Ferdinand praises Solskjaer’s transfer strategy at Man Utd

Rio Ferdinand has praised Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s transfer strategy at Manchester United following productive debuts for the club’s new signings.

Summer arrivals Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire started and impressed in United’s 4-0 drubbing of Chelsea on Sunday, while Daniel James came off the bench to score his first goal for the club.

How did Man Utd new boys fare vs Chelsea? Five things to know…

• United had £125m of new defensive talent in the team against Chelsea.
• Maguire and Wan-Bissaka helped United keep their first clean sheet of the season.
• Welsh winger Daniel James came off the bench to score on his debut.
• James’ goal added to strikes from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in the 4-0 win.
• United were also linked with Paulo Dybala but Ferdinand is “happy he didn’t come”.

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United were linked with a number of players throughout the transfer window but ended up signing three promising British players, the most established of whom being Maguire.

And Ferdinand, who himself joined United as a 23-year-old, has been impressed with Solskjaer’s approach to the transfer market.

“Ole has gone with younger players. James and Wan-Bissaka are two young, young, young players with huge potential. They’re projects,” Ferdinand told the Daily Star.

“Wan-Bissaka a little bit less because he’s played in the Premier League, but James is a nice project for the long-term because he has that youth, that pace that can excite people.

“If he can work on that on the training field, give him a few games, then hopefully he can keep on flourishing.

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“Jose Mourinho didn’t say: ‘I’m going to go down that route’. He might have wanted Harry Maguire, but he’s still 25. We’re talking young English players. He bought Matic, Fred, established players.

“I just hope Ole gets the time and the team shows some signs early on this season that they are going in the right direction.

“United fans are loyal fans and understanding fans. If they see an idea that is being nurtured in the right direction for the future of the club, they’ll get behind it. It’s important they see that early.”

Dybala hasn’t got “the right minerals” for Man Utd – Ferdinand

Reports claim United came close to signing Paulo Dybala from Juventus in a swap deal involving Romelu Lukaku, who eventually joined Inter Milan.

It is believed Dybala had doubts about moving to Old Trafford, something Ferdinand sees as proof the Argentinian was not right for United.

He said: “A lot of players have declined coming to Man Utd in recent years. They’ve chosen somewhere else.

“But I don’t know how Dybala had the audacity to turn them down when he’s on the bench at Juventus. He needs to start playing some football.

“Maybe he’s thinking: ‘I want to be Champions League or I’ll sit on the bench. I’d rather do that than play at Man Utd.’

“Well, I’m happy he didn’t come, then because you haven’t got the right minerals that I want in a Man Utd player!

“I want someone who wants to come and thinks: ‘Man Utd need to get back to being a top team, I want to be the catalyst’. That’s the type of person you want to come through the door.”