Rio Ferdinand picks his preferred Manchester United XI for Brentford clash as Cristiano Ronaldo leads the line

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has picked his starting lineup for the Red Devils in their upcoming Premier League contest against Brentford with star striker Cristiano Ronaldo leading the line.

Manchester United failed to make a mark in their season opener on August 7 as Brighton Hove & Albion beat them 2-1 on their own turf. Pascal Gross tormented the hosts with two first-half goals, while Alexis Mac Allister turned the ball into his own net right after the hour-mark.

Ronaldo, who has been at the center of an ongoing transfer saga, started from the bench against the Seagulls on Sunday due to a lack of fitness. However, the 37-year-old Portuguese came on in in the second half in place of midfielder Fred as his club trailed by two goals at Old Trafford.

Ahead of their fixture against Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium on August 13, Ferdinand has backed Ronaldo to shine up top with new signing Lisandro Martinez to operate as a holding midfielder instead of Fred and Scott McTominay.

Speaking on Vibe With Five, he said:

"In my midfield, I'm going to play Martinez as the holding midfielder and take Fred out. I'm going to play [Raphael] Varane and [Harry] Maguire [at centre-back]. I wouldn't pick [Scott] McTominay or Fred. Listen, whatever happens, United will improve from the first day against Brighton. Things can only get better."

Speaking about Martinez, he added:

"He reminds me of Gabi Heinze a little bit, but he's better on the ball. But Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Darwin Nunez, Chris Wood, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Danny Welbeck... these guys, if I'm them, I go and stand on him [Martinez] when the ball is wide. Because of the height difference you just do it and then it’s up to him: can he deal with it?"

He continued:

"Gary Neville wasn't the tallest, but if the ball was coming across and he knows he's got a big fella coming in behind him to smash him over the top, before the ball is even there: bang! [hit them] Put them off, they can't head it cleanly."

Rio Ferdinand's Manchester United XI vs Brentford (4-1-2-3): David de Gea; Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire, Luke Shaw; Lisandro Martinez, Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen; Jadon Sancho, Cristiano Ronaldo, Marcus Rashford

Manchester United eye move for Cody Gakpo

According to ESPN, Manchester United have registered their interest in PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo but are yet to table a formal offer. The report also added that the £35 million-rated player is keen to secure a move to Old Trafford if terms are agreed between the two clubs.

During the 2021-22 season, Gakpo shot to prominence with 21 goals and 15 assists in 47 appearances for PSV across all competitions. The 23-year-old attacker has helped the club lift four trophies.