Rio Ferdinand predicts Man Utd's Premier League ending place as he makes switch level
Manchester United wish to bounce again following their worst-ever Premier League marketing campaign final season, and Rio Ferdinand has revealed the place he thinks his former crew will find yourself in 2025/26
Rio Ferdinand is backing Manchester United to rocket up the Premier League desk this season – however not fairly into Champions League competition. The Pink Devils endured a dismal 2024/25 marketing campaign, ending fifteenth within the desk, simply three locations above the drop zone.
Talking on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the United legend took a cautiously optimistic stab at predicting the place his former membership would possibly end in 2025/26. "I'm going eighth. Seventh or eighth," he mentioned, earlier than including an necessary caveat: "Revisit this if we get one or two extra signings and I would change my reply."
United have already bolstered their assault by signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, and wish to land a brand new centre ahead earlier than the window closes. After lacking out on Liam Delap, Viktor Gyokeres and Hugo Ekitike – who joined Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool respectively – the membership have now turned their consideration to different targets.
They've trimmed their shortlist down to 2 names: Ollie Watkins and Benjamin Sesko. Each strikers are reportedly open to a transfer to Previous Trafford, although no official approaches have been made but.
With Marcus Rashford loaned out to Barcelona and confidence in Rasmus Hojlund waning – amid hypothesis that he too may depart – the membership are brief on firepower. Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho are additionally anticipated to be offloaded, making attacking reinforcements a high precedence.
However there's a monetary balancing act at play, notably amid ongoing Revenue and Sustainability Guidelines (PSR) considerations. United have already spent £133.5million this summer season – greater than Manchester Metropolis and Tottenham, and simply £2m shy of Arsenal's whole outlay – and a big-money striker signing may push their expenditure near the £200m mark.
RB Leipzig are holding out for over £60m for Sesko, whereas Aston Villa are anticipated to demand an analogous price for Watkins. Slovenian worldwide Sesko, who netted 21 targets in all competitions final season, had beforehand been in talks with Arsenal, although the Gunners in the end pivoted to Gyokeres.
Liverpool and Chelsea have since cooled their curiosity within the 22-year-old, however Newcastle stay within the hunt. The Magpies have recognized him as their high goal ought to Alexander Isak be offered to Liverpool. Whereas Newcastle hope to retain their star striker, Isak is pushing for a transfer, casting doubt over his future at St James' Park.
United, in the meantime, will not be pursuing Isak, having been deterred by Newcastle's mammoth £150m valuation. Liverpool, nevertheless, are optimistic that the price could possibly be negotiated down as a result of participant's need to go away.
As for Watkins, United have lengthy admired the 29-year-old, who netted 16 Premier League targets final time period. Though he as soon as described taking part in for Arsenal as his "dream" again in 2020, Gyokeres' arrival in north London makes that state of affairs unlikely – leaving United in pole place in the event that they select to make a severe transfer.
United ended final season 19 factors behind Brighton in eighth and a hefty 23 off Nottingham Forest in seventh – so that they'll want to enhance dramatically for Ferdinand's forecast to turn into actuality.
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That mentioned, 2024/25 was a serious outlier: it marked the one time the membership have completed outdoors the highest eight within the Premier League period, with their final comparable hunch being a Thirteenth-place end again in 1989/90.
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