Rio Ferdinand has named the player his former club Manchester United should sign on transfer deadline day.
United fans are desperate for the club to do some business on the final day of the January transfer window, especially after watching the team lose 2-0 at home to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Three successive victories suggested Ruben Amorim’s side were finally climbing out of the hole they find themselves but their fragility was once again exposed by a Palace side with just six wins prior to their trip to Old Trafford.
The defeat – which was inspired by Jean-Philippe Mateta’s second-half brace – leaves Manchester United just 13th in the Premier League.
Speaking after the Palace loss, Amorim said his bosses were ‘trying everything’ to strengthen his squad before the transfer deadline but would not repeat the ‘mistakes of the past’.
Amorim reportedly wants to welcome a new forward to Old Trafford after making Denmark full-back Patrick Dorgu his first United signing and sanctioning Marcus Rashford’s move to Aston Villa.
Ferdinand agrees that Manchester United need attacking reinforcements and has named Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen as the player he would love to see arrive through the doors on deadline day.
Osimhen, currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, has been linked with a move to the Premier League during the winter window.
Responding to a United fan who said the club desperately needed to sign a ‘natural number nine’, Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel: ‘I 100% agree with you. I completely agree.
‘A natural number nine. Victor Osimhen, I would have gone with Osimhen on loan. Get him on loan, man. If it’s possible I would have got him.’
Osimhen has been in superb form in the Turkish Super Lig, scoring 17 goals in 21 appearances for the league leaders.
The 26-year-old netted 76 goals in 133 appearances for Napoli – helping them win Serie A in 2022-23 – but has been frozen out by manager Antonio Conte.
Amorim seemingly sent a message to the Manchester United board with his team selection against Crystal Palace, opting to start Kobbie Mainoo up front in the absence of a recognised striker.
£73m signing Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, who cost £36.5m, were both on the bench.
This is not the first time Ferdinand has endorsed a Manchester United move for Osimhen; he recently said the Nigerian striker could not only bring goals to Old Trafford but also ‘help’ struggling Hojlund.
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‘I’ve watched Hojlund closely the last two games… it just doesn’t add up,’ an exasperated Ferdinand said.
‘I’d be going to get Osimhen now if we can do it from a financial standpoint. Get him on loan now!
‘Guarantees you someone who can get on the end of things, scores goals, experienced, done it at the top level.
‘I just feel like because Hojlund was £70m-odd we’re expecting the finished article. Unfortunately [he’s not]. He’s a young striker but normally a striker of that age comes in and learns off someone. He’s got nobody to learn off.’
Discussing Manchester United’s plans ahead of deadline day, Amorim said: ‘We are trying everything to improve the team without making the mistakes of the past and also trying to balance the urgency of the moment.
‘We know all of the aspects of our club in the moment but we are trying everything.
‘This market is really hard on clubs to make some deals. I want to improve the team so badly. I know what the team needs.
‘Sometimes it’s possible, sometimes it’s not. When the window closes we will see the players that we have.’
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