overall tactical progression.
