Rio Ferdinand has highlighted the depth of Manchester United 's problems as he claims the Red Devils wouldn't win the Premier League even if they signed Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
United fell to a crushing 1-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday night to crash out of Europe 2-1 on aggregate. The result means the Red Devils will go a fifth season without silverware - the club's worst trophy drought in 40 years.
Atletico's Renan Lodi netted the winner at Old Trafford to send Ralf Rangnick 's side packing as United's disappointing season continued. Tuesday's clash could prove to be United's last Champions League outing for a while as they face an almighty challenge to finish in the Premier League 's top-four this campaign, despite Cristiano Ronaldo's heroics at the weekend.
The Atletico defeat was the latest in a series of setbacks for United, whose problems run deep. That's according to Ferdinand, who condemned the situation at his former club following their costly Champions League loss, referencing Mbappe and Haaland in order to highlight the extent of the United's woes.
"If United bring in Mbappe and Haaland this summer, it doesn’t matter, they aren’t going to win the league," Ferdinand told BT Sport. "It doesn’t matter who you bring in, it needs to be from the top down.
"Unless you get the right pieces... Jurgen Klopp took four or five years at Liverpool to win the Premier League, but you could see they were on the right trajectory. Man United have to get to that point."
Join the debate! Do you agree with Rio Ferdinand's comment on Manchester United? Let us know your verdict below .
United's fans again took aim at the club's owners on Tuesday night as chants rung of "We want the Glazers out" rung around the Theatre of Dreams. While the club's American owners have expressed no intention of stepping away, changes have already begun as United prepare for a significant summer upheaval.
The much-maligned Ed Woodward has stepped down from the role of chief executive, with the club's managing director Richard Arnold taking over his position. United are also poised to appoint a new manager come the end of the season as Rangnick's short stint as interim manager draws to a close.
Paris Saint-Germain head coach Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax boss Erik ten Hag are the two reported frontrunners for the long-term vacancy. However, Ferdinand believes whoever takes the reins at Old Trafford must be given time to build as United are years away from challenging for trophies.
Ferdinand added: "Once you get the right manager and get the right person in place, then it's a minimum two or three years before you start challenging for trophies. By the way, Liverpool and City have set a high bar now.
"The consistency at which they play. It shows that no matter what talent you bring together, you need a manager that can harness that and put it all together."
United have spent over £1billion on transfers since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, but it has been to little avail. Since the legendary Scot retired, United have lifted just three trophies: the FA Cup under Louis van Gaal in 2016, and the League Cup and Europa League under Jose Mourinho the following year.
