MANCHESTER UNITED transfer chief Matt Judge has officially resigned from his role with the club.
The head of corporate development spent ten years at Old Trafford but he has decided to step down from handling United’s transfer negotiations.
Which means that Judge will not be involved in any potential deal for midfield maestro Kalvin Phillips who has changed agents and is now reportedly ‘open to a transfer’.
However, rumours suggest that the England international is ‘set to snub’ a move to Manchester this summer.
And former Chelsea star Joe Cole has delivered his verdict on Bruno Fernandes’ performances this season.
Get all the latest Man Utd news, gossip and transfer updates…
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Mino Raiola’s family release statement
Super-agent Mino Raiola has died aged 54, his family have confirmed.
In a statement posted on Twitter, it was announced the Italian sadly lost his health battle.
It read: “In infinite sorrow we share the passing of the most caring and amazing Football Agent that ever was.
“Mino fought until the end with the same strength he put on negotiation tables to defend out players.
“As usual, Mino made us proud and never realized it.
“Mino touched so many lives through his work and wrote a new chapter in the history of modern football.
“His presence will forever be missed. Mino’s mission of making football a batter place for players will continue with the same passion.
“We thank everybody fo the huge amount of support received during these difficult times and ask for respect and privacy of family and friends in this moment of grief.
“The Raiola Family.”
Red Devils miss out on Haaland due to clause
Man Utd missed out on signing Erling Haaland in January 2020 because they would not insert a release clause, claims Borussia Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke.
The Red Devils had appeared to be in the driving seat to sign the Norwegian from Red Bull Salzburg.
Haaland’s compatriot Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believed the deal would be done, only for United to be pipped.
Lifting the lid on how he pulled off the £18million deal, Watzke told 19:09 Talk: “We gave Erling Haaland a release clause… otherwise he would have gone to Manchester United.”
Man Utd players arrive for training ahead of Brentford clash
Man United captain debate
Man United legend Tomasz Kuszczak reckons David De Gea or Cristiano Ronaldo should be the club’s captain.
He told Manchester Evening News: “Usually, the club captain is someone who has a lot of if not the most experience within the team.
“There are so many good names who could be captain: Ronaldo, De Gea, I don’t see why either of them aren’t already.”
Super agent Mino Raiola dead
Mino Raiola has died aged 54, his family confirmed.
In a statement posted on Twitter, it was announced the Italian sadly lost his health battle.
Man United’s transfer plans
Man United are likely to open talks with Barcelona over the signing of Frenkie de Jong, according to reports.
With the imminent departures of Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba, club chiefs have prioritised signing a new midfielder.
And De Jong is one of the names on the shortlist.
According to football journalist Gerard Romero, new boss Erik ten Hag is a huge fan of the 24-year-old and is eager to reunite with him at Old Trafford.
Declan Rice speaks on progress
Manchester United target Declan Rice has insisted that there’s still so much to come from him.
The Hammer star said: “I feel like I’ve taken another step in the right direction in my career but I’m still only 23 and trust me, I know myself, I’ve got so much more that I can let out of the bag.
“I know that, my coaches tell me that.
“I think it just comes with time and as I get older, it will keep coming and coming but I feel like you’re only starting to see the start of me. I feel like I’m going to keep pushing and getting better.”
Lewandowski wants Ballon d’Or
Man United transfer target Robert Lewandowski wants to leave the club in order to pursue his dream of winning the Ballon d’Or.
According to former teammate Javi Martinez, Lewandowski wants to end his eight-year stay in Munich by making the switch to Barcelona.
Speaking to El Larguero, Martinez said: “I think there’s a possibility he goes to Barça.
“Lewy believes he would have won a Ballon d’Or or two if he played in Spain, that’s why he wants to try.”
Ibrahimovic ‘hates’ Edinson Cavani
Zlatan Ibrahimovic hates Manchester United star Edinson Cavani, according to a former team-mate.
Retired football Michael Ciani, who played with Ibrahimovic at LA Galaxy, revealed the animosity between the Swede and Cavani.
Ciani says Ibrahimovic told him about his time at Paris Saint-Germain, explaining he enjoyed everything about his time there – except for Cavani.
