Rio Ferdinand reveals one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s biggest Man United transfer regrets
Rio Ferdinand has revealed that failing to sign Karim Benzema is one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s biggest transfer regrets at Manchester United.
Benzema is in sensational form right now, having scored seven goals in his last three Champions League games and 14 goals in his last nine games across all competitions, and almost single-handedly eliminated both PSG and Chelsea from Europe.
- Where do Real Madrid rank among the Champions League favourites?
- Premier League top four odds 2021/22: where do Man Utd stand?
After his latest appearance saw him head the dramatic aggregate winner for Los Blancos to advance to the semi-finals, Ferdinand told BT Sport: “The first time I played against him was 2008, and that was the first time I had seen him up close and personal. If you see the goal he scored against us, look how many players are around him, but all he needed was one touch, it was all one motion.“
“I remember coming off the pitch and Sir Alex Ferguson said; ‘don’t worry, I’m trying to get him’. But with his African connections, and how influential Real Madrid were, he chose them.”
“I think, looking back, Sir Alex will believe that is one of his biggest regrets not getting him to sign for the club.”
Kwiff betting offer: Bet £10 Get £20
Eligible readers interested in the Kwiff betting offer can follow THIS LINK or click the image below
New Customers Only. The Promotion operates as a £20 Surprise Bet when you place a bet of at least £10 on any market with odds greater than or equal to 1.50 as your first bet. The Promotion runs from 29/12/2021 12:00 (UTC) until 31/12/2022 12:00 (UTC) (the “Promotional Period”). 18+ only. Be Gamble Aware.
Ferdinand is referring to a Champions League round of 16 clash between Benzema’s former club Lyon and Manchester United back in 2007/08. In the first-leg a stunning goal from a then-19-year-old Benzema gave Lyon a lead before Carlos Tevez bagged a late equaliser.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner in the second-leg at Old Trafford and Lyon were eliminated, but one year later both Ronaldo and Benzema joined Real Madrid in the summer of 2009.
NEW CUSTOMERS ONLY. FIRST SINGLE & E/W BET ONLY. 5P MINIMUM STAKE. ODDS OF 1/1 OR GREATER. 3 X £10 BET TOKENS. FREE BET STAKES NOT INCLUDED IN RETURNS. FREE BETS EXCLUDE VIRTUALS. FREE BETS ARE NON WITHDRAWABLE. FREE BETS EXPIRE AFTER 30 DAYS. ELIGIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AND FURTHER T&CS APPLY. 18+. BEGAMBLEAWARE.ORG
New Customers only. Bet £10* & Get £30* in Free Bets. Sign up, deposit between £5* and £10* to your account and bet365 will give you three times that value in Free Bets when you place qualifying bets to the same value and they are settled. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits. Min odds/bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. T&Cs, time limits & exclusions apply. Registration required.
For years Benzema played second-fiddle to Ronaldo, working hard off the ball to help the Portuguese score a ludicrous 450 goals in 438 games for Los Blancos, and this effected his reputation as a world-class striker.
But now the Frenchman gets to be the focus of Madrid’s creativity and is reaping the rewards, scoring 125 goals in 185 games since the start of 2018/19 and is arguably the best player in the world right now even at 34 years-old. We are now seeing that quality he first showed at Lyon be unleashed at the very highest level.
READ MORE:
- Sky Vegas welcome offer (50 free spins and no deposit required)
- Live stream today’s football
- Football accumulator tips
