has urged to consider a move for Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic this summer.
United have made the signing of a new striker their top priority but are also in advanced talks to sign Mason Mount, .
Kovacic, meanwhile, is also expected to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, .
But Ferdinand believes United should hijack City’s deal for Kovacic and feels the Chelsea midfielder would be an excellent alternative to Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong, who turned down a move to Old Trafford last year.
Asked if United should go back in for De Jong this summer, Ferdinand said on : ‘No, the man doesn’t want to come, the man hasn’t shown the intention that he wants to come, so leave him.
‘It sounds too difficult, too complicated, let’s go, move on.
‘I think Kovacic has got a year left – I like him, drives with the ball, he’s different to what we’ve got.
‘ is an interesting one, if he’s not going to get re-signed at he’s interesting because he gets goals and assists. I think if he’s available, like he seems he is, I think every one of the top six will be interested in Mason Mount.’
Ferdinand also admits he would be ‘deflated’ if United failed to sign either Harry Kane or Napoli striker Victor Osimhen in the upcoming window.
‘We’ve got a transfer window coming up, we’ve got to go again, this is going to be a really important transfer window, Man United have to get it right.
‘Obviously a striker is of huge importance – if it’s not Osimhen or Kane, it’s going to deflate me, if it’s not one of those two players I’d be massively deflated.
‘I can’t see anybody else coming in who you see and say, ‘right, I understand that, that’s for immediate results’.
‘I think in today’s market I’d spent it [£100m on Kane]. Imagine Man United had another 25 goals to what they’ve done this season, a player that can change the dynamic in their team completely.
‘I think Man United are in a position where they’re going to have to pay a big chunk for one of those two and I’d just go and give it.
‘Erik ten Hag can’t be thinking, ‘oh, we’ll wait until next year’. He might be here in a year, the way football is at the moment, I hope he will be and I think he will be but the way football is you can’t think about, ‘oh, in a year’s time’. And that’s another year older Harry Kane will be, no, you’ve got to get these things done now.’
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