Man United: Rio Ferdinand shuts down Owen Hargreaves’ call for Red Devils to sign Jude Bellingham 

Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves insisted the Red Devils need to make a big statement in the summer by making a move for Jude Bellingham but ex-team-mate Rio Ferdinand quickly shutdown the claim.

The Borussia Dortmund midfielder turned down a move to Old Trafford in 2020, instead preferring a switch to the Bundesliga when he left his boyhood club, Birmingham. 

But the 18-year-old has since been linked with a move to United and amid their recent struggles Hargreaves believes they are in need of ‘young and hungry’ players like Bellingham. 

‘They don’t have a coach for next year,’ he told BT Sport ahead of the Red Devil’s Champions League tie with Atletico Madrid.

‘We don’t know who the sporting director is, there is a lot of players out of contract. Pogba and Cavani. Martial’s situation. 

‘I’m optimistic as Manchester United has the opportunity to go out and get anyone, and everyone wants to come here, but you’ve got to start somewhere.

The former midfielder insisted the Red Devils have the opportunity to ‘get anyone’

‘Get a coach in, get a sporting director in, go get Jude Bellingham. Set out your signs, I think they need young, hungry dynamic guys. Jude is a guy I would start with.’

But Ferdinand disagreed, claiming the signings do not matter unless the culture is right at the club.

‘I don’t think it’s about who you sign, you can see from this summer I don’t think anyone was screaming louder than me,’ he retorted. 

But Rio Ferdinand argued signings do not matter if the culture at the club is not right

‘We’ve got Ronaldo. We’ve got Varane and big players coming through the door. Winners that understand the game. 

‘If the culture is not right at the football club, I don’t care who you bring in.  

‘Sir Alex Ferguson is a great manager and done great things here. As soon as he walked out the door, at the time when he was here, we thought it was us as the players. We’re doing it. 

‘The manager goes, you need someone to steer the ship. Manchester United aren’t in that position right now.’