Rio Ferdinand has been making the headlines for his reaction to Ruben Amorim’s sacking at Manchester United.
Somehow, Ferdinand has made the news of Amorim’s exit about Arsenal, making a remarkable claim about Mikel Arteta’s stance on the vacancy.
Amorim knew he wouldn’t get the same time as Arteta, and he was right, being let go by United after 14 months in charge.
Just as things started to look as though they were turning around for Amorim at United, the Red Devils pulled the plug, with the hunt for a new manager underway.
- READ MORE: Tim Howard thinks Mikel Arteta has done something at Arsenal most managers don’t often do
Rio Ferdinand responds after claiming that Mikel Arteta would take the Manchester United managerial job
On YouTube, Ferdinand went live on his Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast to react to the news of Amorim’s departure.
You’re Mikel Arteta and you’ve just been offered the Man Utd job, what is your THREE WORD reaction?
It was then that the Man United icon issued the claim that most managers would jump at the chance to manage a club of United’s stature, including Arteta.
“Pep’s the only manager in the league that I think will sit there and go, I’m content where I am. I’m happy where I am. I don’t need it,” Ferdinand said.
His co-host, Joel Beya, asked, “What about Mikel?”
Ferdinand replied, “He’s never gonna say it, he would never say it out loud. But I’m telling you, Mikel Arteta would sit there [and consider it].”
It’s not the first time that Ferdinand has said that Arteta would leave Arsenal for Man United, but on this occasion, he claims that his words on the podcast were whimsical.
After his comment went viral, Ferdinand took to his official X account to backtrack.
“These people thought we were being serious,” Ferdinand claimed, tagging Beya.
Given that it was the second time that Ferdinand commented on Arteta wanting the Man United job, the pundit has done well to keep the joke going for so long – unless he wasn’t joking, of course.
Ferdinand thinks former Arsenal boss Unai Emery wouldn’t hesitate
You won’t find a more committed manager in the Premier League than Arteta, that’s very much not a joke, as the former Arsenal player is desperate to deliver titles to his ex-club.
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While it’s impossible to envisage Arteta in the role, Ferdinand believes an ex-Arsenal manager wouldn’t hesitate.
“Unai Emery would be someone who would absolutely jump at the chance,” he claimed on the podcast.
Even that claim is debatable, as Emery is building something special at Aston Villa, who sit 11 points ahead of United in the Premier League table.
Joking or not, Ferdinand’s comment is everywhere on social media, forcing the pundit into a response.
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