Rio Ferdinand Raises Questions Over Future Of £195M Trio And 2 Other United Strikers After Amorim’s Arrival

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand says there are doubts whether most of the club’s strikers can be accommodated into Ruben Amorim’s system.

This Portuguese coach likes to have a strong focal point on the front line with two players in forward but Ferdinand claims the position is not suitable for the club’s current crop of players:

“I’m worried whether the players we have can match Amorim’s wishes. You look at Garnacho and you look at Rashford. Can they get into the inside forward position and is that really a position they will be good at?”

“Rasmus Hojlund. Will he be ours [Viktor] Gyokeres, will he be someone we can fight? Antony hasn’t shown that yet [he fits into the system] however, so does Zirkzee. Where is he going to get involved in all this?”

United invested £195 million in the 3 players mentioned by Ferdinand

The Red Devils splashed out £86m on Antony in 2022 before paying a further £72m for Hojlund last year. Zirkzee, meanwhile, was only brought in from Bologna for £36.5 million in July.

It would be a big decision from Amorim if he deemed these three to exceed the requirements.

The future of Garnacho and Rashford

Concerns over Alejandro Garnacho may be easing. He is still a young player and Amorim is keen to mold the 20-year-old into someone who can play a role under him.

Rashford’s future is a little more uncertain. Amorim appears to believe he can play in midfield, although his performances for United over the years in that role have been less than convincing.

It seems the manager is still trying to figure out where best to deploy these players. In the long run, there are those who gain and those who lose.

Find out who is in Manchester United’s first team squad for the 2024/2025 season here