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    Cristiano Ronaldo told to ‘join Bournemouth’ as he’s ‘part of the problem’ at Man Utd amid horror run of form

    CRISTIANO RONALDO has been told to ‘sign for Bournemouth’ and that he is ‘part of the problem’ at Manchester United.The Portuguese star is on his longest barren run in front of goal for over a decade as the Red Devils’ form continues to slump.
    Cristiano Ronaldo has been told to ‘sign for Bournemouth’Credit: EPA
    The legend has also been told that he is ‘part of the problem’ at Old TraffordCredit: EPA
    After being held to a draw at home to Southampton on Saturday, the Old Trafford side are facing a major battle for a top four finish.
    Ronaldo returned to United in the summer and is their top scorer so far this term with 14 goals in all competitions.
    But after going six matches without finding the net under interim boss Ralf Rangnick, questions are being asked about the 37-year-old’s ability to still perform at the top level.
    Speculation has been mounting that the Portuguese superstar wants talks with his agent Jorge Mendes next month and could quit United in the summer.
    Now former Sky Sports anchor Richard Keys, speaking on beIN Sports, has said the legend should be sold sooner rather than later.
    He claimed: “Jorge Mendes was talking to senior Manchester United executives about leaving at the end of the season.
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    “My own view of that is that he should he leave now.
    “I’ve been of the opinion all season long that I think he’s as much a part of the problem – not the whole problem – as anything and anybody else.
    “The other night, when he went running down the tunnel at Turf Moor, having recently lectured everyone about being the leader he believes himself to be and that youngsters don’t do the sorts of things he does…how does that encourage team spirit in the dressing room?”
    Co-host Andy Gray replied: “That was not good to see. Totally wrong for him to do that. He’s obviously disappointed at not playing.
    “He’s playing against Burnley, bottom of the league, he’s thinking ‘there’s a few goals in this for me’.
    “He is 37 years of age and knows he’s running out of time to play top football. You want to try and play as many games as you can.”
    Keys then added: “That’s fine then, go and sign for Bournemouth and you’ll play every week.”
    ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford More

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    Edinson Cavani expected to leave Man Utd on free transfer in summer as Uruguay striker ‘prefers move to LaLiga’

    EDINSON CAVANI is eyeing a free transfer to LaLiga in the summer as he looks set to leave Manchester United.The Uruguayan striker’s contract at Old Trafford expires at the end of the season.
    Edinson Cavani looks on course to leave Manchester United and could go to SpainCredit: AFP
    According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, he is not expected to sign a renewal to stay on in the North-West.
    Instead, the report adds Cavani would prefer a switch to Spain.
    His successful career has seen him play in Uruguay, Italy, France and England.
    But a chance to prove himself in LaLiga appeals to the former Paris Saint-Germain ace.
    He is thought to be on around £250,000 per week at Old Trafford and would be wanting one final big contract – probably at Barcelona, Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid.
    Cavani, 35 tomorrow, was heavily linked with a transfer to Boca Juniors last year.
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    And Romano shut down any suggestions the 128-cap forward could join their arch-rivals River Plate.
    Cavani managed 17 goals in 39 appearances in his debut season in England last year but is on just two from 15 so far this time around.
    Interim Red Devils boss Ralf Rangnick admitted it is ‘obvious’ his side will need to sign a striker – especially after SunSport revealed Cristiano Ronaldo is also considering quitting the club.
    The Portuguese legend, who has not scored in six appearances in 2022, has told pals he is finally starting to feel his age.
    Asked whether United need a new centre-forward, Rangnick said: “This is obvious.
    “Edinson’s contract is running out in the summer and the club needs the best possible centre-forward.
    “I think everyone is aware of that.”
    United have been linked with Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland, Lautaro Martinez, Harry Kane and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
    Haaland is their No1 target but face strong competition from rivals Manchester City as well as Real Madrid and Barcelona.
    ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford More

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    Cristiano Ronaldo appears to accidentally SPIT on Man Utd team-mate during 1-1 draw with Southampton

    ANTHONY ELANGA appears to have been the unintended target of a gobby Cristiano Ronaldo during Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with Southampton.Footage from the Old Trafford clash appears to show the Portugal superstar accidentally SPITTING on his young team-mate.

