Manchester United’s Premier League title drought has stretched beyond a decade since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Club legend Rio Ferdinand believes two missed transfer opportunities may have completely altered the Red Devils’ fortunes.
Ferdinand, who lifted his sixth and final league trophy in Ferguson’s final season, named Harry Kane and Declan Rice.
Both players have been linked with Old Trafford moves in the past but ultimately joined other top European clubs instead.
Kane swapped Tottenham for Bayern Munich in 2023, while Rice left West Ham to join Arsenal in the same summer.
The Cost Of Missed Opportunities
Ferdinand labelled United’s failure to sign Kane their biggest mistake of the last decade, calling it a “terrible decision.”
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand Presents, he argued United should have matched Spurs’ asking price to secure the prolific striker.
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He added that pairing Kane with Rice in the 2023 window could have created a winning culture at Old Trafford.
Instead, United turned to younger targets, spending big on Rasmus Hojlund and Mason Mount during that summer.
United’s Costly Spending Continues
Just one year later, United splashed out another £200m under Erik ten Hag, only to sack him months later.
His successor Ruben Amorim has since overseen a rebuild worth more than £230m in the most recent transfer window, reports Mirror.
But Ferdinand insists that missing out on Rice and Kane remains the club’s biggest sliding doors moment since Ferguson’s exit.
United’s current squad will now face the challenge of proving him wrong in the coming seasons.
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