Rio Ferdinand has expressed relief at the departure of Andre Onana from Manchester United, following a year of "suffering" his performances. Onana is set to leave United for a season-long loan with Turkish outfit Trabzonspor, following the arrival of Senne Lammens in the summer transfer window.
Onana, who moved to Old Trafford from Inter Milan in 2023, was initially the first-choice goalkeeper. However, his inconsistent performances led to Altay Bayindir taking over the No.1 role this season, before Lammens joined in an £18million deal from Royal Antwerp on transfer deadline day.
The ex-Ajax shot-stopper, brought in by Erik ten Hag, has thus agreed to join Trabzonspor for the 2025/26 season. United will not receive a loan fee, and the Turkish side won't have the option to sign the Cameroon international on a permanent basis.
However, speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, the former United defender expressed satisfaction that the club has found a solution. He said: "I think [Omar Berrada], who is running the football operations at the club, I think he's made the point that they're not going to have players sitting around that are not worthy of being at the football club anymore.
"They're not going to have players that either aren't good enough, haven't performed well enough or are not the right people to be at the football club. He's not going to have them around like bad smells. I think, for far too long, we've had at that at the football club.
"We've been forced to keep players because of bad financial situations that the club have put us in with players and we've had to keep them here, sit with them and had to suffer some of these players."
Ruben Amorim kicked off the summer by establishing a 'bomb squad' of surplus players, which featured Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia.
United eventually succeeded in moving on all of those stars, apart from Malacia, whilst Rasmus Hojlund, Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen also departed the club.
The bomb squad tactic proved divisive at United, but Ferdinand believes it has ultimately been justified. "I think this is a step in the right direction," Ferdinand added.
"As happy as I am with the players that are coming in and providing a difference in terms of speed, dynamism, pace and goal threat, I'm as pleased, if not more, with the way they've got players out that the club deemed weren't right to be there.
"That side of it has been as important, if not more, than the incoming players because I think it sends out a fantastic message and a strong message to the players that are there: you ain't hanging about here if you ain't what we want.
"That's what it should be like at every club. If you're not right for the football club, you've got to get out. That's why I'm so strong on it when a player wants to go, he should be able to force and go, 'I think it should work both ways'."