    Cristiano Ronaldo appeared to accidentally spit on Man Utd team-mate Anthony ElangaCredit: BT Sport
    There is no suggestion the act was deliberate by the United striker.
    But as he turns to clear his throat at full-time he appears to launch his phlegm onto Elanga’s back.
    The Swede, 19, seemed not to notice as he politely applauded fans at the final whistle.
    Elanga was introduced as a late substitute for Scott McTominay at the Theatre of Dreams.
    But he had little impact as the Red Devils coughed and spluttered their way to another disappointing draw.
    United managed to turn three points into one yet again on another afternoon of frustration for boss Ralf Rangnick.
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    Jadon Sancho put the hosts a goal ahead before half-time with a close-range clip.
    But it was once more a game of two halves as Che Adams notched a 48th-minute equaliser for the in-form Southampton.
    It could have been more, too, as Maguire escaped unpunished when he stumbled and trod on Armando Broja’s calf in the dying minutes.
    The Portuguese great saw a brilliant chance to end his scoring drought go begging when Romain Perraud blocked his effort on the goal-line when Ronaldo went through on goal.
    Rangnick’s men let a lead slip to draw 1-1 for the THIRD game in a row and will be lucky to finish in the Europa League slots – never mind top four – the way they’re going.
    It was another frustrating afternoon for Ronaldo as United could only draw with SouthamptonCredit: AP
    United legend Paul Scholes blasted his former said and said: “These Manchester United players do not want to do the ugly side of the game.
    “There are a lot of very good players in that team – you could name every one of them.
    “But with talent you have to work hard as well. 
    “I feel sorry for the manager because he is clearly trying his best to set his team up to play against this type of team [Southampton] and they are either not listening, can’t do it, or don’t want to do it.”
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    Man Utd to offer David de Gea a new deal just six months after his Old Trafford career looked over

    DAVID DE GEA will be offered a new deal — six months after his Manchester United career looked over.De Gea, 31, has been the shining light in United’s stumbling season and won January’s Premier League Player of the Month.
    David de Gea has been a rare bright spark for Man Utd this term and will be offered a new contractCredit: Getty
    Now, the club plans to trigger a 12-month option extending the Spanish keeper’s contract to June 2024, buying time to thrash out fresh terms.
    Old Trafford chiefs also realise they need to bend on their standard policy of offering players shorter deals on lower wages when they hit their 30s.
    That means De Gea can still expect to pick up something close to his current £375,000 a week and have the security of a longer-term contract.
    It signals a remarkable turnaround from losing his place as No 1 to Dean Henderson.
    SunSport revealed how De Gea cut short his holidays and returned to training early.
    It paid off as he has started every league game and a United insider said: “David was determined to show everybody he was still the No 1 and prove he had a future here.
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    “His last contract took nearly 18 months of discussions. The club are determined to sort things quickly this time.
    “They believe he’s the best in the world and see no reason why he can’t carry on for years.”
    De Gea meanwhile has blasted his United team-mates as they gave up ANOTHER lead to draw 1-1 with Southampton.
    The stopper wrote on Twitter: “The situation needs to improve and fast. We have to learn that this is not enough.”
    ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford More

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    Man Utd legend Paul Scholes backs Ralph Hasenhuttl to replace Ralf Rangnick as Old Trafford boss as he demands ‘rebuild’

    PAUL SCHOLES has backed Ralph Hasenhuttl to be the next Manchester United manager as he demanded an Old Trafford ‘rebuild’.The current Southampton boss took a point back to the south coast following Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.
    This could be a familiar sight at Old Trafford with Ralph Hasenhuttl backed for the manager’s jobCredit: Getty
    Paul Scholes and Glenn Hoddle both thought it would make a ‘good fit’Credit: BT Sport
    With Ralf Rangnick set to move upstairs into a director role in the summer, that could pave the way for Hasenhuttl to come in.
    And that would see the duo reunited – six years after Rangnick appointed the Austrian as RB Leipzig boss.
    Speaking in the BT Sport studio, Glenn Hoddle threw in the suggestion that Hasenhuttl would be a ‘good fit’ for United.
    Legendary Red Devils midfielder Scholes agreed.
    He said: “It’s not really something that’s crossed my mind until the last 10-15 minutes when Glenn mentioned it. Watching that interview, there is a closeness between them.
    “As a sporting director it looks like he was the right choice at the right time for Leipzig, he did brilliantly.
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    “And I’ve always liked him (Hasenhuttl). I’ve always thought the football he plays at Southampton with not the best squad, I don’t want to be disrespectful, but the type of football he’s played has worked for them and his teams have been good to watch, I think he comes across really well.
    “This (Manchester United) would be a different kind of pressure. I think people around this club and fans especially are thinking more of possibly (Mauricio) Pochettino or an Antonio Conte and people that have been at bigger clubs I suppose.
    “But the more I think about it, I don’t think it would be a bad thing. The way he goes about his business looks good.”
    Asked if Hasenhuttl is the answer to the problems at Old Trafford, Scholes continued: “Maybe (he is the answer). He hasn’t really worked with the big players I suppose at a club where he will be expected to win things.

