Rio Ferdinand believes Manchester United made a rash decision when they sold Romelu Lukaku and has accused the club of failing to ‘play to his strengths’.
United spent £75m to sign the Belgian striker from Premier League rivals Everton in 2017.
Jose Mourinho sanctioned Manchester United’s big-money move after Lukaku scored 87 goals in 166 games for Everton.
Lukaku established himself as one of the best strikers in England at Goodison Park after flopping at Chelsea, who signed him for the first time in 2011.
Belgium’s top goalscorer netted 27 goals during his first season at Old Trafford but was less influential in his second and was sold to Inter Milan just two years after joining United.
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Two productive seasons in Serie A earned Lukaku a move back to Chelsea worth almost £100m but the striker, now 32, struggled at Stamford Bridge and was sent on back-to-back loan moves back to Italy.
Lukaku finally left Chelsea on a permanent transfer last summer and this season has helped Napoli win the Serie A title, scoring 14 goals in the league.
‘I need to give a shoutout to a man called Romelu Lukaku,’ Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel before explaining the ‘mistake’ Manchester United made with the striker.
‘He’s another player who’s left Manchester United [and thrived]. He’s won Serie A again and scored on the night they won it.
‘I look at Lukaku and the problem, especially in England, has been everyone looks at what he can’t do or what he’s not so good at.
‘Just because he’s big and quick people expect him to play in a certain way. His game is about running onto things and running at people.
‘Another mistake I think Man United made was we didn’t play to his strengths and we got rid of him too quick probably.
‘When you don’t play to his strengths he’s not going to be able to produce his best work.
‘But he’s shown what quality he has, his goal record over the years really stacks up.’
Lukaku was not the only former Manchester United player to star in Napoli’s Serie A title win, with Scott McTominay playing a crucial role in the club’s success this season.
The Scotland international, who was sold by boyhood club United last summer for £25m, had 16 goal involvements in the Italian top-flight.
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