Rio Ferdinand urges Man Utd to hijack Man City’s transfer target

Rio Ferdinand has encouraged Manchester United to ditch their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong in favour of a move for Mateo Kovacic.

The 29-year-old midfielder has been heavily linked with a switch to Manchester City recently, with his contract at Stamford Bridge expiring in 12 months.

Arch rivals United, meanwhile, reportedly remain intent on going after Barcelona ace De Jong for the second successive summer under boss Erik ten Hag.

But the Dutch midfielder’s reluctance to join the Red Devils has put plenty of supporters off the idea of rekindling their interest, Ferdinand included. Instead, the former United centre-back would like to see Kovacic, 29, make the switch to Old Trafford.

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“It sounds too difficult and too complicated [to sign De Jong], move on,” Ferdinand declared on his YouTube channel, FIVE .

“I think Kovacic has got a year left. I like him… He’s different to what we’ve got.”

The Mail claim that the Croatia international is indeed on United’s radar, but City lead the race for his signature. Bayern Munich have also shown tentative interest but it’s Pep Guardiola’s side who’ve been given permission to discuss terms.

Since missing out on Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid, City have looked at alternative midfield targets, with Kovacic emerging as a suitable option.

The Premier League champions – who remain in the midst of an assault on all fronts at the climax of the campaign – are preparing to replace German stalwart Ilkay Gundogan, whose deal runs out next month amid interest from Barcelona.

As far as Kovacic’s situation at Chelsea is concerned, new manager Mauricio Pochettino doesn’t officially start until July 1 but it’s understood that the Argentine coach is already making decisions on the future of his squad. Pochettino is keen to focus on younger players, leaving 29-year-old Kovacic as surplus to requirements.

With a move on the cards, The Times have claimed that Chelsea will likely demand between £30million and £40million for Kovacic. The report states that he would prefer a move to the Etihad Stadium.