    “But do you know what, maybe the outlook of expecting to win things straight away has changed a little bit.
    “It might be a chance for a reset or a rebuild. Clearly, new younger players are needed and we are a long way behind Liverpool and Manchester City especially.
    “So it could be a good chance to come and build and put his stamp on things, and I think Ralf Rangnick is trying to play that way that Southampton are, trying to play with that high-press, and I think he would be a good fit with a fresh, young new squad.”
    Hasenhuttl took over at St Mary’s in December 2018 and has finished 16th, 11th and 15th in his three seasons.
    However, despite being aged just 54, the former striker hinted he is planning to quit management and retire when his contract expires in 2024.
    ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford
    Ralf Rangnick’s relationship with Hasenhuttl dates back to their RB Leipzig daysCredit: PA More

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    Stats show Cristiano Ronaldo’s alarming slump in form as Man Utd star, 37, looks his age in 1-1 draw with Southampton

    CRISTIANO RONALDO has failed to score in six games for Manchester United – but it’s not just his form in front of goal that makes for grim reading. Manchester United’s 1-1 against Southampton saw Ronaldo somehow fail to score an OPEN GOAL and have an all-round shocker.
    Ronaldo’s stats from the Southampton make for grim reading
    CR7 ghosted through the 90 minutes at Old Trafford
    Across the entire 90 minutes Ronaldo only managed to muster fourteen passes of the ball.
    His heat map was incredibly bare too, with CR7 struggling to keep up to grips with a fast-paced contest at Old Trafford.
    Claims yesterday that Ronaldo has told his nearest and dearest he is feeling his age could be the explanation for his lack of involvement.
    Just 33 touches across the entire 90 minutes go some way to proving how hard he found it hard to get hold of the ball.
    The 37-year-old usually loves taking defenders on, but a meagre two dribbles of the ball against the Saints show he’s now less confident about beating his man.
    Ronaldo losing the ball three times also suggest he’s finding it hard to retain the ball – another aspect of his game he’s normally so good at.
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    Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure yet again at Old TraffordCredit: Getty
    Ronaldo only managed 33 touches of the ball against Southampton
    Seven of his 33 touches were inside the Southampton box, but even so he could only manage two shots in the match.
    One of those was fluffing an open goal thanks to Romain Perraud’s goal-saving intervention.
    And the other was a tame left-footed effort straight at Saints’ keeper Fraser Forster.
    Ronaldo penned a two-year deal in the summer after making an emotional return to Manchester United.
    But there are suggestions he could cut his stay short and leave the club in the summer after starting to feel his age.
    The Portugal legend would never publicly admit that the demands of the English top-flight are becoming too much.
    Nevertheless Ronaldo could decide to abandon what is turning out to be a frustrating second spell at Old Trafford.
    ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford More

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    Man Utd star Cristiano Ronaldo fails to score OPEN GOAL to end six-week goal drought after heroic Southampton defending

    CRISTIANO RONALDO continued his barren scoring run by failing to finish into an OPEN GOAL against Southampton. After Jadon Sancho neatly slid in Ronaldo, he cleverly rounded Saints goalkeeper Fraser Forster.

