Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has spoken out about the recent stream of players looking to leave Old Trafford, urging one star in particular to remain with the club despite being shunned.
At the start of the transfer window Ruben Amorim segregated the “bomb squad” from his senior squad, consisting of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia.
The five were sworn to individual training with all five set as priority offloads this summer, no longer in Amorim’s United plans.
However, alongside them players like Rasmus Hojlund, Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte have all been demoted from the first squad, with Hojlund out of the squad altogether and Mainoo and Ugarte on the bench.
Now, both Hojlund and Mainoo could be set to move to Napoli, following in Scott McTominay’s footsteps as the former United midfielder not only won the Serie A last season but was also awarded the Player of the Tournament award and scored the opening goal of the 2025/26 Serie A campaign, getting a new lease of life.
Hojlund is as good as gone with an agreement for him to move to Napoli on a season-long loan deal with option to buy, set to become an obligation to buy if Napoli qualify for Champions League football next year.
However, United are less keen to lose Kobbie Mainoo despite his request to go on a season-long loan as well to get more gametime ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
United have rejected his formal request, and now Rio Ferdinand has also pleaded for the 20-year-old to stay at Old Trafford and fight for his spot in the squad.
The Mirror has reported Ferdinand as saying on his YouTube channel Ferdinand Presents: “I don’t want to hear that. So Kobbie, if you’re watching, please don’t let me hear that, please man, I need you to stay at the club.”
He continued: “Be patient please, I know it’s difficult. It’s easy for me to say, but I want to see you here.
“You couldn’t have bet me any money that after his exploits with England that we’d be sitting here going, ‘Kobbie Mainoo can’t get in the Man United team, they’re thinking about selling him and he wants to go’.”
