BORUSSIA DORTMUND have admitted that they are willing to sell Jadon Sancho for the right price this summer.
And it has also been reported that Man Utd have the funds to sign Erling Haaland from the German side, if they are willing to deal with agent Mino Raiola.
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Stay up to date with our blog, below, for all the latest from Old Trafford…
THE PRICE IS WRONG
Manchester United are closing in on Jadon Sancho, according to Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano.
However, the Red Devils have yet to agree a free with Borussia Dortmund.
Romano told the Here We Go podcast: “Manchester United have everything set to sign Jadon Sancho this summer – they are just waiting for the final price.”
FATHER TALK
Charlie Savage hopes to go one better than his old man — and make the grade at Manchester United.
But the 17-year-old midfielder says Scott McTominay, not his dad Robbie, is the main inspiration behind his goal to reach the Old Trafford first team.
He told SunSport: “The main inspiration for me is Scott — he’s the best with us. He comes over to talk to us. He had it difficult in the youth team.
“He didn’t play many matches but he just kept going and he proved it’s not always the standout players who make the first team.
“Sometimes it’s the players who might have had a back seat but they keep pushing and pushing.
“Scott, Marcus Rashford and also Brandon Williams all inspire us to improve and move forward.”
HAAL OF FAME
Manchester United are one of the clubs that can afford to sign Erling Haaland, according to reports.
Dortmund are said to be looking for an offer of around £150m to part company with the Norwegian this summer – and The Athletic claim that fee would be in the Red Devils’ price range.
However, whether the deal can be pushed over the line or not depends on how willing United are to go back into business with Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola.
Raiola has exasperated senior figures at Old Trafford by claiming Paul Pogba wants to leave on numerous occasions.
WILL I NEVER
Southampton would like to revisit a loan move for Manchester United whizkid Brandon Williams.
Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl wants more depth in the full-back areas and likes Williams’ ability to play both on the left and right.
Hasenhuttl tried to borrow Williams, 20, from United in January but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer refused to let him go.
Southampton are hopeful Solskjaer will reconsider his stance for next season though, with Williams starting just three games this term.
DAVID DE GOER
David de Gea is reportedly set for a summer axe – and has been offered to Europe’s elite.
The Manchester United goalkeeper, 30, continues to battle for his place in the team with Dean Henderson.
Henderson started his seventh game in a row against Brighton on Sunday.
And it is thought De Gea has had enough with the Spaniard ready to look elsewhere for a new club.
According to the Daily Mail, the goalkeeper’s representatives are in touch with some of the top clubs on the continent to sound out potential suitors.
CAPTAIN MARVEL
Harry Maguire made it a century of games in a United shirt against Brighton.
STICKER SOCCER GLORY
A footie-mad dad has finally got his huge sticker album collection up to date — with a 1998 World Cup England badge.
Simon Livermore, 45, paid £11.41 in an online bidding war for the elusive crest.
He has now completed every World Cup and Euros album produced by Panini since 1974.
And he is already busy filling in his Euro 2020 sticker album.
Brighton and Hove Albion fan Simon said: “Half the fun is the hunt. I’ve needed two for France 98 for absolutely forever but the badges, the foils, are particularly hard to come across.
“I was always led to believe there was equal numbers printed, But I swear it’s not the case.”
GARD AGAINST
West Ham will reportedly do whatever it takes to try and sign Jesse Lingard from Manchester United permanently this summer.
The England star has rediscovered his top form on loan at the Hammers as he scored six goals in eight league games.
A senior West Ham source told Sky Sports: “We will do whatever it takes to sign him.
“He’s been outstanding for us.”
DOR OPEN
An update from transfer guru Fabrizio Romano on Manchester United target Jadon Sancho.
GARNER INTEREST
Nottingham Forest manager Chris Hughton is refusing to speculate on the long-term future of Manchester United loanee James Garner.
He told NottinghamshireLive: “At this moment, my thoughts are very much on what he’s giving us and how he’s helping us in the best way he can.
“It’s also about us helping his development and us having the best relationship with Manchester United we can.
“And then we’ll see what happens.
“He’s not our player, so it’s very difficult to talk about him in any terms.
“All I can say is the relationship with United has been very good and we’re delighted with what James is giving us.”
BYE-BAI
Manchester United are reportedly interested in defensive reinforcements this summer if Eric Bailly leaves the club.
Eurosport claim Inter Milan are keeping tabs on the Ivorian’s contract situation, who has just over a year remaining on his deal.
