Former Manchester United captain Rio Ferdinand believes the potential longevity of Luke Shaw’s career at Old Trafford justifies a hefty price tag.
The England left-back is widely-expected to complete a mega-money move from Southampton to the three-time European Cup winners following today’s medical.
While the logic of paying a fee of around £30million for an 18-year-old has been questioned in some quarters, ex-Three Lions star Ferdinand insists the decision will make perfect sense if the youngster remains at the club for the best part of his career.
He took to social media site Twitter to back the proposed deal and told his followers: “If @ManUtd get 10 good years out of Luke Shaw then it is a no-brainer. Top class young player.”
A superb season on the south coast led to Shaw earning a place in the England squad for their doomed World Cup campaign in Brazil at the expense of vastly-experienced Chelsea man Ashley Cole, who subsequently retired from international duty.
He was handed his first competitive start in Tuesday’s 0-0 draw with group winners Costa Rica.
United have already started rebuilding their squad following the appointment of Holland head coach Louis van Gaal as their new boss, and midfield man Ander Herrera joined yesterday from Athletic Bilbao after penning a four-year contract.