Rio Ferdinand has shared his confusion after hearing that Manchester United are interested in landing Crystal Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman.

We are expecting confirmation of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment into Manchester United very soon.

BBC Sport note that Ratcliffe is set to purchase a 25% stake in United for around PS1.25billion.

Ratcliffe is expected to seize control of football operations at United, which could lead to major changes off the pitch.

A sporting director is likely to be a target and a surprise rumour has emerged.

Manchester United targeting Dougie Freedman The Daily Star report that United are interested in snatching Crystal Palace sporting director Dougie Freedman.

It's stated that Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford are interested in landing Freedman to head up United's recruitment.

Former RB Leipzig, Monaco and Tottenham Hotspur man Paul Mitchell has been heavily linked in recent months.

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United may instead go for Freedman though, and it's a rumour which has left Rio Ferdinand a little puzzled.

Rio Ferdinand reacts to Freedman rumours Ferdinand has been speaking on FIVE and was asked about the rumours linking Freedman with a big role at Old Trafford.

Ferdinand started out by saying that he thinks Freedman lives in Manchester, so he wouldn't need to up sticks to make the move.

The former United defender did though add that the rumours have 'come out of left-field', suggesting that he hasn't heard enough good things about Palace's recruitment.

Ferdinand highlighted the signings of Eberechi Eze, Michael Olise and Marc Guehi, but thinks Palace have also missed quite a few times in the transfer market.

Mitchell, Michael Edwards, Julian Ward and Dan Ashworth are all names that Ferdinand can understand United targeting but he doesn't really see Freedman as being the man.

"I think he lives in Manchester," said Ferdinand. "His name has come out of left-field for me, I've got to be honest. I don't remember anyone going 'wow, look at what Palace are doing', in terms of recruitment. Paul Mitchell, I get it, he's had a history of doing some good things. Michael Edwards and Julian Ward, those two you can see that they have got some body of work. Even Dan Ashworth, what he's done at England, then what he's done at Brighton, now what he's doing at Newcastle, I understand that."

"No disrespect, nobody has ever said to me about Palace 'wow, there's a loads of players that have come in'. Eze, Olise and Guehi, them three players you would go 'yeah, okay', that's in the last two years. For everyone of those, there's a couple of others where you go 'what happened there? Who was that?' I'm not saying everyone gets everything right but... they haven't got the reputation that makes you go 'oh, I get that'," he added.

Eze and Olise both arrived from the Championship whilst Guehi was signed from Chelsea after shining on loan at Swansea City.

Freedman loved shopping in the Championship and United may need somebody with experience of operating at higher levels in the transfer market.

Mitchell has done that before with his former clubs, operating around Champions League setups for many years.

We still think Mitchell is a more likely appointment than Freedman, but the Scot is one to keep an eye on.