RIO FERDINAND INTERVIEW: Why Andre Onana’s exit shows Man United’s belief in Ruben Amorim, the four Red Devils who would start for Man City – and his title favourites

Rio Ferdinand claims Manchester United have shown their backing for Ruben Amorim with the players they have brought in – and bombed out – this summer.

The former United star has singled out new signings Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha as two of four players from the current squad he believes could get into the Manchester City line-up ahead of the Etihad derby on Sunday.

But Ferdinand feels that replacing Andre Onana with Senne Lammens, and clearing out Amorim’s bomb squad of Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony, was just as important as the £236million spent on new players in demonstrating United’s support for their head coach after he came under pressure in the early stages of the season.

‘I was happy that the manager is being able to make his mind up on things and the recruitment team are executing behind that,’ says Ferdinand.

‘They are backing the manager. If people were thinking there were any doubts about the club backing the manager or Amorim being at the football club, it’s only going to be his decision whether Onana stays or Lammens comes in. It’s a great signing in that respect. ‘Whether you think Onana should have stayed or not is irrelevant. The manager has made his mind up. He played (Altay) Bayindir early on and said he’s in because of football reasons – that was a big statement from the manager and his intentions of what he wanted to do with Onana.

‘In years gone by, say we wanted six players to leave the football club – Onana being one of them – I would argue that minimum three to four of them would have stayed. That wouldn’t have helped anybody, the player or the club.

‘As important as the ones that came in and upped the levels, it was as important to get out the players who were deemed not right for the club for whatever reason. They’ve done magnificently well.

‘Yes, they are only loans most of them, but to clear the decks of those players was as powerful as bringing in good players.’

Cunha is a doubt for the 197th Manchester derby after suffering a hamstring injury in United’s win over Burnley before the international break, but Ferdinand included the £62.5m new signing when asked how many of Amorim’s squad are good enough to start in a combined United and City XI.

‘Bruno (Fernandes),’ he replied. ‘I put Leny Yoro in there. I think he is going to be a standout this year. Mbeumo probably gets in there now. Cunha might have a chance.

‘At the moment City have got a better squad than us, I think that’s a fact. I don’t think many people would argue with that. That’s just the way it is at the moment.

‘But Man United have had a good transfer window, ins and outs, and hopefully we’ll see the benefits of that by the end of the season.

‘We needed more pace and players who can execute a transition both ways; more durability, more ability to keep pace with teams. They have addressed that, definitely in the forward areas.

‘I still think more of a dynamic midfielder could have been brought in. I think they attempted but it didn’t materialise. I think they’re going the right way in that.’

What about new £74m striker Benjamin Sesko? ‘He needs to get up to speed with the Premier League and that’s going to take at least a month before he can even start thinking he’s in a good enough position to put his best foot forward.

‘Listen, he’s a young kid. He’s got huge potential, that’s not in doubt. But potential and proving it are two different things. It wouldn’t be right to say whether he can do it or not, time will be the biggest teller of all.’

City go into the derby after suffering back-to-back defeats to Tottenham and Brighton, and Ferdinand believes Pep Guardiola and his players face a big test to show they can still be a dominant force in English football.

‘Pep Guardiola is never associated with a team that isn’t performing consistently well and getting trophies under their belts,’ adds the former England defender. ‘City weren’t up for the big trophies last season. You look at it and think “is that the tide turning and can they turn it back?”.

‘That’s the challenge for these players and Pep. Can they rebuild this team and mount a challenge? That’s the question that’s going to be asked of them, and if he’s up for that fight. We’ll see.

‘They’ve recruited a lot of players in the last couple of windows. Those players need time to settle in as well. Can they start delivering trophies like they did before?

‘I think it’s going to be tough because Liverpool have gone again and recruited really well. Arsenal are there or thereabouts still. Chelsea are recruiting heavily. There are lot of obstacles in the way of them getting back to being so dominant.

‘I wouldn’t argue against them winning again, but I would argue against them being as dominant as before.’

So is the balance of power of power in English football shifting away from Manchester after all these years?

‘Listen, Man United are trying to rebuild and that’s going to take a bit of time. Man City, who knows where they are at the moment, but they are still going to be challenging and there or thereabouts.

‘This is a game of cycles, it happens. It’s just that we’ve been very fortunate in this era, Manchester has kept hold of all the silverware most of the time, whether it was Man United or Man City the last 10 or so years.

‘It’s been a good time for Manchester in that sense, but I still see Manchester challenging for the next few years definitely with City, and hopefully Man United can come up on the rails and start challenging at some point as well.’

In the meantime, Ferdinand admits it is difficult to look beyond champions Liverpool for the Premier League title this season.

‘I think you always have to have respect for the champions, no matter who it is. Champions normally go into the following season as the team to beat, that’s inevitable.

‘If you look at the way they have recruited in the summer, they’ve had the best window by far. Their intentions were pure and clean and transparent from the get-go, and they managed to execute everything apart from Marc Guehi. If they had got Marc Guehi, I think they would have cleaned up everything, to be honest.

‘I think the only team who will be anywhere near Liverpool this season is Arsenal. They’ve got a great squad, real good depth with who they’ve bought. I think they’ve had a good window and if (Viktor) Gyokeres comes good, it puts them in a better position.

‘I don’t think we’ll see anyone else. Anyone you think might be a surprise, a Newcastle or a Chelsea, I think European football hinders them a little bit in that respect. Just the demands it puts on the squad.’

Ferdinand is starring in Coca-Cola’s new Fantasy Premier League challenge called Beat The Icon, which gives contestants the chance to go head-to-head every week with big names in football and the creator community to win prizes and Premier League tickets.

Each week a different icon will set a fantasy challenge with their own rules. Ferdinand is offering double points for United and City players, which is one reason he has named Fernandes, Yoro, Mbeumo and Erling Haaland in his team.

‘It’s my team against theirs,’ he said. ‘These are the type of things I wish I had when I was a kid. I would have loved to be pitting myself up against a John Barnes or a Gazza. I ain’t looking to get beat by no-one, I’ve got to be honest.’

Beyond that, Ferdinand has little interest in getting involved in management or coaching after stepping back from his work as a pundit for TNT Sports after a decade to relocate to Dubai with his family.

‘I wouldn’t have moved away if I wanted to go into management,’ he says. ‘I’d mange my little boy’s team maybe, but nowhere else.

‘We are watching games. Obviously, he has to stay up a little bit later than normal but it’s still been good.

‘Working at TNT and being heavily involved in travelling to games, I’m not doing that as much now. But as the season goes by I’ll get to more and more games. That’s inevitable because when you love football the way I do, you just want to watch some football. I’ll be taking in some games locally as well, I’m sure.

‘I’m still working and doing bits and pieces, but being around the family and being more present was one of the reasons for coming here and it’s really paying off, so that’s nice.’

Rio Ferdinand was speaking on behalf of Coca-Cola’s new Fantasy Premier League challenge, Beat The Icon. Visit www.coke.co.uk/epl-terms for full terms and conditions