Rio Ferdinand has drawn up a three-man transfer wish list for Manchester United, with Harry Kane and Erling Haaland overlooked despite intense speculation suggesting a new striker will be sought at Old Trafford.
Rather than look for another prolific option in the final third, the former Red Devils centre-half believes additions should be sought on the flanks and in the heart of defensive and midfield units.
For Ferdinand, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs to be putting any funds made available to him in the next window towards launching raids on Paris Saint-Germain, West Ham and Borussia Dortmund.
What has been said?
Ex-United star Ferdinand told FIVE of the targets he would line up: "I'm going out and buying a centre-back, Marquinhos maybe if you can go and get someone like him.
"They're talking about [Raphael] Varane, I don't know, for experience. But as long as they've got pace, then that's a good start.
"I'd look at somebody like Declan Rice. I'd look at someone like Sancho. These are the types of players that would improve Man Utd's team.
"The manager has got big decisions to make because when he brings these players in, it means people have got to sit on the bench. Big decisions but that's what Ole is paid for."
Getting the right players
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United have been linked with all of those mentioned by Ferdinand, with the expectation being that big money will be spent at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils have done that in the past, though, and not always found value in a trophyless run that has stretched beyond the four-year mark on the back of a Europa League final defeat to Villarreal.
Ferdinand believes the right options are out there, but admits that Solskjaer needs to take into account much more than sporting ability when identifying those he wants to bring in.
The former England international added: "It's not about just the level of player that you're going to bring in or their ability as a football player, it's also about their character.
"You've got to bring the right characters in, the right people in that are going to get people around them and bring them along and drag them and make them better players around them.
"It doesn't always have to be a player that comes from a dominant team and has done everything in the game. Sometimes it's about recruiting the right type of player, and that comes down to the recruitment."
