Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has suggested that outcast forward Jadon Sancho has two options to consider following his eye-opening statement on social media which blasted Erik ten Hag. The Englishman was dropped from the squad in his side’s damning 3-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates, in which last-gasp goals from Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus sealed an emphatic win for the home outfit.

Sancho, who was bought for a lofty £73m by the club, has struggled to cement a starting role in the Dutchman’s plans and was left out of their latest away outing as Ten Hag claimed his performances in training have not been up to scratch.

“On his performance on training we didn’t select him,” he said. “You have to reach the level every day at Manchester United. You can make choices in the front line, so in this game he wasn’t selected.”

Bemoaned by his manager’s answer, the winger released a statement on Twitter claiming that he’s been a "scapegoat" for a long time and that his standards in training have not stooped. And now, on his Rio Ferdinand Presents Five YouTube show, Ferdinand has chimed in to give his verdict on this worrying situation - at least for the Old Trafford faithful.

What did Rio Ferdinand say about Jadon Sancho’s situation?

When discussing Sancho’s potential options with co-host Stephen Howson, the Red Devils cult hero claimed that a move to Saudi Arabia or accepting his fate of being on the bench for the foreseeable future will be the decision the 23-year-old will have to make off the back of his public outburst.

“There’s no way Jadon is putting out a statement like that if he hasn’t, in his own eyes, performed well,” the decorated defender said. “That’s the difference as well. On his chart, Jadon [might think] – 'I’ve trained alright', but the manager might have a different standard. There’s two ways this ends. There’s only one window open now and that’s Saudi. Or you’re on the bench or not getting in the squad for the rest of the season.”

Sancho has been a fringe player this campaign, having featured in Manchester United’s opening three domestic fixtures from the bench and his scathing comments will ensure he does not reinstate his place as a starter any time soon. Instead, there is a dark cloud overhanging his future with Ferdinand even suggesting a move to the Middle East could be one of his final options of securing regular minutes this season.

Although the English transfer window has now slammed firmly shut, the Saudi Pro League allows their teams to bolster their squad until September 7 which, in turn, means a summer switch for the out-of-favour Sancho is not completely off the cards. It’ll be a hectic week at Old Trafford and surely, the saga is just getting started.

You can watch Ferdinand's full live reaction to Sancho's statement below.

Watch: Rio Ferdinand discussing Jadon Sancho's comments

Read More: Jadon Sancho releases explosive statement hitting back at Erik ten Hag for dropping him

How has Jadon Sancho performed for Manchester United?

Those associated with the Manchester-based outfit were enthused by Sancho's arrival seeing as he became a potent goal threat over in the Bundesliga, though he has struggled to hit similar heights since his big-money switch to the Premier League. In his maiden season in Manchester, he scored a mere five goals across 38 games and bettered his tally by just two in 2022/23.

He has become a shadow of the player that Borussia Dortmund were lucky to call theirs and will continue to fall down the pecking order at his current employers should this issue not be solved quickly.