Manchester United legend, Rio Ferdinand has advised the club to find an “understudy” for Luke Shaw instead of a direct replacement ahead of the summer transfer deadline.
Following a disappointing 2-0 loss to newly promoted Hull City in their Premier League opener last weekend, Shaw and the rest of Michael Carrick’s squad faced significant criticism.
The 31-year-old left-back also struggled in the match against Ipswich, where he was thoroughly outplayed by Abdul Fatawu on the wing, leading to Leif Davis’ goal in the 29th minute on Sunday afternoon.
Nevertheless, Bruno Fernandes sparked a remarkable comeback with an impressive hat-trick, securing a 5-2 victory for the Red Devils at Old Trafford and marking the club’s first win of the season.
Carrick opted to substitute Shaw for Noussair Mazraoui with 17 minutes remaining in regular time, as part of five changes made by the United head coach during a thrilling second half at the Theatre of Dreams.
In the aftermath of the match, Rio Ferdinand passionately defended Shaw on his YouTube channel, Ferdinand Presents, asserting that the England full-back had been one of United’s most “consistent” performers over the past year.
Ferdinand emphasised that United should focus on signing a left-back who can gradually integrate into the team rather than someone who would displace Shaw, the club’s longest-serving player.
The legendary United and England defender said:
“In a couple of my WhatsApp chats, some United fans were saying, ‘Luke Shaw, get rid!’ … Luke Shaw, over the last year, has been one of our most consistent performers, and you’re sitting there saying, ‘He should be there,’ or, ‘He should be somewhere else’ … no!
“Go and get a left-back that we want to actually bed in over time to be a replacement for someone like Luke Shaw.
“You think you’re going to go in the market and find someone? It’s like £60m we’d have to pay. We ain’t got that!”