Man Utd ‘step up’ Coman bid, United battle Chelsea for £86m Sancho, Kane and Ronaldo LATEST – transfer updates

HAA LA LAND

Erling Haaland equalled Ronaldo’s 24-year-old record with his first of two goals against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday afternoon.

He is now the first under-21 to score 40 goals in a season in one of Europe’s big five leagues since the iconic Brazilian for Barcelona in 1996-97.

Haaland is a target for numerous clubs including Manchester United and Chelsea.

But Dortmund are adamant he is not for sale this summer.

PLAY BAL

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could give Manchester United wonderkid Hannibal Mejbri his Premier League debut against Wolves.

And Shola Shoretire could also feature as the Red Devils prepare for their Europa League final with Villarreal.

Solskjaer said: “They’ve had good seasons [in the academy].

“Both of them. Hannibal and Shola, both of them will be involved. Maybe we can get some minutes in them.

“We want to go into the [Europa League] final with lots of energy but also confidence, so we will freshen up a few faces on Sunday.

“We want to enjoy it and give a few minutes to some who might need it before the final.”

RED REVOLUTION

Manchester United are expected to spend big this summer as they look to bridge the gap on champions Manchester City.

Harry Kane, Cristiano Ronaldo and Declan Rice have all been heavily linked with moves but they are just three of FIVE big names on United’s radar.

LaLiga stars Raphael Varane and Kieran Trippier are also said to be appealing to the Red Devils with fans hoping club chiefs will back Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Here is how Man Utd could line up at the beginning of next season.

PRESS IT

Christen Press has fuelled rumours of a potential Manchester United exit with a cryptic Instagram post.

The 32-year posted a pic with team-mates saying she’s “grateful” for an incredible season and for how much she’s “learned” from them.

She wrote: “Grateful for an incredible season with Man United Women.

“I learned so much playing alongside such a humble, ambitious, and hardworking group. You girls keep me young! GGMU!!”

DIM VIEW

Harry Kane should be allowed to leave Tottenham for the good of the club, ex-Spurs striker Dimitar Berbatov has claimed.

He told Betfair: “I saw the clip of [Kane] waving and clapping the fans after the defeat to Aston Villa and he could have just been thanking the fans for their support, after all that was the first time they were back at the stadium.

“I can see why that could be seen as him saying goodbye, but let’s not jump to conclusions and at the end of the day he’s still at the club and he’s got a big couple of months coming up.

“It’s never a good thing for a player and the club to fight, if a player has expressed they want to leave then they have made up their mind.

“If a club fights and makes a move away complicated for the player then it’s not a pleasant situation for everyone involved, including the fans and other players.

“If Kane has told the club he wants to leave then they should find a reasonable way to agree what the fee should be and how to part ways.”

SOLSKJAER LOOKS TO FUTURE

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has looked ahead to next season as the Premier League campaign comes to an end this weekend.

The Red Devils will finish second in the table but well adrift of local rivals and title winners Manchester City.

They also still have the Europa League final to play on Wednesday against Villarreal.

STAR IN THE MAKING

Ryan Giggs’ son Zach has been called up by Wales to face England this month.

The Manchester United teenager has been named in a 22-man squad made up of Under-15s and U16 players for the fixture with the Three Lions on May 30.

Zach, who can play as a centre-back or full-back, has been training with United’s academy at Carrington.

The Dragons are also set to face Northern Ireland on Tuesday 1 June.

Wales senior national manager Giggs has been replaced by Robert Page for Euro 2020.

That is due to the Premier League icon being due to appear at Manchester Crown Court on Wednesday after being charged with assaulting his ex-girlfriend and her sister and with controlling or coercive behaviour.

Giggs denies the charges.

FERGIE ON MESSI

Sir Alex Ferguson has admitted he made a mistake around marking Lionel Messi in the 2011 Champions League final between Manchester United and Barcelona.

Barca won the game 3-1 with Messi netting the second in a special display from Pep Guardiola’s side.

The ex-Man Utd boss said: “ I should have changed at half time and put Ji Sung Park on Messi.

‘If I had played him against Messi I think we would have beat them.”

BACK IN ACTION

It’s great to see the young Manchester United fans back in the stadium.

