Rio Ferdinand sympathises with Manchester United fans who are frustrated by the club’s lack of transfer business this summer as the players they are interested in have been known for some time.
The Red Devils have only made one senior signing this summer, bringing in Donny van de Beek from Ajax, as they continue to struggle to get deals done.
The primary target for the entire transfer window has been Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho and a deal for the England winger looks no closer now than it did two months ago.
The Bundesliga club set an asking price of £108m for Sancho and the Red Devils are reluctant to meet it, but have not given up on signing him.
Porto’s Alex Telles appears to be another potential signing that could fall by the wayside as United are reluctant to pay the relatively small asking price of £18m for the Brazil international.
Ferdinand has hailed Chelsea for getting their transfer business done early in the window rather than still scrabbling around near the end and can see why there is increasing negativity at Old Trafford.
‘What position would you rather be in? I’d rather be in Frank [Lampard]’s. Got business done early, got some time in on training pitch and brought in players he wants,’ Ferdinand told BT Sport.
‘The most frustrating thing for Manchester United fans is that we have all been aware who their targets were at the beginning of the window, that’s the frustrating element.’
‘Is Covid playing a part in the financials, with purse strings having to be pulled a little bit? At left-back and right wing are where they are looking, then all of a sudden the season starts and they haven’t been brought in.
‘All of a sudden losing to Palace at home ignites the negativity and makes it a situation that it never was.
‘if we rewind two months previous, everyone was saying, “well done Ole” he’d got them into the Champions League position. The club appeared on an upward trajectory now, then two months, there’s not been the signings and defeat in the first match and it really changes the picture massively of the club.
‘Champions League would be the target for me realistically.’
The transfer window slams shut on Monday evening and there is pressure on the United board to add at least one defender and one forward before that happens.
Solskjaer’s side take on Tottenham on Sunday afternoon and a poor result there will pile even more pressure on the need to do business.
