Manchester United have made three signings worth more than £200m, but according to Rio Ferdinand, the biggest difference-maker could arrive on deadline day.
Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, and Bryan Mbeumo have all had encouraging outings for Manchester United this season so far.
However, gaping holes in midfield and in goal have left Man Utd at the negative end of many results when it wasn’t deserved.
Understandably, United are in the market to plug those gaps, and Rio Ferdinand believes the ‘wonderful’ signing who will make a ‘huge difference’ to the team will arrive on deadline day.
Rio Ferdinand raves about Emi Martinez’ potential transfer
Man Utd looked close to sealing Senne Lammens‘ move at one point, but circumstances changed rapidly close to deadline day.
United revived talks for Martinez, and in less than 24 hours, personal terms were agreed, and Unai Emery spoke like he’d lost his goalkeeper.
Since then, Martinez made his own move to facilitate a transfer to Old Trafford, and he has now received Rio Ferdinand’s seal of approval.
It can be argued that Martinez is a better option than Lammens anyway, and Ferdinand hammered that point home by making a comparison with a club legend.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: “If they got Martinez out of Donnarumma, him, or Lammens, I’d be happy with. He’s played in the Premier League. That is huge.
“If they get him, it’s a wonderful signing that will hopefully instil some confidence. When I came to Man Utd, Peter Schmeichel went.
“Then we have [Fabien Barthez], Tim Howard, Roy Carroll, and Tomasz Kuszczak, and no one ever went in there and became ‘The No. 1’.
“Then Edwin van der Sar turns up. If you get a keeper who comes in and settles the whole back four, that just transpires through the team.
“We could see a huge difference. The impact of Van der Sar cannot be underestimated. That’s a solid foundation. So, let’s hope [Martinez is like that].” [Starts near 29.50 mark]
Man Utd are making their most important signing
For all the money spent on the three forwards, the four games so far this season have proven that it counts for nothing if the goalkeeper keeps conceding goals via individual errors.
United need a player with the personality to talk between the sticks of Old Trafford and grab that position by the scruff of its neck.
Lammens has potential, but United need an instant difference-maker, which is exactly what Martinez can be, as Ferdinand says above.
Goalkeepers don’t decline like outfielders, so Martinez being 32 isn’t a good enough argument against signing him.
If anything, it’s just another similarity to Edwin van der Sar’s signing, who was signed from Fulham when he was 34, and went on to become a club legend.
United are making the most important signing of the summer on deadline day, and as Ferdinand said, he could transform the whole team.
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