Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand urges club to sign Norwich City defender Max Aarons
Speaking on his Vibe with FIVE YouTube show (h/t Daily Mail), Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has urged his former club to sign Norwich City defender Max Aarons in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Aarons has been a regular in the right-back spot for Norwich this season. Unfortunately for the player, he now faces a future in the Championship after the Canaries were relegated from the Premier League by finishing bottom of the league table.
Ferdinand, who won six PL titles with United, said that his former employers should sign Aarons as he could provide a positive impact on the squad as ex-Red Devils star Chris Smalling did when he joined the club in 2010.
“Someone like Max Aarons you could put him like a Chris Smalling-type signing where they come in and they have an impact.”
Smalling spent nearly a decade in Manchester after joining from Fulham and managed to rack up a decent trophy haul. He left the English side for AS Roma on a permanent basis in 2020, but not before picking up Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup, and Europa League trophies.
“They impact the club at different levels”
Aarons is touted to have a similar career as Smalling did at Old Trafford by Ferdinand, although it remains to be seen if United make an approach for the Englishman. Erik ten Hag has taken over the club as the new permanent manager, and it may be up to him to decide on the transfer activity.
Ferdinand compared Aarons to Smalling and said that these players may not be straight starters immediately in the team, but could go on to stay with the side for a decade or so. The former defender predicted a similar good career for the Norwich man and said he could impact the Red Devils at different levels.
“They may not be straight starters immediately but they go and they stay there for 10 years and have a really good career and they impact the club at different levels.”
Aarons does not boast of an impressive trophy haul or personal achievements, but he has made a good impact at Norwich with his performances at right-back. The player may only be 22, but he has shown maturity beyond his years and will develop further under the right guidance.
At the Theatre of Dreams, ten Hag will have the option of choosing between Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka as his first-choice right-back in his new-look team. Both players have not done anything concrete to nail down a starting spot, but between the two, Dalot has been preferred.
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ten Hag also has the option of picking Brandon Williams for the position, although he is primarily a left-back. Aarons will be familiar with Williams, who played the entire 2021/22 season on loan at Norwich.
It remains to be seen if ten Hag will be influenced by Ferdinand’s suggestion, or if the Dutchman has transfer plans of his own. As the former player said, Aarons may not be a straight starter if the new manager opts to sign him, but could make an impact for the Manchester side over the years if he can sustain a career at Old Trafford.
