Man Utd: Rio Ferdinand says INEOS should have signed Chelsea striker this summer

Rio Ferdinand has named the two strikers that Manchester United should have looked at signing in the summer transfer window, including Chelsea frontman Danny Welbeck.

Welbeck joined Chelsea from Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion in the summer of 2026.

The former Man Utd striker scored 13 Premier League goals for Brighton last season.

The 35-year-old English striker has scored three goals in five matches in a Chelsea shirt already.

Former Man Utd defender Ferdinand believes that the club’s co-owners, INEOS, should have looked at a potential deal for Welbeck before he went to Xabi Alonso’s Chelsea.

The pundit made the comments about the striker while analysing the injury problem for Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko has had shin issues this season, just as he had towards the end of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Slovenia international is the only senior recognised number nine in the Man Utd squad.

While Matheus Cunha is also able to play as a striker, the Brazilian is better off out wide.

Ferdinand has also said that Michael Carrick’s Man Utd should have looked at a potential deal for former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema in the summer transfer window.

Benzema became a free agent in the summer after his contract with Al-Hilal was terminated by mutual consent.

However, according to French publication L’Equipe in early September, Benzema is tied to the Saudi league until 2030 as an ambassador for the competition.

The French striker is reportedly keen to honour the obligation, which means that he is unable to sign a professional contract in another country.

Benzema, 38, is still without a club.

Rio Ferdinand on Danny Welbeck and Karim Benzema to Man Utd

Ferdinand said on Rio Ferdinand Presents: “If you knew you had to manage these minutes, I totally agree with you.

“Without him (Sesko), there isn’t really a focal point.

“We’ve got players that want to come deep to the ball more often than not and get involved in the build-up, but then you lose that focal point out there.

“But if you had somebody out there, I could say you could share the minutes, share the load, help in terms of experience, lend that experience to Sesko for him to learn as well, or you’d have been getting so much more out of just a signing to go on and play the 90 minutes.

“So yeah, well, Welbeck springs to mind, obviously. So does Benzema.

“So, two players, I feel, would have added huge value to the forward line that we have.”