Rio Ferdinand has one - no one understands this better than Manchester United. The legendary English centre-back has played for the "Red Devils" since 2002-2014. This was also one of the most successful periods of the Reds of Manchester.
The former England midfielder has made a total of 312 appearances for Man United and won noble titles such as: 1 Champions League, 6 Premier League, 3 FA Cups...
The collaboration between Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic at that time gave many strikers in Europe a scare. And a decade after the duo disbanded, Man United are still struggling to find a successor.
1 year after Sir Alex Ferguson retired, Ferdinand also moved to Queens Park Rangers. Since then, the Old Trafford team has been in decline.
In 2014, the "Red Devils" signed Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind for £20 and £17 million respectively. Although the Argentine has been at Old Trafford for seven years and the Dutchman for four, neither of them have reached the level of Ferdinand.
2 years later, Eric Bailly moved from Villarreal for 38 million Euros and received great expectations. However, doubts about the ability of the Ivorian central defender quickly arose. With a loan deal in Marseille, Bailly ended his relationship with Man United last year in disappointment.
In 2017, Man United paid Benfica £35 million to get Victor Lindelof, who has stayed until now. Although his performance is not too bad, it is completely wrong to say that this central defender has met Man United's standards.
The largest payment came in 2019, when Man United paid £87 million to Leicester to sign Harry Maguire. Maguire arrived at Old Trafford as the world's most expensive centre-back at the time. From physical strength, aerial ability to leadership thinking, Maguire is in theory very suitable for the "Red Devils".
However, Maguire has never been himself throughout his time at Old Trafford. Worse, the former Man United captain has continuously become the focus of media mockery.
After many failed deals, the appearance of Raphael Varane from Real Madrid in 2021 seems to be the key for both he and Maguire to form a dream centre-back duo. The Frenchman came as a star but during his three years at Old Trafford, his class has been on the decline. This summer, the former Real Madrid centre-back said goodbye to the Red Devils.
After Ferdinand, Lisandro Martinez is perhaps United's most impressive centre-back. The Argentine joined Old Trafford in 2022 from Ajax for £57 million. However, comparing him to the legendary English centre-back is still very tedious and needs more time.
In the end, Man United invested another £62 million in 18-year-old centre-back Leny Yoro. This signing also marks the 11th centre-back the "Red Devils" have brought in following the departure of Ferdinand.
In total, Man United spent £356m over a decade searching for the "newerdinand", who has yet to arrive.
