Rio Ferdinand is pleased to see Manchester United clearing the decks as Andre Onana prepares to leave Old Trafford following the deadline day arrival of Senne Lammens
Rio Ferdinand and Andre Onana
Rio Ferdinand believes Andre Onana's departure is for the best(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA, Getty Images)
Rio Ferdinand believes Andre Onana’s impending Manchester United departure sends the perfect message to players not worthy of the shirt.
Onana is on the verge of joining Trabzonspor on a season-long loan before the Turkish transfer window closes on Friday night. The 29-year-old has made a string of costly errors since arriving from Inter Milan in 2023.
He started this season behind Altay Bayindir and has fallen further down the pecking order since the arrival of Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp on transfer deadline day. United will not receive a loan fee for Onana, while the Super Lig side won't have the option to sign the Cameroon international on a permanent basis.
But speaking on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the ex-United defender expressed satisfaction with such moves after "suffering" watching players he believes aren't good enough to represent the club.
Reacting to Onana's move, he said (via the Mirror): "I think Omar [Berrada], who is running the football operations at the club, 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.
Rio Ferdinand speaking on a podcast
Ferdinand has been pleased with United's business this summer(Image: YouTube/Rio Ferdinand Presents)
"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 succeeded in moving on all those players bar Malacia, while Rasmus Hojlund, Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen also departed.
The bomb squad strategy proved divisive at United, though Ferdinand believes it has been justified. He added: "I think this is a step in the right direction.
Andre Onana warming up
Onana is on his way out of Old Trafford(Image: 2025 Vince Mignott/MB Media)
"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.'"