Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has sensationally claimed that Jonny Evans would be ahead of Harry Maguire in the Manchester United centre-back pecking order if he signs a contract with the club.

The 35-year-old has been training at Carrington since leaving Leicester City at the end of last season when his contract expired and was even given a run out in several pre-season fixtures.

Manager Erik ten Hag has suggested the club could extend Evans’ stay beyond this summer and Ferdinand believes he would shunt axed skipper Maguire even further down Ten Hag’s list of centre-back options.

Speaking about Maguire on the latest episode of his Vibe with FIVE YouTube show, Ferdinand said: “If Jonny Evans signs he [Maguire] is behind Jonny Evans I reckon.”

Asked why Ten Hag continues to talk up Maguire if that is the case, Ferdinand continued: “You might get something different [out of him] when the transfer window closes, I think you’d get a different response then, but he can’t afford that to happen.

“If you’re the buying club, and the manager you’re trying to buy off goes, ‘I just need him out of here asap, if we don’t sell him we can’t go and buy target one and two over there’ then the buying club go, ‘Well now we know they’re desperate to sell, let’s low-ball them, if he’s worth £30m we’ll offer £15m and they have to take it surely’.”