Rashford and 2 others: Rio Ferdinand singles out 3 young players who could reach Haaland and Mbappe levels

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has named the three footballers that are competing for the title of the best forwards on the planet, after Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

According to Ferdinand, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Vinicius Jr are the next best in line.

Speaking of Vinicius on BT Sport, Ferdinand said: "He's on that next rung [below Mbappe and Haaland], isn’t he?

"I think you’ve got him, Rashford I think talking about it, Saka's coming up on the rails."

"But this kid, the difference between him and the ones I’ve just mentioned is that he’s done it on this level - Champions League in knockout football and won the Champions League, and been a big part of why they’ve won."

Rashford is having the best season of his career, scoring 26 times in all competitions, while Saka has 10 goals and nine assists in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Vinicius Jr has scored 19 goals so far this season, making him a key player under Carlo Ancelotti.

It remains to be seen who will emerge as the best forward in the world, but these young talents are certainly making a strong case for themselves.