HEARTBROKEN HARRY

Heartbroken Harry Maguire will miss the Europa League Final in Gdansk due to his ankle ligament injury.

Solskjaer said: “He’s walking but it’s a long way from walking to running. To be honest I don’t think we’ll see him Gdansk, no.

“I’m going to give him until Tuesday night, the last training session to be out there. Steadily but surely he’s improving but ligaments take time to heal.”

SOLSKJAER ON WOLVES CLASH

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has given his take on Sunday’s trip to Molineux to take on Wolves.

It is the final Premier League game of the Red Devils’ season, but comes just three days before the Europa League final against Villarreal.

Discussing the Wolves clash, the Norwegian said: “We want to go into the final with lots of energy but also confidence, so we will freshen up a few faces on Sunday.

“We want to enjoy it and give a few minutes to some who might need it before the final.”

ACROSS CRIS

Manchester United are ready to snap up Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus this summer, according to reports.

And should the Portuguese icon be available, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ‘would not hesitate’ in sanctioning a move for his former team-mate.

Ronaldo, 36, is set to consider his options after Sunday’s Serie A final day, following a desperately disappointing season for the Old Lady.

Juve currently sit fifth in the table, trailing the Champions League places by a point.

But even if Andrea Pirlo’s side do clinch a top four berth, Ronaldo may opt to leave a year before his contract expires.

And according to The Athletic, Man United chiefs are ‘monitoring’ their former No7’s situation with increasing interest.

KING’S RANSOM

Manchester United have reportedly told Kingsley Coman they are ready to pay him £200,000 a week AFTER tax.

The Bayern Munich star has two years left on his contract but is yet to agree terms over a new deal.

Bild claim Coman, 24, earns £200k a week before tax but ‘would like to have it in net’.

Unitedhave apparently ‘indicated’ to the Frenchman they are willing to meet his demands – and make him their joint fifth top earner.

But there is no guarantee of a quick transfer as Bayern are in no rush to make a decision on his future.

And the Bundesliga champions will be able to demand a hefty fee, with Transfermarkt valuing him at £58.5million.

MAN UTD LINE-UP VS WOLVES

This is how we think Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may choose to line-up against Wolves on Sunday.

Remember, the Europa League final is just 72 hours after the final Premier League fixture of the season.

ING FOR A PENNY

Manchester City are reportedly interested in signing Southampton striker Danny Ings if they fail in their pursuit of Harry Kane.

Pep Guardiola’s side are thought to be among the Premier League sides chasing Kane, with Manchester United and Chelsea also competing for the England captain who has recently expressed his intent to leave Tottenham.

But if that does not come off, The Athletic are reporting that Man City have the same idea as their local rivals Man Utd in signing fellow English forward Ings.

He has been linked with a move to Old Trafford, but may feel his options will be limited at the club after Edinson Cavani signed an extension to keep him there another season.

SIMPLY THE BEST

A true legend.

ROO THE DAY

Dimitar Berbatov has shared how he and his Manchester United felt after Wayne Rooney handed in a transfer request at the club.

Analysing the Kane situation for Betfair, Berbatov reflected on the occasion in 2010 when Rooney expressed his unhappiness.

He said: “Transfer requests are a normal thing in football, players want to leave clubs. I was at Manchester United when one of the biggest names in football at the time, Wayne Rooney wanted to leave and handed in a transfer request.

“There were a lot of questions about why he wanted to go at the time and there was a lot of speculation, but in the dressing room you try to understand motives behind something like this and you don’t ask about it.

“You just try to put yourself in the player’s situation and see things from their side.

“As a player you can’t pay too much attention to these things and get distracted by it because it can affect your own game and performance.

“Moments like this can bring tension to a team which is why you shouldn’t focus too much on it, you can only hope that it gets resolved as quickly as possible for the good of the team.”

THREESY DOES IT

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told the Glazers they need to splash the cash on two or three more players to close the gap on champions City.

United sealed runners-up spot last week but will still finish well adrift of their neighbours.

Now the Red Devils boss wants to spend to make sure that they can lift the title next season for the first time since 2013.

Solskjaer said: “I hope we are going to strengthen with two or three players, we definitely need to challenge higher up in the table and we’re still too far behind to think it will just come by itself.

