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    Man Utd ‘could recall forgotten man from LaLiga loan to bolster defence’ amid injury crisis

    MANCHESTER UNITED could recall left-back Alvaro Fernadez from his loan spell at Granada as they try to cope with their latest injury crisis. The Reds were missing 11 first team players for Monday’s FA Cup third round win against Wigan Athletic.
    Fernandez could be on his way back to Old TraffordCredit: Getty
    The youngster has made 14 appearances for the LaLiga sideCredit: Getty
    Erik ten Hag is hopeful that a few stars will be back on Sunday for their game against Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur.
    The Dutch manager said: “I think it’s hopeful that they can be back at the weekend.
    “I’m talking about Christian Eriksen, potentially Luke Shaw. Harry (Maguire) maybe, Mason (Mount) I think he needs some days or a week more.”
    But according to the Daily Mail “there are growing concerns at Granada that United defender Fernandez will be recalled from his loan spell at the Spanish club”.
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    It remains to be seen where Fernandez’s future lies, with the 20-year-old out of contract in the summer.
    He was sent out on loan for Granada after his successful loan spell last season at Championship side Preston North End.
    The former Real Madrid youth star, who has play a first-team game for United, has made 14 appearances in all competitions for the Spanish side this season.
    He is yet to register a goal or assist.
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    United’s emergency left-back Sergio Reguilon’s brief loan move from Spurs ended last week, with a club statement claiming Shaw and Tyrell Malacia were on their way back.
    It read: “Sergio fulfilled the role he was brought in for: to provide cover for Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia while both were out with long-term injuries. 
    “While Luke has missed the past two games with a minor injury, the England international is expected back soon. Tyrell, meanwhile, is getting closer to a return from his knee injury.
    “The versatile Diogo Dalot can also provide further cover at left-back. 
    “With fewer games in the second half of the season and injured players returning, there will be less opportunity for Sergio to play.
    “It was decided it was in the best interests of all parties for Reguilon to return to Spurs.”
    The majority of Manchester United’s injuries have involved defenders this season.
    World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez has been out since September with an aggravation of the foot injury he suffered in April.
    England international Maguire has missed 12 games through hamstring and groin injuries after his resurgence in form that saw the 30-year-old win Premier League player of the month for November.
    Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez are both outCredit: Getty
    Malacia has been out all season but it is hoped he will return soon.
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    United have just extended the contracts of Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Victor Lindelof until 2025 as they look to reinforce their backline.
    Anthony Martial, meanwhile, could be on his way out, with Fenerbahce reportedly interested in making a £6.8m offer for the 28-year-old forward. More

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    Gary Neville slams Man Utd signing that ‘never should have gone through’ and will cost Old Trafford side ‘in long term’

    MANCHESTER UNITED legend Gary Neville insists Casemiro should have never been signed by his former club.The midfielder joined United in the summer of 2022 at the age of 30 following a £70million deal with Real Madrid and signed a four-year contract.
    Manchester United shouldn’t have signed Casemiro, claims Gary NevilleCredit: PA
    Neville claims Casemiro doesn’t fit Man Utd’s long-term plans
    The Brazil international has since put together a series of impressive performances and amassed a total of 11 goals and seven assists in 63 appearances.
    However, Neville still believes the experienced No6 doesn’t fit the Red Devils’ long-term plans or the wage structure.
    And that is why the Sky Sports pundit is adamant that this United signing should have never gone through “a good sporting director, a good owner, and a good head of recruitment”.
    And that is also why the ex-England international believes the manager of a club, such as Erik ten Hag, shouldn’t have the final saying on signings as he is focused on the short-term.
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    Neville said on the latest edition of Stick to Football as per Sky Bet: “Coming in from an owner’s perspective, you employ a head of recruitment who you think is the best guy out there at spotting talent, that will bring value to your club.
    “You’ve got a sporting director equally, who will be thinking the same way – their loyalty is to the club and to make sure we win games.
    “A manager’s job is purely to think about the immediate short term and getting results for himself.
    “Casemiro is perfect example of a short-term signing that is going to cost in the long term.
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    “That signing never should have gone through a good sporting director, a good owner, and a good head of recruitment.
    “That signing should have never gone through, it should have been a veto.
    “He doesn’t fit the long-term, the wage [structure]… The wages are crazy and the length of contract is crazy.” More

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    Man Utd offer Facundo Pellistri in swap transfer for Christian Eriksen’s close friend with £69m release clause

