Rio Ferdinand named one Manchester United player whose style immediately reminded him of Rodri, the Manchester City midfielder and World Cup winner.
On 2 Aug 2026 GMT+7, football pundit Rio Ferdinand highlighted a Manchester United player from the Premier League club, managed by English coach Michael Carrick, saying that watching his performance instantly brought to mind Rodri, the Spanish World Cup-winning midfielder from Manchester City.
The player Ferdinand referred to is André Santos, a new Brazilian signing who transferred from Chelsea for a total fee including options of £50 million, approximately 2.245 billion baht. Ferdinand was impressed by his excellent performance, especially during the recent friendly against Atlético Madrid.
Ferdinand stated, "I watched André Santos play, and the player he reminded me of isn't Casemiro, but Rodri. Not because they play the same way, but because of his composure. Most young midfielders try to do something special every time they get the ball, but André Santos doesn't. He looks relaxed receiving the ball under pressure. He's always ready and never appears rushed, even when Atlético Madrid pressed him."
"That's a quality that's hard to teach. The best defensive midfielders don't just win the ball; they control the game's tempo. They know when to speed up or slow down the play and when to make simple passes. That's what I see in him."
"What impressed me the most isn't just his ability but his calmness and confidence. He doesn't play like someone trying to prove he's worthy of Manchester United; he plays like someone who already believes he deserves to be here. Of course, this was just a friendly, but if he maintains this composure against top opponents, Manchester United might have found something even more valuable than just another high-energy midfielder."