Rio Ferdinand is of the opinion that Premier League wingers Jarrod Bowen, Michael Olise, and Jacob Murphy could assist Rasmus Hojlund in accumulating more goals if they were to play for Manchester United.
After making 12 Premier League appearances since his £72 million transfer from Atalanta in the summer, Hojlund has yet to score his first goal.
The Denmark international has scored five goals in the group stage of the Champions League this season, but Saturday at Old Trafford, in which Manchester United were defeated 3-0 by Bournemouth, was yet another exasperating outing.
Hojlund’s dearth of goals in the league this season, in Ferdinand’s opinion, is due to United’s wide players failing to provide adequate service. Ferdinand believes Erik ten Hag’s squad requires wingers who make it a priority to assist their striker.
‘If Man United had [Michael] Olise, Jack Harrison, [Dwight] McNeil at Everton, Jacob Murphy at Newcastle – any one of those four wingers, I reckon he [Hojlund] would have five or six goals by now,’ Ferdinand said on Vibe With Five.
‘Why? Because they cross the ball. All four of those boys, their first thought is, get the ball, head down, either beat the full-back and cross or give me a yard and cross the ball.
‘He [Hojlund] needs service. Bowen [is another who would help Hojlund]. These guys want to provide, we’ve got wingers who either want to get a shot off, shoot, beat someone.’
Additionally, Ferdinand believes that Bruno Fernandes is the only United player who has maintained his transfer value at Old Trafford in recent years.
‘If you look at it, what player has gone to Man United and got better?’ Ferdinand asked.
‘Varane has got worse, Casemiro has gone backwards now, their value and worth.
‘Bruno is the only one who you’d get good money for. He’s the only one, who else?
‘Wan-Bissaka, you ain’t getting £50 million for Wan-Bissaka. You ain’t getting what they paid for Dalot, I’m sure. Amad Diallo… I could go through them all.
‘I don’t know who comes in. Would you get the same money for Hojlund? No. Sancho? No. I could keep going… Van de Beek.’