Man Utd star branded a ‘joke’ as Rio Ferdinand gives honest verdict | Football | Sport

Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand has hailed Bryan Mbeumo as a “joke” after Ruben Amorim‘s squad extended their unbeaten run to five matches over the weekend. United were on the brink of losing their streak against Tottenham on Saturday, but Matthijs de Ligt swooped in with an 96th-minute equaliser to save the day.

Ferdinand largely credits United’s upturn in form to their hefty summer transfer window expenditure. The club splashed out £170m during the summer, bringing in a raft of new players to bolster the squad.

Mbeumo, who was snapped up from Brentford, is one of those summer signings and he seems to have seamlessly integrated into the team, with Ferdinand ranking him among the league’s top wingers. “Mbeumo has been a joke,” Ferdinand declared on his YouTube channel.

“He’s really stepped in there and become a mainstay. He’s someone who can give you two or three seconds on the ball to relieve pressure. He can score important goals and create chances.

“I saw Thomas Frank’s comments about him the other day and Mbeumo nearly being a complete winger. I think by the end of this season, he’ll be one of the most complete wingers in the Premier League because he can do everything. He just needs to consistently do it in a United shirt.”

Ferdinand also claimed that United’s recent upturn in fortunes can be partially credited to Senne Lammens’ outstanding start at Old Trafford following his elevation to the number one jersey ahead of Altay Bayindir. The promising shot-stopper joined as a largely unheralded signing during the summer transfer window when United were assessing their goalkeeping department, with chief goalkeeping scout Tony Coton championing his acquisition.

Andre Onana began the season facing questions over his displays whilst Bayindir had likewise struggled to impress. Onana was surprisingly permitted to leave, securing a loan switch to Turkey, and Amorim put his trust in Lammens.

The Belgian has made an excellent start, keeping a clean sheet in his debut against Sunderland and also playing his part in the team’s overdue triumph at Anfield. He said: “You can’t talk about anyone being our most important player without mentioning the goalkeeper. It’s no coincidence we’ve had an upturn in form. We’ve got a goalkeeper that it seems all the players trust.”

After United’s dramatic leveller against Spurs, the former United defender also praised De Ligt. He added: “I think Matthijs de Ligt has been our best defender this season, he’s been outstanding for us. He’s even adding goals – with the last-minute one the other day [against Tottenham].

“His pressing, his assertiveness and his willingness to go into foreign areas up the pitch to defend at the right times has been good. Clearing out of the box, he has been brilliant.”