Ciani told RMC Sport: “He told me that everything was fine with [then-manager] Laurent Blanc at PSG. The only person he did not get along with was Cavani.
“He told me that he only hated three or four people in his career… and one of them was Cavani.
“If you are close to Cavani, Ibra does not like it. Either you are with Ibra, or you are against him.”
How United missed out on Haaland
Man United missed out on signing Erling Haaland in January 2020 because they would not insert a release clause, claims Borussia Dortmund chief Hans-Joachim Watzke.
Lifting the lid on how he pulled off the £18million deal, Watzke told 19:09 Talk: “We gave Erling Haaland a release clause… otherwise he would have gone to Manchester United.”
The clause, believed to be around £63m, is expected to be triggered this summer.
Dim’s bright view on De Beek
Dimitar Berbatov reckons Donny van de Beek will get a fair shot at Man United under Erik ten Hag.
He told Betfair: “Things haven’t worked out so far at United for Donny Van de Beek, he’s currently on loan at Everton and he will be back at Old Trafford in the summer.
“He will get a chance to show what he can do and he has worked with Ten Hag before at Ajax, which is always a good thing, having that connection is great when you’re a player.
“Let’s hope he can resurrect his career at Old Trafford.”
Ronaldo posts daughter pic
Cristiano Ronaldo has posted a heartwarming picture of himself holding his baby daughter.
After taking his baby girl home for the first time, Ronaldo posted a family picture alongside Georgina, their newborn girl, and his other four children to Instagram.
He captioned it: “Home sweet home. Gio and our baby girl are finally together with us.
“We want to thank everyone for all the kind words and gestures.
“Your support is very important and we all felt the love and respect that you have for our family.
“Now it’s time to be grateful for the life that we’ve just welcomed into this world.”
Phillips to snub Man United
Kalvin Phillips is reportedly set to reject a move to Manchester United this summer.
The club have now made him a priority transfer target and chiefs are prepared to make an offer of around £50million.
Man Utd see him as the perfect solution to their midfield problems, especially considering the upcoming departures of Nemanja Matic and Paul Pogba.
However, according to MailOnline, Phillips is likely to snub any offers out of loyalty to Leeds.
MailOnline also report that he is keen to stay and sign a new contract.
Arsenal in Rashford boost
Marcus Rashford should move on to further his career.
That’s the view of Jamie Redknapp who feels the Man United striker has become too complacent recently.
Redknapp’s recommendation will be a huge boost to Arsenal who have been linked with the England ace.
Redknapp said: “I think it might be best for him to move on and try something different. He looks too comfortable.”
Man United transfer worries
Gary Neville thinks Man United will struggle to recruit the best players in Europe despite the arrival of Erik ten Hag.
Neville said on Sky Sports: “So if you’re an agent at this moment in time and you’ve Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, teams with great managers and purring engines — maybe not all of them — but most of them have.
“And you look at Manchester United, it’s too big of a risk.”
Call to duty
Ex-Man United prospect Ramon Calliste has traded his football skills to sell luxury watches across the world.
Calliste, who was dubbed the ‘next Ryan Giggs’ told The Sun: “Watches were always a passion for me.
“I learned the trade quite quickly, got obsessed with Rolex references, and the business has thankfully grown since then.
“We recently launched a very high-end luxury store in Mayfair, and I’m happy to say it’s doing very well.
“We sell watches, beautiful jewellery, and we have a certain amount of accessories, including Hermes bags, which is something we will expand on because they are selling very well.
“Having a Mayfair premises, with the amount of clients that walk-in from around the world and the type of clients we attract, has been amazing for business.”
Man United job is tough
Not even Man City boss Pep Guardiola would find it easy saving Man United.
That’s the opinion of talkSPORT host Simon Jordan who claims Guardiola’s first few months at Old Trafford would be tough.
He said: “I think if you had put Pep Guardiola in there for six months, you would have struggled with the current group of players and the current attitude.
“Just looking at the disposition of that club from the owners, to the fans, to the whole outlook.”
Barcelona star’s Premier League snub
Barcelona star Ronald Araujo has revealed there was no chance of him leaving the Catalan giants for the Premier League.
