Former Manchester United defender and prominent pundit Rio Ferdinand was full of praise for the club’s impending parting of ways with André Onana, which he argued was another example of getting rid of the “bad smells” hanging around the squad.
Onana is on the cusp of joining Trabzonspor for a season-long loan. The prospect of making his temporary stay permanent is not thought to be included, but the Turkish outfit are reportedly covering his entire salary—and could even end up paying him close to twice the sum he would earn at United due to several bonuses.
This deal would be the latest exit for an unwanted player in a summer clearout at Old Trafford. Ruben Amorim set up a blatant “bomb squad” heading into the off-season and has thus far managed to oversee permanent sales for Alejandro Garnacho and Antony while Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were both sent out on loan.
Rasmus Højlund was also offloaded to Napoli in a loan deal which is expected to become permanent. The financial reward of this clear-out is debatable—huge losses have been made on a number of these sales—but Ferdinand was adamant that the psychological impact on the players that have remained will be crucial.
“I think Omar [Berrada], who is running the football operations at the club, I think he’s made the point that they’re not going to have players sitting around that are not worthy of being at the football club anymore,” Ferdinand told his podcast this week.
“They’re not going to have players that either aren’t good enough, haven’t performed well enough or are not the right people to be at the football club. He’s not going to have them around like bad smells. I think, for far too long, we've had at that at the football club.
“We’ve been forced to keep players because of bad financial situations that the club have put us in with players and we’ve had to keep them here, sit with them and had to suffer some of these players.”
United also bolstered their frontline with £200 million ($270.9 million) worth of new attackers, yet Ferdinand was more satisfied with the club’s outgoings.
“I think this is a step in the right direction,” the retired centre back gushed. “As happy as I am with the players that are coming in and providing a difference in terms of speed, dynamism, pace and goal threat, I’m as pleased, if not more, with the way they've got players out that the club deemed weren't right to be there.
“That side of it has been as important, if not more, than the incoming players because I think it sends out a fantastic message and a strong message to the players that are there: you ain't hanging about here if you ain’t what we want.
“That’s what it should be like at every club. If you’re not right for the football club, you’ve got to get out. That’s why I’m so strong on it when a player wants to go, he should be able to force and go, ‘I think it should work both ways.’”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Bad Smells’—Man Utd Legend Makes Sweeping Judgment on Andre Onana Exit.