The report adds that Sevilla’s Jules Kounde and Villarreal’s Pau Torres are United’s main targets should Bailly leave.
DOR OPEN
Manchester United will be hoping their good deed will be rewarded after letting Borussia Dortmund use their facilities ahead of a crunch Champions League encounter.
Erling Haaland and Co have trained on United’s old The Cliff complex ahead of their tie with neighbours Man City this evening.
Located in Salford, the United first-team haven’t trained at The Cliff since moving to Carrington in 2000.
But the facilities are still used for some academy games while the women’s team also train there.
LIN-CREDIBLE
Jesse Lingard is leading the Premier League charts since arriving at West Ham on loan.
After failing to find a place in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United, the 28-year-old has rediscovered his best form with the Hammers under David Moyes this season.
DEVIL MAY CARE
Former Manchester United star Terry Gibson has warned the Reds of the dangers of taking Granada lightly.
He told the club’s website: “United can’t afford to take them lightly.
“They’re going to play like an away team at home. They’ll look to play on the counter-attack, which they’re good at.
“They’re a fluent team who change tactics a lot but they won’t be as naive as Real Sociedad were; they won’t open up and allow themselves to be hit on the counter-attack.
“They’ll look to keep it nice and tight and hope to be in the tie for the second leg.
“It’s a dream tie for Granada, it’s clearly the biggest game in the history of the club.
“This is their second season back in La Liga. They were kind of like a Sheffield United last season in that they were a massive surprise.”
ANT MAN
Anthony Elanga has been added to Manchester United’s squad for the Europa League first-leg against Granada.
BELE FLOP
Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman has confirmed that he would like Ousmane Dembele to STAY at the club, amid links with Man United.
Following the Frenchman’s late winner against Real Valladolid last night, Koeman said: “I would like Dembele to stay, he is an important player for us.
“He showed his quality with his game and the goal against Valladolid. The key is that he has physically improved and has been able to play a lot of games in a row.”
DUBLIN AND OUT
England looks set to be handed at least four more Euro 2020 games – with Uefa braced for Dublin to effectively pull out of hosting on Wednesday.
And that would hand Gareth Southgate and his Three Lions the prospect of an extra match on home soil this summer, although NOT at Wembley.
Uefa’s deadline for the 12 scheduled venues to confirm they are able to stage games with crowds is close of business on Wednesday.
The Irish capital is believed by senior Uefa figures to be the most likely city to be unable to give Euro chiefs the guarantees they have sought, leaving the Aviva set to be stripped of its games.
And if so, it is now expected that the four games due to be played in Ireland will be switched to England, as the FA is already in advanced planning for seven games at Wembley.
THE TEMP-BEST
Jesse Lingard is proving to be one of the signings of the season.
His loan switch to West Ham was a masterstroke from David Moyes, who is getting the very best out of the Manchester United midfielder.
The red-hot form got the 28-year-old a return to the England squad and could see him go to the Euros.
SunSport looks at some of the best loan signings in the Premier League era – an elite list Lingard is on course to join, particularly if he can fire West Ham into the Champions League HERE.
JESS WHAT THE DOCTOR ORDERED
By SunSport’s Jordan Davies
Jesse Lingard is leading the Premier League charts since arriving at West Ham on loan.
Since his West Ham debut on February 3 after a January window switch, only Tottenham’s Harry Kane has been involved in the same number of goal involvements.
Lingard’s six goals and three assists in eight appearances sees him with nine goal involvements.
That’s THREE more than United star Bruno Fernandes, as well as bettering Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez.
Only Harry Kane has scored more with seven, but has one less assist than Lingard in that time.
In terms of assists, Lingard’s three assists is the same as City’s Phil Foden and Tottenham’s Lucas Moura and Heung-Min Son.
Lingard is also proving to be efficient in front of goal, needing just 23 shots to reach nine goal involvements.
That is SEVENTEEN less than Kane, two less than Leeds’ Patrick Bamford and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah and one less than Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins.
Jesse Lingard has been outstanding for West HamCredit: PA GRASS IS GREENER
Mason Greenwood bagged a crucial goal for Man United on Sunday, to net the three points against Brighton at Old Trafford.
And the teenager has already been impressing for years, despite still being relatively new to the first-team set up.
Check this out, United fans!
WELL I NEV-ER
Gary Neville admitted he would have played for arch-rivals Arsenal if Manchester United decided to sell him.
He told Sky Sports’ Off the Script: “If you’d said to me, in a perfect world, in my years of playing, which clubs in the Premier League have the tradition, a proper club? Arsenal would be No 1.
