Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen in full agreement over missed Man Utd signing who could have had transformative impact (2025)

Rio Ferdinand and Michael Owen both felt incredibly strongly about one Manchester United signing that the Red Devils failed to pull off in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Manchester United have struggled to convincingly challenge and win the Premier League title since iconic former manager Sir Alex Ferguson bowed out of football.

The Red Devils have continued to spend big in transfer markets and have chopped and changed managers in a bid to secure United’s return to the top of English football.

However, United have now passed more than a decade since their last Premier League title win, with Rio Ferdinand being part of the team that won it.

Ferguson led United to their 13th Premier League trophy at the end of the 2012-13 campaign before the 83-year-old legendary Scotsman retired from management.

Ferdinand caught up with former United and England teammate Michael Owen and the pair both felt that the Red Devils missed their opportunity to sign one impact player.

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Michael Owen and Rio Ferdinand make their position clear on Man Utd not signing Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane

Harry Kane was subject to Manchester United’s interest on multiple occasions in the past, including ahead of the Bayern Munich striker’s shock exit from Tottenham.

The 32-year-old England striker left Premier League side Spurs in 2023 and completed a blockbuster move to Bayern Munich for an initial fee of £86.4m.

Both United and Real Madrid were linked with Harry Kane at the time, but the ex-Tottenham star opted to make the move to Germany rather than stay in England.

Speaking on England captain Kane, Michael Owen told Rio Ferdinand’s YouTube channel: “I mean, Harry Kane should have, you know, a year ago, a couple of years ago that should have happened [a move to Old Trafford], I think.

“They [United] could have got him, I think.”

Ferdinand felt the same way as Owen and the 46-year-old ex-England defender was baffled the Red Devils did not do everything in their power to sign Bayern ace Kane.

“That’s the biggest mistake they’ve made in the last 10 years,” he said on Rio Ferdinand Presents.

“Well, I think if they go and pay the number that Spurs want, they would have got him.

“And it’s weird to believe that, then I think it didn’t happen because of a couple of million here and there. I think it was a terrible decision.”

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Rio Ferdinand tells Michael Owen that Man Utd should have signed Harry Kane and one more proven Premier League talent

Harry Kane was not the only missed opportunity for United in past transfer windows, with the Red Devils also linked with Declan Rice before his stunning West Ham exit.

Arsenal sealed their move for Declan Rice in 2023 after the Gunners dropped a hefty initial fee of £100m to sign the 26-year-old defensive midfielder from West Ham.

United legend Ferdinand is now “convinced” that England internationals Rice and Kane would have had a transformative impact at Old Trafford with their arrivals.

“I honestly think [and] I say this and I’m convinced [that] if United had gone and got Harry Kane and Declan Rice in that window, Man United are in a different place now,” he told Owen.

“Because again it goes back to the environment: those two drive an environment I think together, and I think you’ve got two players who are salt of the earth people, top pros.”

United are currently ninth in the Premier League table in the 2025-26 campaign after their first three matches of the new season under Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim.