Manchester United’s new signing Matthijs de Ligt is ‘better value’ than the other defender the club tried to sign this summer, Rio Ferdinand has insisted.
The Red Devils have brought in De Ligt from Bayern Munich in a deal worth €50m (£42.7m) but their No.1 defensive target was actually Jarrad Branthwaite.
United agreed personal terms with the Everton centre-back but a deal never got over the line, with the Toffees adamant they wanted £70m for the Englishman.
That saw Erik ten Hag’s side opt for De Ligt, and former United defender Ferdinand feels the Dutch centre-back is better value for money than Branthwaite.
‘I think Matthijs de Ligt is better value than Jarrad Branthwaite at this moment in time,’ Ferdinand said in a video he posted on X.
‘Everton wanted £70m [for Branthwaite], which is a huge sum of money for him.
‘I think the experience De Ligt has got, playing at various top clubs in Europe, Champions League football, international football…
‘I think he’s got something to prove. I don’t mind it sometimes. I don’t want to sign loads of them, but it’s good to have the odd player who has a lot of prove.
‘He’s done a fair bit in his career but He hasn’t pinned down being the main man at another club after Ajax just yet. Can he do that here at Manchester United?’
Branthwaite, meanwhile, has massively impressed at Everton since breaking into the first-team XI, with the England international having made 54 appearances to date.
Everton star Ashley Young feels Branthwaite has everything in his locker and can make the ‘step up’ to an elite club.
‘He’s ready for the step up,’ ex-United winger Young told talkSPORT this summer. ‘Obviously there’s interest from other clubs that are finishing in the top half of the table.
‘Rightly so because I know what kind of player he is, where he can get to. I can see him, if it’s not with us at Everton, taking us further, then with a team that’s maybe offering him Champions League football. He’s definitely a player that can go and play in the Champions League and play in the big tournaments.’
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