“Huge value” – Ferdinand thinks 38-year-old free agent is Man Utd’s missing piece

Manchester United are currently short up front, so Rio Ferdinand thinks Karim Benzema could be the solution.

The Red Devils exclusively bought midfielders in the summer, signing Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans, and Andrey Santos for a combined £155 million.

Aside from signing free agent Karl Darlow as a backup goalkeeper, INEOS failed to address all other playing departments.

Rio Ferdinand wants Karim Benzema at Man Utd

It has only taken a few weeks into the campaign for United’s lack of transfer activity to return to haunt them.

The decision not to bring a backup for Luke Shaw has proven particularly costly, as the Englishman’s absence gave Michael Carrick a major headache amid the lack of a natural replacement at left-back.

Moreover, MUFC were expected to replace the unwanted Joshua Zikzee with a new centre-forward. But in the end, the striking options remained intact.

So with Benjamin Sesko risking another long spell on the sidelines due to an injury relapse, the club could be heading towards a gruelling post-international break schedule without a proper No.9.

Therefore, Ferdinand believes the club need an experienced profile who can offer support for Sesko and provide crucial depth upfront.

“Without Sesko, there isn’t really a focal point,” noted the legendary defender on his podcast Rio Ferdinand Presents (via Metro).

“We’ve got players that want to come deep to the ball more often than not and get involved in the build-up, and then you lose that focal point out there.

“But if you had somebody up there who could share the minutes, share the load, help in terms of experience, lend that experience to Sesko for him to learn as well, you’d have been getting so much more out of just a signing to go and play the 90 minutes.”

Ferdinand then named Danny Welbeck and Benzema as the two ideal profiles for the described role.

“Welbeck springs to mind, obviously, so does Benzema. Two players I feel would have added huge value to the forward line that we have.”

Should Man Utd consider Benzema?

(Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Last summer, many MUFC fans rued Welbeck’s move from Brighton to Chelsea, thinking their club should have brought the 35-year-old back to Carrington.

On the other hand, Benzema is available as a free agent after ending a brief experience at Al-Hilal.

The 2022 Ballon d’Or winner is undoubtedly one of the best centre-forwards of the 21st century. However, his two Saudi experiences at Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal both ended on a sour note, and the Frenchman is said to be contemplating retirement.

At the age of 38, this could be the wisest decision for one of the most decorated players in his generation.

As for Man Utd, they would be better off chasing a younger and hungrier profile, as Benzema’s mindset suggests he’s no longer keen to put up with professional football.

Leave a Reply

Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment *

Name *

Email *

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.