    Ronaldo looked destined to score with Forster in no man’s landCredit: Getty
    He couldn’t believe it after he fired yet another blankCredit: Getty
    Just when it looked like he was about to end the longest barren run in front of goal of his career… Ronaldo missed.
    Usually such a lethal finisher, his shot towards an empty net lacked any conviction at all.
    And heroic defending from Romain Perraud saw him get back in time to intercept the ball as it trickled its way towards the goal-line.
    He turned his back in disgust and threw his hands up in the air after failing to bag such a simple chance.
    Sancho did score soon after to spare Ronaldo’s blushes, but Southampton hit back in the second half through Che Adams.
    The game finished 1-1, making it back-to-back draws for Ralf Rangick’s side.
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    But perhaps more worryingly for United, it was a SIXTH consecutive game without a goal for the great CR7.
    It continues his longest spell without netting since drawing five blanks in a row for Real Madrid in 2010.
    He hasn’t scored since United’s 3-1 victory over Burnley on December 30.
    Although Ronaldo can’t say he hasn’t had chances to stop the rot.
    The guilt-edged miss against Southampton came just days after he fluffed a penalty in the FA Cup against Middlesbrough.
    On that occasion he failed to even hit the target as United crashed out to their second-tier opponents.
    ⚽ Read our Manchester United live blog for the latest news and transfer gossip from Old Trafford More

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    Man Utd 1 Southampton 1: United let ANOTHER lead slip as they lose ground in top-four race as Ronaldo goal disallowed

    HARRY MAGUIRE lost the plot and United were lucky not to lose the lot, as they managed to turn three points into one yet again.A goal ahead, thanks to Jadon Sancho’s close-range clip, once more they made it a game of two halves, and Che Adams 48th-minute equaliser was the least Southampton deserved.
    Manchester United’s top-four hopes took another hit as Cristiano Ronaldo’s goal drought continuedCredit: Getty
    Che Adams rescued a point for the Saints with his cool finishCredit: AFP
    It could – possibly should – have been more, too, as Maguire escaped unpunished when he stumbled and trod on Armando Broja’s calf in the dying minutes.
    There was no doubting his guilt, as he clearly plonked a boot down on the striker’s leg, but ref Stuart Attwell ruled the ball was already out before he did so.
    Yet it was another embarrassing moment for the United skipper, who looks more like a Sunday league pub defender than England international by the week.
    And another cock-up by Ralf Rangnick’s men, who will be lucky to finish in the Europa League slots, never mind top four, the way they’re going.
    Yet it had all started so well, and they really should have been ahead inside six minutes, when Sancho sent Cristiano Ronaldo clear and he rounded keeper Fraser Forster.
    But he was way too cautious in trying to roll it into an empty net and although Romain Perraud did well to get back and clear, it was hardly last ditch.
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    It was an ominous early sign of another blank day for Ronaldo, whose six games without a goal is his longest barren spell in 13 years.
    He was throwing his arms up in frustration again – fast becoming a trademark these days – when Sancho opted to go it alone rather than squaring the ball.
    But Forster’s left foot was equal to the United prod with his right, and another chance slipped away.
    They finally made one count midway through the first half, with a quickfire counter that had Rangnick punching the air on the touchline.
    Bruno Fernandes’ superb ball down the right took out Mohammed Saliosu and sent Rashford skipping away.
    He had all the time in the world to pick out Sancho – who had sprinted beyond Kyle Walker-Peters – and although his far-post contact wasn’t the cleanest, it was good enough.
    Jadon Sancho made no mistake at the back post to break the deadlockCredit: Rex
    Sancho was all smiles thanks to Marcus Rashford’s perfect passCredit: Getty
    So far, so good then. But United don’t do easy street anymore, and sure enough, three minutes after the break Saints were level.
    What a goal it was as well, working it all the way from the back before Mohammed Elyounoussi fed Adams, whose clinical finish flew in off the far post.
    David De Gea then pawed away an Armando Broja rocket, and Fernandes nearly turned Jack Ward-Prowse’s corner past his own keeper, as United rocked.
    They did have the odd moment, admittedly, such as when Forster saved with his feet from Harry Maguire.
    And Ronaldo put the ball in the net, but was so far offside he was almost in another postcode.
    Then Forster denied Maguire with a flying save in injury time.
    But for the most part it was a point well earned by Southampton… and yet another two chucked away by United.
    Ronaldo looked destined to open the scoring but for some wonderful defendingCredit: Getty
    Harry Maguire was lucky to escape without giving a penalty awayCredit: PA
    It proved to be another frustrating day for UnitedCredit: Reuters
    A point was the least the visitors deservedCredit: Getty More