Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United’s decision to sign Carlos Baleba makes sense, even if the midfielder was not among their first choices in the summer transfer window.
Manchester United had initially been linked with a number of midfield targets, including Elliot Anderson, Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Bruno Guimaraes. In the end, Michael Carrick‘s side went in a different direction, bringing in Andrey Santos, Youri Tielemans and Carlos Baleba.
Ferdinand feels there is plenty to work with in Carlos Baleba, particularly given the valuation the midfielder had built up previously.
Rio Ferdinand backs Carlos Baleba at Man Utd
“All right, yes, (they) wouldn’t have been on the probably the top two or three in their list, but Baleba, you know, he’s got potential. We’ve seen that he was being earmarked as a 100 million pound player two seasons ago, right? And that doesn’t happen just overnight for nothing. There’s obviously got to have been some football being played in there.”
Speaking on his Rio Presents YouTube channel, the former United defender also pointed to the demands facing the squad this season.
With United back in the Champions League, Ferdinand believes Michael Carrick needed more depth to deal with the number of matches ahead.
Both Santos and Baleba fit that approach. The pair have plenty of room to develop, while also having Premier League experience behind them.
For Ferdinand, Baleba’s previous reputation is an important part of the reasoning behind United’s decision. The midfielder may not have been the biggest-name option they were linked with, but there is clearly belief in what he can become.
