Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof don’t have what it takes to take Manchester United to the top.

The Red Devils are currently in a fight to finish in the top four this season, with Tottenham, Wolves, Arsenal and West Ham also in the picture. 

Ralf Rangnick’s men failed to increase the gap between them and the chasing pack last weekend, after playing a goalless draw against Watford. 

Maguire and other members of the Man United defence have often been criticised for their poor performances this term, and Ferdinand believes the England international and Lindelof lack the quality of Manchester City centre back, Ruben Dias and Liverpool ace Virgil van Dijk.

He said on Vibe With Five, “I think there can be improvements. I think Lindelof is a good player, a solid player. Is he gonna enable you to win the league? I don’t know.

“Is Maguire gonna enable you to win the league, that’s the question as well. Because the thing about someone like Ralf and all the top teams now, when they play now, they play on the front foot and are aggressive and wanna win the ball high.

“So, therefore, you need defenders who can defend on the halfway line, one-v-one, two-v-two – or three against two if you need that security.

“If you can play two-v-two one-v-one or on the halfway line, that enables you to have more bodies in the opponent’s half of the pitch, hence why teams do that to win the ball early and be closer to the opposition’s goal to score goals.

“Liverpool do it tremendously well, City do it really, really well as well, Bayern [Munich] do it; three of the best teams on the planet. Everyone’s going that way of playing football, Ralf Rangnick’s style of football is like that.

“It’s not like a job – it’s like a second home.

“Can Maguire do that, can you do that with Maguire? That’s my problem, that’s my issue.”