Barcelona star urged to snub Man Utd by club legend Ferdinand
Cameron Smith
- 12 Dec 2023 03:45 CST
- 3 min read
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has told Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo to reject interest from the Red Devils as a move to Old Trafford would “risk his career.”
Araujo, 24, has been linked with a sensational Barca exit in recent weeks, with Thomas Tuchel’s Bayern Munich heavily interested in signing him in 2024.
Furthermore, reports from Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo suggest that Man Utd have offered to double the Uruguayan’s wages in a bid to convince the defender to join the club.
Erik ten Hag reportedly wants to sign a new defender amid Raphael Varane’s uncertain future at Old Trafford, and Araujo is said to be one player that is currently being looked at.
However, Ferdinand has stressed that a move to Man Utd would be detrimental to the Barcelona star’s career.
What has Ferdinand said?
“If I’m a player like Ronald [Araujo], who I think has every attribute to be one of the best defenders in the world, why are you going to United?’ Ferdinand admitted to his Vibe with Five YouTube channel.
“I’d be looking at [Raphael] Varane and going if he can go to Manchester United and get benched for a left-back or for an old veteran like Jonny Evans, an ex-player who has come back for his twilight years, and someone who used to be captain who was left out for 18 months but is back in form now and is playing [Harry Maguire], I can’t go there and risk my life and risk my career."
Ferdinand added: “If you look at it, what player has gone to Man Utd and got better? Varane has got worse, Casemiro has gone backwards now in their value and worth. You’d get good money for Bruno [Fernandes] still, he’s the only one.
“[Aaron] Wan-Bissaka you aren’t getting £50 million now, they aren’t getting what they paid for [Diogo] Dalot, I’m sure. Amad Diallo, the Ivory Coast boy. I could go through them all. I don’t know who comes in?
“Would you get the same money for [Rasmus] Hojlund now? No! [Jadon] Sancho? I could keep going if you want. [Donny] Van de Beek?”
Although there is increasing transfer interest in Araujo, Fabrizio Romano recently reported that the defender’s focus remains on Barcelona and he is reportedly hoping to sign a new deal at Camp Nou soon.
