'Terrible decision' - Rio Ferdinand reveals the 'biggest transfer mistake' Man Utd made

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand (Picture: Getty)

Rio Ferdinand has revealed the ‘biggest transfer mistake’ Manchester United have made since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement.

The biggest and arguably most successful team in English football have endured a miserable spell since Fergie’s retirement in 2013.

Not only have league titles evaded United since Sir Alex walked away, the Red Devils finished just 15th in the Premier League last season .

Manchester United have continued to struggle this term, with the team recently losing to League Two side Grimsby Town under unconvincing boss Ruben Amorim.

United’s recruitment since Ferguson left has also been poor and Ferdinand believes his former club would be in a ‘different place’ had they signed Harry Kane and Declan Rice.

Manchester United were in the running to sign both but Kane ended up at Bayern Munich while Arsenal signed Rice for £105m.

‘That’s the biggest mistake they’ve made in the last ten years,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel in reference to United’s failure to sign England captain Kane.

England captain Harry Kane (Picture: Getty)

‘If they paid the number Spurs wanted, they would have got him. It’s weird to think that it didn’t happen because of a couple of million here and there, it was a terrible decision.

‘I honestly think and I’m convinced that if Man United would have got Harry Kane and Declan Rice in that window, they’re in a different place now.

‘It goes back to the environment, those two drive an environment I think because they’re two top pros.’

Arsenal spent £105m to sign Declan Rice (Picture: Getty)

Ex-United striker Michael Owen added: ‘Harry Kane should have happened I think. They could have got him I think. They could have got him, couldn’t they?’

Kane established himself as one of the most prolific goalscorers in Premier League history during his time at Tottenham, scoring 280 goals in 435 appearances.

The Three Lions captain was linked with moves to Manchester United and Manchester City but left England in 2023 to join Bayern Munich.

Kane has continued to be a devastating goalscorer in Germany, netting 91 goals in 100 games for Bayern and helping the club reclaim the Bundesliga title last season .

Rice, meanwhile, has developed into one of the best players in the Premier League since his £105m move from West Ham to Arsenal in the same summer Kane left Spurs.

The England midfielder has made over 50 appearances over the past two seasons as Arsenal have come agonisingly close to winning the title.

Amorim’s Manchester United, who needed a injury-time penalty to beat Burnley at the weekend , return to action after the international break against Manchester City.