Rio Ferdinand has slammed his former club Manchester United for accepting an offer for Scott McTominay and admits the decision ‘does not sit well with me’.
United have agreed a deal with Serie A side Napoli to sell Old Trafford academy graduate McTominay for around £25m.
McTominay is yet to agree personal terms with Napoli but is expected to move to the Italian club before the summer transfer window shuts on Friday night.
Manchester United rejected a £20m bid for McTominay from Fulham earlier in the month but agreed a fee with Napoli.
McTominay has been used as a substitute in both of Manchester United’s first two Premier League games of the new season.
That has taken the 27-year-old to 255 overall appearances for the club he first joined at the age of six.
Asked about McTominay’s likely sale, Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel: ‘I look at Scott McTominay and not every player can be a star, a standout player.
‘But to win the league you need the likes of John O’Shea, Wes Brown, Darren Fletcher… you need a Julian Alvarez at Man City.
‘They might not start every game but they were huge, you need those players and most of them know the DNA of the club, especially ones who have come through the academy, there’s a lot to be said for that.
‘It really doesn’t sit well with me. To replace him you’re going to have to spend £30m or £40m and give him £150,000 a week probably.
‘It’s not going to be cheap and it’s a gamble, you don’t know what you’re going to get, whereas with McTominay you know what you’re getting.
‘He might not always be a 9/10 but invariably he’s a solid 7/10 and sometimes he will be an 8/10 and get you a goal.’
Last month, Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag insisted he wanted McTominay to stay at the club and described him as a ‘very important player’.
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