Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has predicted that the Red Devils will miss out on the services of highly-coveted youngster Jude Bellingham.
The teenage sensation is a man in demand, more so now after his stellar exploits with England at the World Cup.
Recently, Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi publicly declared the French champions’ interest in Bellingham, saying his club is firmly in the race for the player.
Alongside United and PSG, the other interested parties in the Borussia Dortmund man include Liverpool, Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Vibe with Five, Ferdinand revealed that Bellingham is likely to join United’s city rivals.
The six-time Premier League winner said, “I think he will [join Manchester City], yeah. He’ll say, “listen, I’ve got a couple of mates there, English boys. I can go to Madrid in five years.”
“There’s no rush. I just think he thinks: You know what, I’m the superstar. I’m going to win the league and the Premier League because I’m an English-born boy.”
“And then I’ll go to Madrid and I’ll do the same there in a few years. The great thing is, he’s got the absolute choice and the pick of what he wants to do. There will be clubs queuing up, we know that.”
Ferdinand’s prediction adds to a growing list of ominous signs for United in their pursuit of the 19-year-old.
Yesterday it came out that Liverpool are the closest to tying down the youngster, with both the player and his family favouring a move to Anfield.
From the outside, it looks like United are running out of leverage while their rivals battle it out for the former Birmingham City starlet.
No doubt club bosses will be ruing the missed opportunity a few years ago when Bellingham was a more attainable target and despite their best efforts, he chose to join Dortmund.