“I wouldn’t be happy” – Rio Ferdinand blasts Manchester United’s transfer decision

Rio Ferdinand has slammed Manchester United for ‘wasting’ a year of Jesse Lingard‘s career. The Red Devils legend believes the club should have let him leave in the summer or at least in January.

Lingard was looking to leave Old Trafford this month but was forced to stay back by the board. They did not want to weaken the squad without a replacement, and Ralf Rangnick claims they did not find an agreement with any club interested in loaning him.

Speaking on his Vibe with Five channel, Ferdinand took shots at the club for keeping Lingard without giving him any game time. 

“I wouldn’t be happy if I was a player. It’s almost like he has wasted a whole year of his career. A whole season of his career he has wasted. He has hardly played any games. He went to West Ham and did fantastically well. Everyone would have wanted to take him outside of the top four. Then, he goes back to Man United and doesn’t play.”

“I was just baffled that he went back to Man United in the first place after having that taste of success and that taste of playing every week. Either, he was promised by Ole that he would get more game time. This window, you thought he would do everything to get out. Maybe he took long to get to that point of wanting to leave.”

Who wants Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard?

After an impressive loan spell at West Ham United in the second half of last season in the Premier League, he was expected to join the Hammers on a permanent deal. However, despite their efforts, the Red Devils refused to sell him, and reports suggested Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was keen on keeping him.

As things did not seem to be going in the right direction, Lingard decided to try and look for another move last month. Newcastle United joined the race along with West Ham United, but both clubs failed to get him.