Rio Ferdinand has given Andre Onana's loan move away from Manchester United the thumbs up following the deadline day arrival of Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp
11:27, 09 Sep 2025
Rio Ferdinand and Andre Onana
Rio Ferdinand believes Andre Onana's departure is for the best(Image: James Gill - Danehouse, Getty Images)
Rio Ferdinand is relieved at Andre Onana's impending departure from Manchester United, admitting he had "suffered" watching players like him.
Onana is set to leave United for a season-long loan at Turkish club Trabzonspor following the arrival of Senne Lammens in the summer transfer window. Onana, who moved to Old Trafford from Inter Milan in 2023, has made a string of blunders over the last couple of years and saw Altay Bayindir start the season ahead of him.
This was before Lammens joined in an £18million deal from Royal Antwerp on transfer deadline day. Former Ajax keeper Onana, signed by Erik ten Hag, has now agreed to join Trabzonspor for the remainder of the 2025/26 season.
United won't receive a loan fee and 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 show, the ex-United defender expressed satisfaction that the club had found a solution.
Reacting to the Onana news, 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.
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 forming a 'bomb squad' of surplus-to-requirements players, including Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia. United managed to ship out all of those players, bar Malacia, while Rasmus Hojlund, Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen have exited Old Trafford.
The bomb squad tactic sparked controversy at United, but Ferdinand believes it has proven its worth. He said: "I think this is a step in the right direction.
Andre Onana
Onana is on his way out of Old Trafford(Image: Getty Images)
"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.
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"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'."
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