Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand believes the Red Devils should be targeting ‘good characters’ Declan Rice and John McGinn.
Ralf Rangnick’s side are believed to be in the market for a new central midfielder, and the West Ham and Aston Villa aces have been routinely linked with the club.
Rice in particular is believed to be high on the list, but the 22-year-old England international could very well require a record breaking fee to prise him from David Moyes’ side.
United are currently set to lose central midfielder Paul Pogba when his contract expires at the end of the season.
And Ferdinand believes Rice and McGinn should be on United’s radar, as he feels they would refresh the quality and personality off the side.
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“Yeah, massively. I think you're getting two good characters,” Ferdinand said on his Vibe with Five podcast.
“I think character is one of the main elements that we need – obviously you look for a certain amount of class and quality in the players.
“But I think you need to build the right characters within this squad going forward if you're going to improve – get the culture right at the football club and you need players to drive that.
“So if you're buying and are in the recruitment team this year, I think that's a big element that needs to be addressed.”
While United were able to add Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane, and Cristiano Ronaldo to their ranks last summer, many United fans, players, and pundits alike were left frustrated at the club’s inability to bring in a new deep-lying midfielder.
United midfield lynchpins Fred and Scott McTominay have particularly come under intense criticism for the Reds this season, although the latter has impressed in recent weeks.
Nemanja Matic has also left plenty to be desired at Old Trafford. The Serbian has also entered the final 18 months of his contract which expires in the summer of 2023.
Meanwhile, Rice and McGinn have both starred in the David Moyes’ and Steven Gerrard’s midfields respectively.
And Ferdinand believe United should try and avoid the more exuberant and ‘sexy’ signings and localise their focus on players who will not only bring quality to the midfield, but character also.
“I think some would say, ''oh John McGinn not a sexy enough signing'', but I think he's a very good player and by all accounts a very good lad.
"A great professional, not afraid to say what he wants to say to people to get the best out of them,” Ferdinand added.
"He'd be good in that element and on the pitch I think he would be good enough. Is he going to elevate us to being Champions League and Premier League winners? Probably not based on just ability, but I think character stands for a lot in this game.
"Declan Rice, I've said enough about him. I love this player, I love this guy. If you're one of the top teams, you want to build a team around him."
