Rio Ferdinand regrets Man Utd missing out on City signing Bouaddi

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 20 Oct, 08:20 · Archive

Rio Ferdinand says Manchester United should have signed Ayyoub Bouaddi, the 19-year-old midfielder who joined Manchester City for £86m.

Manchester United were interested in signing Ayyoub Bouaddi during the summer transfer window but withdrew from the race, Rio Ferdinand has said. Bouaddi, a 19-year-old Morocco international, instead joined Manchester City from Lille for £86m on a five-year contract, becoming the Premier League's most expensive teenager.

Manchester City made the signing after selling Rodri to Barcelona and Tijani Reijnders to Al-Qadsiah. United instead brought in Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos for a combined £155m.

Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel that United found the fee too high. After watching Bouaddi's appearance off the bench against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last week, Ferdinand said he was impressed. 'He turned 19 this month, right? His transfer fee is the same as Santos and Tielemans combined,' Ferdinand said. 'Manchester United were in for him, 100 per cent, but the fee was just too much. Just that little cameo against PSG makes you go, "oh, I can't believe we missed out on that." I'm so gutted, so gutted. He's bad! He's so calm under pressure.'

How it is being reported

• Rio Ferdinand tells Man Utd they made transfer mistake over 'incredible' Man City starManchester United spent £155million to sign Carlos Baleba, Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos this summer, but Rio Ferdinand thinks that money could have been better spent elsewhereMirror Sport · 20 Oct, 08:00
• Rio Ferdinand ‘gutted’ Man Utd failed to sign £86m Man City starManchester United legend Rio Ferdinand (Picture: YouTube) Rio Ferdinand admits he is ‘so gutted’ that Manchester United failed to sign new Manchester City star Ayyoub Bouaddi. Man City beat a host of rivals to the £86m signing of highly-rated Morocco international Bouaddi over the summer . In…Metro · 19 Oct, 18:41

In this story: Rio Ferdinand · Ayyoub Bouaddi · Manchester United · Manchester City · Morocco

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