The defender who was being tracked by Man United, told ESPN: “I’m grateful for the effort the club have made.
“We all gave a little bit to reach an agreement, which is what we all wanted. [The Premier League interest] didn’t distract me at all.
“I was convinced what I wanted. It’s true money is a factor, but for me it’s not the most important thing.
“I am happy at Barcelona. The idea is to be here for many years, and maybe in two years I can renew again and go for even more [success].
“That’s the intention. I am convinced that with the team and the project we are building [with coach Xavi Hernandez] we are going to achieve a lot of things in the future.”
Reason for Fernandes’ form slump
Bruno Fernandes is struggling for Man United this season because he’s in Cristiano Ronaldo’s shadow.
That’s the opinion of former footballer Joe Cole.
Speaking to Coral, Cole said: “At the moment, obviously you’ve got (Cristiano) Ronaldo, and he becomes the pivotal point.
“Bruno is a rhythm player and needs things going through him and he’ll take chances.
“When it doesn’t work, then I feel like he struggles. It highlights the other side of his game, he’s not an amazing presser, he’s not physically good.
“He’s like a quarterback, he needs to be dictating the play.”
Good morning Red Devils fans
Ralf Rangnick has been officially confirmed as the new manager of the Austria national team – but will continue to work at Man United in a consultancy role.
The German has agreed a two-year deal with the Austrian FA to lead the national side until Euro 2020.
However, the 62-year-old will combine his new job with a consultancy role at United, and insists he’s committed to helping the club to rebuild.
A statement from Rangnick reads: “I will take over as national team manager of Austria at the end of the season but will continue my consultancy with Manchester United.
“I’m really looking forward to playing my part in helping United become a real force.”
Rangnick’s consultancy role will see him work just six days a month at Old Trafford.
And he is expected to play a large role in helping Erik ten Hag with recruitment.
That’s after United’s head of corporate development resigned on Friday.
Matt Judge’s role saw him lead transfer and contract negotiations.
But he is now serving his notice period and will not play an active role in signings this summer.
Finally, Man Utd will hold talks with Cristiano Ronaldo over his future this summer.
Rangnick confirmed: This is something that we should speak about between Erik and the board and myself.
“Cristiano has another year of contract. It is also important to find out what he wants, if he wants to stay.
“In the end, it’s both Erik’s and Cris’s decision what they want to do.
“It is not for me to speak about that but the performance of Cris (against Chelsea) was really great.”
Man Utd signings under Solskjaer
Erik ten Hag will ring the changes when he takes charge at Man Utd this summer.
As many as ten players could leave Old Trafford, with the same amount coming in.
How many of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s signings will survive the cull?
Cavani still missing with injury
Ralf Rangnick has confirmed Edinson Cavani will miss Man Utd’s clash with Brentford.
That’s despite having been expected to return.
Rangnick said: “Cavani is supposed to come back to training [today] but, then again, the question is he has been missing for the last four or five weeks.
“Is he really a player who could then play against Brentford?’ Answer: no.”
United get Phillips transfer boost
Kalvin Phillips is reportedly set to swap agents this summer.
And that could increase Man United’s chances of signing him from rivals Leeds.
The Manchester Evening News claims Phillips is open to a transfer.
And he is now in the process of switching agents to boost his odds of joining a top side.
Giants battle for Paulo Dybala
Man Utd and Arsenal are battling each other for Juventus star Paulo Dybala.
The versatile forward will be available on a free transfer this summer.
And ESPN claims Dybala has received tasty offers from United and Arsenal.
But Newcastle and Spurs are also preparing contracts, with both ready to disrupt the party.
Exclusive by SunSport’s Joshua Mbu
Anton Ferdinand has warned Chelsea target and West Ham star Declan Rice off a move to Man Utd.
He said: “Man Utd isn’t the place to go right now. They’re going through a massive transitional period.
“For me personally, if I’m Rice, Man Utd is not a place that I’d be going. I’d wait a few years and see what Ten Hag does.
“What’s the point in leaving West Ham to go somewhere you’re not even challenging for a title.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
