JADON SANCHO remains Manchester United’s top summer transfer target, according to Gary Neville.
The England winger was pursued all last summer but some reports had suggested United had moved on.
However, former skipper Neville says Sancho still remains the top priority over the likes of Harry Kane and Erling Haaland.
Meanwhile Harry Maguire faces a race against time to be fit for the Europa League final.
Get all the latest Man Utd news and transfer updates here…
TEAM NEWS
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has sprung a shock with a heavily rotated side for tonight’s clash against Leicester.
FERG-ET IT
Sir Alex Ferguson won a staggering 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups, four League Cups, two European Cups and the Club World Cup during an illustrious 26-year spell at Manchester United.
But the serial winner realised right at the beginning of his managerial career with East Stirlingshire in 1974 the need for players with mental resilience as well as technical ability in order to be successful.
He told the Guardian: “I remember my first away game as a manager, 1974. We got beat 5-2 by Albion Rovers.
“I went home that night and I told myself, ‘If I don’t get mental toughness in my players, I’ll never make it as a manager.’
“That was at the forefront of all my methods of management – to make sure players could cope with the strains and challenges of being a top footballer.
“I’ve always tried to endow them with that talent of being mentally tough. I’m very lucky. Aberdeen had some mentally tough players.”
TOUGHEN UP
Sir Alex Ferguson hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as ‘tough as old boots’.
The Scot told the Guardian: “At United, all the best players were mentally tough.
“Ronaldo is tough, honestly, as old boots. He was always going to be a great player because he had it up there [Ferguson taps his head].
“We played a part in that because Eric Harrison, the [youth] coach, made it tougher for the youngsters.
“He said, ‘If you don’t have mental toughness, you’ll never make United’s first team.’”
NEXT LEVEL
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has advised all top clubs to sign Marquinhos.
United are on the lookout for a top defender to team up with Harry Maguire at the back and Ferdinand claims the Paris Saint-Germain star would take anyone to the “next level”.
The pundit said in his Vibe with Five YouTube channel: “If any team is in the market for a centre-back, right now, out of the top teams, with the finances, Marquinhos is the only place I’m going.
“Big-game player. Every big game you see that guy play he turns up.
“Fit as you like, quick, robust, hardened, battle-hardened, understands the big-game environments.
“Top, top player, great attitude, leader, got it all. If I’m looking for a centre-back of experience who can take me to the next level, he’s the one I’m going for”
LEICESTER INJURIES
Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers is dealing with some injury problems of his own ahead of tonight’s clash with Manchester United.
Former United ace Jonny Evans is out with a muscle injury and won’t get to face his former club.
James Justin is sidelined with a cruciate ligament injury whereas Harvey Barnes is still dealing with a knee problem.
Captain Wes Morgan will also miss this crucial encounter due to a back injury
UNITED INJURIES
Manchester United won’t be without absences tonight against Leicester at Old Trafford.
Former Foxes star Harry Maguire is sidelined with an ankle injury and has found himself in a race against time in his bid to reclaim fitness ahead of the Europa League final against Villarreal.
Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will also be without Anthony Martial, who is still recovering from a knee injury.
Daniel James is also out with a knock whereas Phil Jones has missed the entire season due to a knee problem
GETTY IMAGES FIRST SIGNING
Manchester United’s new director of football John Murtough is close to completing his first transfer.
According to the Daily Telegraph, United are closing in on Aston Villa goalkeeper Tom Heaton.
However, Heaton’s imminent arrival doesn’t mean either David de Gea or Dean Henderson, who’ve been battling for the No1 position, are on their way out of Old Trafford.
Instead, the United academy product is joining up as a third-choice goalkeeper
OPEN THE GATE
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has advised Gareth Southgate to pick Mason Greenwood for Euro 2020.
Solskjaer said: “It’s not my job. Gareth knows Mason well enough. He knows Mason can turn a game around in one split second.
“He’s working, learning on the job, getting more robust. He’s played more than 100 games for us – he’s been incredible.
“He’ll have a long, long future with England. I’m sure Gareth will think long and hard about which 26 he’s going to pick.
“I like him, so it says itself what I would have done”
OLE SPEAKS
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is targeting a win against Liverpool and Leicester to raise fans’ spirits following the recent protests.
Solskjaer said before tonight’s clash with Leicester: “Security measures are being looked at.
“I hope we can keep the protests – if there are protests – down to loud voices, nothing violent. We want to listen, the players want to play the game.
