Rio Ferdinand has picked three Manchester United stars to be sold in January if the club are to improve their dismal start to the season.
United made their worst league start in 131 years after losing 3-1 to Brighton on Sunday, prompting manager Ruben Amorim to brand his team the worst in the club's history.
And after watching his former club slip to 13th in the Premier League this weekend, Man United legend Ferdinand identified three stars who should be sold, accusing them of bringing a 'cancerous, bad energy' to the dressing room.
The players brought to Ferdinand's attention on his Rio Presents podcast were Marcus Rashford, Antony and Tyrell Malacia.
Speaking about the trio, the ex-England international said: “I think Antony is going, someone said to me: Real Betis or something like that. Just take them out man!
'Sorry, no, I'm just being honest. The more guys like this are around, where there's just a bad noise, they all want to go, they're all happy to go – let's just get them out. Let's start again.
“You know how it is: when there are people who are restless and things don't go according to plan and they're not happy, it spreads. It's like a cancerous, bad energy.”
Rashford, who is now one of the most senior members of the Amorim squad after more than a decade at Old Trafford, revealed in an impressive interview earlier this month that he was keen to leave Manchester United.
Rashford's form has dropped dramatically in recent seasons, with the forward scoring just 11 league goals from 48 appearances over the last two seasons.
Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan both expressed interest in the out-of-favour star in January, with a loan move looking the most likely outcome at this stage.
Meanwhile, Antony has proved a disaster at Old Trafford since his £86m move from Ajax in 2023, netting just 17 goals in 96 appearances on the wing.
However, the Brazilian is also closing in on an exit, with Real Betis closing in on a subsidized loan for the 24-year-old.
He has not yet started a league match for United this season, but has been used off the bench by Amorim.
There were progressive talks between United and Betis on Saturday about the move, about its financial structure.
The deal is expected to go through as United are willing to cover part of Antony's hefty wages, which amounts to as much as £200,000 per week.
The loan runs until June 2025 without a purchase option.
Malacia, meanwhile, endured 18 months of injury problems before returning to the starting line-up in November, but is yet to convince Amorim that he deserves a longer spell in the team at left-back.
Diogo Dalot, who specializes as a right-back, was deployed on the left side of defense against Malacia during Luke Shaw's injury.
Amorim admitted his Manchester United team may be the worst in the club's history as they hit a new low at Old Trafford on Sunday.
“We are perhaps the worst team in the history of Manchester United,” Amorim admitted.
'I say that because we need to recognize that and change it. Here you go: your headlines.
'It is unacceptable to lose so many games. For every Premier League club, so imagine Manchester United?
'The opponents are better than us in many details. I'm just here to help my players, but we have to understand that we're breaking all the bad records.
'In ten games in the Premier League we have won two. I know that. Imagine what this is like for a United fan. Imagine what this is for me. We get a new coach who loses more than the previous coach. I am fully aware of that.'
Amorim warned that the worst may be yet to come as he will not change his tactics.
“I knew it would be difficult to come up with a completely new idea at this point, but when you lose games it becomes very difficult,” he added. “So that's why I'm telling you that we will suffer, because I will continue to do the same thing. I'm not going to change, no matter what happens.'
Amorim also criticized his players for losing discipline and form towards the end of the match.
'Everyone changed their position and I won't see that again. We can lose, but we have to keep our position,” he said.
'We try to have possession and control, but the players are nervous. This is not acceptable.
“I know we can succeed, but we have to survive this moment. I'm not naive. We have to survive now.'
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