GET IN GEAR UNITED .. SANCHO’S THE WHEEL DEAL Old Trafford legend Rio says Solskjaer must sign Jadon to show Reds mean business

RIO FERDINAND says Manchester United must sign Jadon Sancho to show they are serious about getting back to the top under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The former United defender hailed Sancho as one of the best young players in the world and said signing him this summer would be a massive statement of intent from the Reds.

Borussia Dortmund will not sell Sancho unless United meet their £100millon asking price, but

Ferdinand reckons his former club must pull out all the stops to land the 20-year-old England forward.

“He’s fantastic,” said Ferdinand. “If he comes, I think he’ll be an added value in terms of quality, no doubt.

“United should be in the market for the best players in the world.

“They need to sign top players who are going to have an effect on their first team and Jadon Sancho falls into that category.

“If you look at successful United sides over the years, successful periods, there were players fighting for every position and if you substituted one out and you brought one in, there was no change in the quality or the output.

“If you add someone like him to the team, that is the case when he’s there – he’s a fantastic player.”

Ferdinand, who won six Premier League titles with United as well as the FA Cup and Champions League, said Solskjaer has the club heading in the right direction, after seven turbulent years since Sir Alex Ferguson (below, with Ferdinand as a new signing in 2002) retired.

Although United have won the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League post-Ferguson, they have failed to challenge for the Premier League title or the Champions League.

But Solskjaer has restored their attacking identity since his appointment in December 2018, which, Ferdinand believes, can see them return to a sustained period of challenging for the big prizes again.

“That’s been the most pleasing point,” said Ferdinand. “Since Fergie left really, I think United teams have been a shadow of their former selves, in terms of that attacking football they were playing before.

“Win or lose, you’d come away from Old Trafford, or from games United played in, thinking, ‘Well they didn’t get the result, but they still showed you something and you enjoyed paying for your ticket’.

“But Ole has got that back. He’s not only got that back – the excitement and the pace in the team – he’s ticked a box in terms of getting

the team back into the Champions League, which I think would have been his remit at the beginning when he got his hands on the reins.

“This could be part of setting a new culture at the football club.

“I think the club’s been missing that for the past seven or eight years.

“It’s a sustained period of winning you’re looking for – it’s not that sporadic win, a trophy here or there.

“It’s challenging for the Premier League on a yearly basis and getting your foot in finals every year.

“If they can create that culture now and start it with the young players they’ve got coming in – the way that Ole’s trying to mould this team – then we’ll definitely be in for a good future.”