“We’re playing Liverpool – of course we want to beat Liverpool and we want to beat Leicester. So we’re going to do everything we can for our fans to celebrate what we’re doing on the pitch”
CHECKMAIT
Manchester United are keeping tabs on West Brom loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles ahead of the summer transfer window.
That is according to the Daily Mail, who claim United as well as Everton are considering a summer swoop for Maitland-Niles.
However, both teams view him more as a right-back rather than a midfielder.
The 23-year-old has impressed at The Hawthorns and seems set to return to Arsenal at the end of the season.
POLICE PRESENCE
The police has made its presence felt outside Old Trafford ahead of Manchester United’s clash with Leicester.
This comes after last Sunday’s protests that saw a chunk of fans breaking inside United’s ground and staging a demonstration outside The Lowry Hotel where the team was staying.
More protests have been scheduled for the remaining home fixtures, including tonight’s clash with the Foxes.
Red Devils fans demonstrated against the Glazer family, who own the club, following the European Super League debacle
Paul Cousans/Zenpix Ltd.. FERGUSON STATEMENT
Legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson opened up about the emergency surgery for a brain haemorrhage he had back in 2018.
Ferguson had temporarily lost his voice after the operation and feared that his memory was next.
The 79-year-old told The Guardian, ahead of the release of his documentary Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In: “That was a big worry for me.
“It happened after the operation when I lost my voice. That was the most frightening part.
“I knew I was alive but, on my own, I started thinking: ‘I wonder if they’re telling me the truth?’ The operation was a success but you’re in that loneliness. It can be frightening”
LET’S CAV IT
Edinson Cavani signed a one-year extension with Manchester United on Monday.
Cavani joined United from Paris Saint-Germain last summer and has been on quite a roll since.
The striker has recorded a total of 15 goals and five assists in 35 matches across all competitions.
The Uruguay international has been especially influential in the Europa League where he has registered five goals and three assists in four games
JESS AMAZING
Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes has named the “best player in the Premier League”, who currently doesn’t play for the club.
Fernandes praised Jesse Lingard, who’s currently out on loan at West Ham and enjoying a stunning return to form.
The Portugal international told United’s official website: “If you see Jesse, I think Jesse, at the moment, if you watch the last 10 games, has been top, top, top level.
“For me, if you watch the last 10 games, he’s been the best player in the Premier League, scoring and assists in every game.
“Everyone here is really, really happy for him. He has confidence back, he has his swag back, because he is feeling confident. We are really, really happy for what he’s doing”
CLOCK TICKING
Manchester United want to complete Jadon Sancho’s signing before this summer’s delayed Euro 2020 competition.
That is according to Bild, who claim United don’t want their fresh bid for Sancho to turn into another saga.
The Red Devils are lining up an £80million swoop for the star winger, which is lower than last year’s £91m offer.
The Euros are set to kick off on June 11 when Turkey face Italy
HAALAND BOOST
Manchester United’s decision to offer Edinson Cavani a one-year extension works as a major boost for other clubs keeping tabs on Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland.
United have been linked with Haaland in the last few months but Cavani’s new deal means the Red Devils may not be keen on going after another striker.
That gives the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Barcelona more hope of signing Haaland in the summer.
However, Dortmund have proven to be fierce negotiators, as shown by United’s failed bid to sign Jadon Sancho last year, and will demand at least £30million for the Norway international
GETTY IMAGES SAN STORM
Manchester United are lining up an £80million swoop for Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho.
That is according to the Daily Star, who claim United will make an offer that’s lower than their £91m bid that was rejected in the summer.
Red Devils manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been rating Sancho as a top target for a while now.
And this time Dortmund appear more keen to sell their star winger
KANE GO ON
Manchester United transfer target Harry Kane has been urged to leave Tottenham in the summer in order to boost his chances of winning silverware.
Newcastle legend Alan Shearer believes it is now time for Kane to seek greener pastures as time will soon start to run out on his career.
Shearer told Match of the Day: “I left Blackburn a season after we won the title and we were nowhere near winning the title so that kind of make my mind up because I wanted to do then go on and do things.
“If Harry wants an excuse then Tottenham and that team are giving him one because they didn’t show up for the cup final and they didn’t show up again today [against Leeds].
“If I was in his position then I’d be looking elsewhere to go and try to win some trophies”
MAGUIRE LATEST
Manchester United star Harry Maguire is set to miss the final four Premier League games of the season.
