Rio Ferdinand has admitted that he is happy Andre Onana is on his way out of Manchester United after two years at the club.
The Man United flop has agreed to join Trabzonspor on a season long loan move, which will see the Cameroon international receive a big pay rise due to the signing-on fee and bonuses.
United will not receive a loan fee and there is no option for the Turkish club to sign Onana permanently when his stay expires on June 30.
According to Fabrizio Romano, all documents have now been signed by the two clubs to confirm Onana’s move, with the goalkeeper having already approved the deal.
It means United will be rid of another player that they do not want around the place, as they look to finally start to move forwards as a football club under the stewardship of Ruben Amorim.
And Ferdinand, speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, explained he was breathing a sigh of relief when he heard Onana was leaving the club.
Rio Ferdinand has given her verdict on Andre Onana’s impending loan move away from Manchester United
Ferdinand said United are making ‘the point that they’re not going to have players sitting around that are not worthy of being at the football club anymore’
‘Debate?! You think it’s been a debate?’ he asked when it was suggested that Onana’s place in the team had been a topic of discussion.
‘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.’
United had a bomb squad of five players in the summer, and four of them have managed to secure moves away, albeit two on a temporary basis.
While Marcus Rashford joined Barcelona on loan until the end of the season, it took a little longer for Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho to secure exits. While Garnacho secured a £40million move to Chelsea with just a few days remaining in the window, Sancho joined Aston Villa on a temporary basis on deadline day.
Tyrell Malacia, meanwhile, remains at the club, and Anthony secured a permanent move to Real Betis. Onana, Rasmus Hojlund, Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen also left.
Onana’s place in the side has been the subject of conversation in recent times but he is now set to depart
‘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”.’