“We’re not where we aim to be, we’ve got ambitions to move one place further up.”

DEL HELL

Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has questioned the recent form of Tottenham star Dele Alli.

The legendary coach thought the 25-year-old midfielder was going to become a ‘top player’ and has admitted he ‘doesn’t know what’s happened’ to his promising career.

Speaking to SPORTbible, Ferguson said: “I thought Dele Alli was going to be a top player, I must admit.

“I don’t know what’s happened there.”

NEVER FORGET

FERGIE’S REGRET

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed he rues his decision not to put Park Ji-sung on Lionel Messi in the 2011 Champions League final.

In an interview with the SportBible, he said: “That’s where I lost the final against Barcelona at Wembley.

“I should have changed at half-time and put Ji-sung Park on Messi. That was a mistake… I was going to do it at half-time, then I said, ‘Well, we just equalised before half-time, they may see the game differently, we may grow into the game better’.

“We were actually quite good in the last 10 minutes of that half. We came into it and we could have been in front.

“But if I’d played Ji-sung Park against Messi, I think we’d have beat them. I really do.”

SKIPPER BLOW

United chief Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed skipper Harry Maguire is a serious doubt for next week’s Europa League final.

The Norwegian said: “To be honest, I don’t think we’ll see him in Gdansk, no, but as I’ve said so many times, I’m going to give him until Tuesday night, the last training session, to see if he can try to be out there.

“Steadily but surely, he’s improving but ligaments take time to heal.”

GOOD MORNING MAN UTD FANS 

A player-plus-cash deal could be Manchester United’s only way of signing Harry Kane, according to reports.

The Tottenham star, 27, has told the club that he wants a summer move to finally bag some major silverware.

Manchester City and Chelsea have been linked with a bid, along with United.

The Athletic report on enquiries for the striker landing from both Manchester clubs as they gauge the likelihood of a deal.

United are also reportedly ready to snap up Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus this summer.

And should the Portuguese icon be available, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ‘would not hesitate’ in sanctioning a move for his former team-mate.

Ronaldo, 36, is set to consider his options after Sunday’s Serie A final day, following a desperately disappointing season for the Old Lady.

Juve currently sit fifth in the table, trailing the Champions League places by a point.

But even if Andrea Pirlo’s side do clinch a top-four berth, Ronaldo may opt to leave a year before his contract expires.

And according to The Athletic, Man United chiefs are ‘monitoring’ their former No7’s situation with increasing interest.

Solskjaer, 48, remains ‘in touch’ with Ronaldo, and even asked him for a character reference before signing Bruno Fernandes in January 2020.

ROO THE DAY

Dimitar Berbatov has shared how he and his Manchester United felt after Wayne Rooney handed in a transfer request at the club.

Rooney, 35, infamously handed in transfer requests on two occasions, in 2010 and 2013.

Berbatov said: “Transfer requests are a normal thing in football, players want to leave clubs.

“I was at Manchester United when one of the biggest names in football at the time, Wayne Rooney wanted to leave and handed in a transfer request.

“There were a lot of questions about why he wanted to go at the time and there was a lot of speculation, but in the dressing room you try to understand motives behind something like this and you don’t ask about it.

“You just try to put yourself in the player’s situation and see things from their side.

“As a player you can’t pay too much attention to these things and get distracted by it because it can affect your own game and performance.

“Moments like this can bring tension to a team which is why you shouldn’t focus too much on it, you can only hope that it gets resolved as quickly as possible for the good of the team.”

DEPAY HIM

Memphis Depay will quit Lyon this summer, with Barcelona reported to be interested in signing the ex-Manchester United forward.

The 27-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season – and it’s bad news for United, who are set to receive nothing from the player’s sell-on clause.

Speaking to French newspaper L’Equipe, Depay said: “It will be strange to think that I will play my final game for the club on Sunday against Nice.

“I am a bit sad that I won’t be able to do that in front of the fans, in an empty stadium without my friends, the fans and my family.

“I’ve had some great times here. I have played in the Champions League, I have captained the team and I am a much better player now.

“I want to go to one of the two or three best clubs in the top five leagues. I don’t know where I will end up yet, but that’s my plan.

“If people don’t consider me a player of that level then they have a problem with me. If I am not on the list of great players then it’s their problem.”