“The tradition of Highbury, I felt they did things the right way. Also in the Premier League, I like Aston Villa and Newcastle.
“In Europe I admired Juventus and Bayern Munich. I respected them as football clubs. Bayern were meticulous in their preparation, so internationally, it would be them.”
Gary Neville would have been open to the idea of joining Arsenal if he was let go by Manchester United earlier in his career
LIGT-BULB MOMENT
Matthijs de Ligt will be available for £130million next summer, according to reports.
The Juventus defender, 21, is thought to have a release clause in his contract.
But according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, it does not kick in until July 2022.
And that could have the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona on red alert to make a major swoop at the end of next season.
Matthijs de Ligt could be bought for £130million next summer when his release clause kicks in HOME DISCOMFORTS
Bruno Fernandes has issued a rallying cry to his Manchester United team-mates to ‘stop dropping as many points as we do at home’.
The Portuguese playmaker has been instrumental in helping United into second spot in the Premier League.
Speaking to FourFourTwo magazine, the 26-year-old said: “It’s tough in England, because the games are so tight.
“Every team genuinely has a chance to win the match. It’s 50/50 before every game, and we see it with the results. But we’re doing better.
“We can’t drop as many points as we do at home, but we’ve been in second, and at the start of the season there weren’t many people who were saying United would be second.
“After a few games and a bad start, nobody was saying United could reach the top of the table, but we ignored what people were saying on the outside.
“We knew what we had said on the inside, we had confidence that things would improve, and they did.
“We still have to be the best United we can, but we have improved.”
Bruno Fernandes gave an honest interview with FourFourTwo magazine POSITIVE MATA
Manchester United star Juan Mata opened up on his relationship with ‘positive’ manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Spaniard told the UTD Podcast: “Of course, I heard much about him as a player. About that goal, about the many goals. So we had a meeting between us, the team, and they said: ‘Listen, it’s probable that Ole’s going to come. He’s going to take care of the team until the end of the season. He’s coming from Molde in Norway.’
“As soon as he came in, you could see the positivity. You could see the Manchester United DNA. He knew everyone, he felt like a proper United fan, and he was happy and smiley and full of energy. Until today. So we stay with him, and I think that’s a good sign of things going okay.
“I feel young, honestly, in my body and in my mind, but obviously I’ve been playing in the club, and in English football and professionally for 12-13 years now, and so that gives me experience to – especially in difficult situations – behave in a certain way or give advice to the youngsters or something like that, and I think he values that also.
“Me, as a player, what I can give on the pitch, but also that I will try my best off the pitch for the new players that come.”
Mata opened up on his boss SolskjaerCredit: EPA MATA ON LVG
Juan Mata has revealed that former boss Louis van Gaal was ‘scary’.
He told the UTD Podcast: “He was scary! He was scary, I tell you! He was a very nice man, very genuine. Very sensible. You wouldn’t expect that, but he was very sensible. He could even get emotional and cry sometimes when he was speaking about important matters that he found with the right values, or the right football… he got emotional.
“But I remember the first meeting we all had with him. It was in LA. We were doing a pre-season tour. So the manager said: ‘I want to meet you one by one in this room after dinner’. I was like ‘okay’.
“Everyone went, whatever. My turn. So I arrive to the room and it was him, Ryan Giggs, a bottle of Rioja, red wine, and three glasses.
“He said: ‘Do you want to have the drink?’ And I said, ‘No, no, it’s fine’. He said, ‘Okay, I’ll have it’. So he had the drink, and he said, ‘Tell me who you are?’
“I mean, ‘My name is Juan, I’m 26, I play football’. ‘No, no, no. Tell me who you are as a man. Do you have family? What do you find important in life?’
“I remember he had like paper, where he had set up the tactics for the team and that year, and he was like ‘Where do you think you will fit best here?’ I was like ‘here’ and he said ‘No’. ‘Here?’ ‘No.’
“So we had trained that pre-season with five in the back, two [in midfield], one No10, and he put me in that No10 and he said ‘You’re going to play here’ and I was like ‘Great’. I didn’t want to put it myself!
“And from that moment, you realised: he can look scary in the face-to-face, because also he goes too close to you. But after that, he’s a very warm and genuine man. Ryan Giggs was there trying to hold his laugh!”
Mata enjoyed his time working under the eccentric figure of Louis van Gaal, who was keen to revolve the team around the Spanish playmaker
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
