Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba are ‘a problem’ if Manchester United want to sign Jack Grealish, claims Rio Ferdinand – but he insists they must try to buy £80m-rated Aston Villa star ‘all day long’
- England star Jack Grealish is widely expected to leave Aston Villa this summer
- The two Manchester clubs have been linked with the £80m-rated midfielder
- Rio Ferdinand claims he would want Grealish at Old Trafford ‘all day long’
- But the ex-United defender admits it would be a difficult deal to justify this year
- Ferdinand says Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford’s roles make it tough
Rio Ferdinand admits he would want Manchester United to sign Jack Grealish ‘all day long’ but it would be ‘difficult’ for the club to fit him in alongside Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford.
England star Grealish, who is currently with his country at Euro 2020 this summer, is widely expected to leave Aston Villa this summer after a brilliant season in the Premier League, with Manchester City also interested in the 25-year-old.
But former United and England defender Ferdinand claims Grealish would be competing alongside midfielders Fernandes and Paul Pogba, along with forward Rashford for starting places so a move for the £80million-rated man would be difficult to justify.
Rio Ferdinand says it would be difficult for Man United to justify signing Jack Grealish (right)
The Red Devils have Bruno Fernandes (centre) and Marcus Rashford (left) in Grealish’s roles
When asked if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side should sign Grealish, Ferdinand told the UMM YouTube channel: ‘All day long. All day long, man.
‘I don’t think Bruno Fernandes is the problem, you’ve got Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba that are both playing on the left and that’s where Jack plays.
‘His best position is on the left, and his next best position is No. 10. They’re the positions where our most influential players are right now. So I think it’s difficult to see him at Manchester United right now.
Ferdinand (above) did admit that he would want Grealish at Old Trafford ‘all day long’
‘If he leaves Villa, I just don’t think it’ll be to Manchester United, unless they ship one or two of those boys away. I see it as a difficult deal to be done for Man United.’
Despite a shin injury which ruled him out for a significant part of the season, Grealish scored six goals and registered 12 assists in a promising term for Villa which saw them challenge for European football for most of the campaign.
That form earned the 25-year-old a spot in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2020 – but Grealish was an unused substitute in the Three Lions’ opening game of the tournament against Croatia.
Grealish’s form for Villa earned him a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2020
Before the 1-0 victory in their Group D opener, Ferdinand told Sportsmail that he wanted Southgate to unleash Grealish on the European stage, along with fellow youngsters Mason Mount, Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho.
When asked who he is most looking forward to seeing in an England shirt this summer, Ferdinand claimed: ‘I’ve already seen Kane, Rashford, Sterling in a tournament so it’s not any of them.
‘If I could see Bellingham perform on this stage, if I could see Foden perform on this stage, if I could see Grealish perform on this stage, if I could see Sancho. Mason Mount is another one. Those are the players that are exciting me.
The 25-year-old was an unused substitute for England’s Group D opener against Croatia
‘Give them a platform, give them the freedom to go and perform like they did for their clubs, and let them set this tournament on fire.
‘Some of the best memories within our recent history of England have been Wayne Rooney, 18 years old in the Euros, Michael Owen at a World Cup in France at 18 years old.
‘Unleashing these talents to go and create havoc and surprise many people around Europe has been amazing.’