Maguire suffered an ankle injury on Sunday against Aston Villa and is in a race against time for full fitness ahead of the Europa League final against Villarreal on May 26.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is not the only one sweating over the centre-back’s condition as the same goes for England boss Gareth Southgate.
The Three Lions kick-off their Euro 2020 campaign next month at home to Croatia on June 13, with the 28-year-old a key figure in Southgate’s preferred back-five.
HAA-RDLY LIKELY
Manchester United are going to focus on Jadon Sancho and ditch plans to sign Erling Haaland as well as Harry Kane.
That is according to United legend Gary Neville, who doesn’t expect the Red Devills to go after another striker with Edinson Cavani signing a new one-year deal.
Neville told Sky Sports: “I don’t think they will sign another striker.
“I haven’t got the contacts on the inside that I used to have so it’s my assumption.
“They’ve been desperate for Sancho. You look at Manchester United’s recruitment last summer and they didn’t get Sancho and they were criticised for that. I criticised them for that.
“But they could look incredibly smart this year if they get him nearer half the price and they’ve waited 12 months”
GETTY IMAGES GOOD MORNING RED DEVILS
Edinson Cavani has put pen to paper on a new one-year deal with Manchester United.
The striker has been in blistering form in recent weeks and ended speculation of a move to Boca Juniors with the confirmation on Monday.
He said: “I have been touched with how much the supporters have wanted me to stay, and I will give everything to bring them happiness and joy with my performances on the field.”
On a sour note for the club, SunSport expect Harry Maguire to miss the rest of the Premier League season.
The race is on for the United captain to reach the Europa League final while the Red Devils await the results of an ankle scan.
He will definitely miss tonight’s clash with Leicester, kicking off at 6pm on BT Sport.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is unhappy that his side faces three games in five days after Thursday’s Liverpool game was rescheduled following fan protests.
Ahead of rotating his team, the Norwegian complained: “Talking about integrity in the league and stuff, don’t blame me when I have to make changes because I have to.
“It’s not safe for them to play all four so I have to prioritise. I wish I could have said ‘let’s go full out in all the games’ but it’s impossible.
“That’s the hard bit for me, knowing if I do play this 11 on Tuesday and then again on Thursday it’s impossible. I run too much of a risk in injuring them.”
NEXT UP
Tuesday, May 11, 6pm.
Mark it in your diary for Manchester United’s next match action as the Red Devils host Leicester.
Avoiding defeat will be enough to keep their technically-feasible title hopes alive while the Foxes are in need of a good result in their top-four bid.
The game is live on BT Sport.
Credit: AP DON’T ROO WORRY
Marcus Rashford’s No 1 target is bringing silverware back to Manchester United — not breaking Wayne Rooney’s goals records.
The England forward admits United’s four-year trophy drought has been frustrating, with the Red Devils painfully losing a string of semi-finals.
Rashford said: “It’s about silverware.
“Nobody has been as happy as we were since we won the Europa League in 2017. We’ve got to semi-finals and finals and keep getting beaten.
“It’s frustrating. Your personal things get put to one side as you want to achieve the team things so bad.
“So I just think about scoring and assists for the team.”
OPEN THE FLOOD-GATE
Gareth Southgate has been told that ‘special’ Mason Greenwood can turn a game around for him in a split second at the Euros.
England boss Southgate was at Villa Park on Sunday to see Greenwood crack home a second-half goal to put Manchester United ahead in a 3-1 win over Aston Villa.
And Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “I’m sure Gareth knows.
“He knows Mason well enough. He knows Mason can turn a game around in one split second.
“He’s working, learning on the job, getting more robust and he’s played more than 100 games for us and is our top goal scorer as a teenager, he’s been incredible.
“He’ll have a long, long future with England and I’m sure Gareth will think long and hard about which 26 he’s going to pick. I like him, I like the boy which says itself what I would do.”
AJ ON THE PRIZE
Marco van Basten has warned Ajax’s stars to use Donny van de Beek as a cautionary tale when thinking of leaving the club.
The Dutchman has failed to star for Manchester United since his move from Amsterdam last year.
And club legend van Basten told Ziggo Sport: “It just shows what a great life they have when they play at Ajax.
“They all think very quickly that they are a big boy here and can make it in other countries, but in the Netherlands, there is a nice competition.
“In a team like Ajax you are really helped, especially in the No.10 position. Then you often see that they go abroad and it is a different story.”
Credit: EPA
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