    MANCHESTER UNITED have offered Facundo Pellistri in a swap deal for Sporting Lisbon midfielder Morten Hjulmand.But the bid has been rejected by the Portuguese club as they wait on the Red Devils to trigger his £69million release clause.
    Morten Hjulmand is being closely monitored by Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty
    Hjulmand, left, is close friends with Manchester United man Christian Eriksen, rightCredit: AFP
    Man Utd have been to watch defensive midfielder Hjulmand at least six times already this season.
    Old Trafford scouts have seen him play in both the Primeira Liga and Europa League.
    And Erik ten Hag’s men also have the additional lure of Christian Eriksen who is Hjulmand’s close friend.
    Eriksen is understood to be a mentor to the 24-year-old when they play together for Denmark.
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    And Rasmus Hojlund is another Danish international at Man Utd.
    But the offer of Uruguayan international Pellistri – who has featured nine times in the league this season – is not being entertained by Sporting.
    Hjulmand arrived at Sporting from Lecce for around £15m.
    He has featured in all but one of the Portuguese side’s 24 games since joining the club.
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    Facundo Pellistri has been offered as part of a swap deal for HjulmandCredit: Getty
    Hjulmand has been a rock in midfield for Sporting this season
    And he has contributed one goal and two assists in all competitions.
    It is not the first time Hjulmand has been linked with a move to the Premier League.
    While at Lecce, the midfielder was mooted as a potential target for Southampton.
    But Man Utd will be a more attractive proposition for the Sporting man as Ten Hag looks to bolster his midfield options.
    Mason Mount and Sofyan Amrabat have struggled since arriving in the summer.
    And Casemiro also struggled at the start of the season before suffering an injury.
    Man Utd are languishing in eighth in the Premier League table, nine points adrift of the top four.
    And they are heading into a tough run of fixtures against Tottenham, Wolves, West Ham and Aston Villa.
    Pellistri has struggled to make an impact for Man Utd so far this season More

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    Former Man Utd and Chelsea star ‘eyeing return to Premier League’ after telling French side Rennes he wants to quit

    NEMANJA MATIC reportedly wants to return to the Premier League – after telling Rennes he is ready to quit the club.But he has allegedly considered RETIRING if an immediate transfer exit gets blocked.
    Nemanja Matic is fed up at Rennes and wants to quit immediatelyCredit: Getty
    The former Chelsea and Manchester United star, 35, joined the Ligue 1 outfit in the summer after one season with Roma following his Old Trafford exit in 2022.
    The holding midfielder is yet to score for his new side but did get three assists in six Europa League group games – and has already served two suspensions for picking up seven Ligue 1 yellow cards.
    However, just six months and 13 league appearances into his spell with Rennes, it is said he has had enough.
    Matic has reportedly struggled to gel with his team-mates and there are complications regarding his children’s schooling.
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    According to L’Equipe, Matic skipped training on Tuesday and has emptied his locker in the hope of finding a new club to enable an early exit from his two-year contract until 2025.
    The report adds that the Serbian is “unhappy at Rennes and pushing for an immediate departure” with it growing increasingly unlikely he will play for Rennes ever again.
    And it is thought the central midfielder is keen to sign for French rivals Lyon or head back to England, with several clubs apparently interested.
    L’Equipe add that successful talks have already taken place between Matic’s representatives and Lyon – but if Rennes did their heels in and refuse to let him leave then he may hang up his boots and quit football for good.
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    Matic first joined Chelsea in 2009 but made just three first-team appearances then headed to Benfica before returning to Stamford Bridge in January 2014.
    In three-and-a-half seasons with the Blues he appeared 151 times and lifted two Premier League titles.
    The 48-cap international made the switch to United in 2017 but despite playing 189 times and the club reaching both the FA Cup and Europa League finals during his five seasons at Old Trafford, he could not add to his trophy cabinet.
    In December he launched a frank and stinging attack on the Red Devils – and singled out Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho for particular criticism.
    Matic said: “At Chelsea, players acted professionally.
    “They were punctual and were never late for training but at United it happened almost every day.
    “Among the players who would always be late were Paul Pogba and Jadon Sancho and a couple of other players.
    “The rest of us who were always on time were angry so we decided to form a kind of an internal disciplinary committee with me serving as its president.
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    “During one particular season, we collected around £75,000 in fines.”
    There was more European heartbreak for Matic last season, too, as Jose Mourinho’s Roma lost to Sevilla in the Europa League final before his wretched Rennes move.
    Matic won the Premier League twice with ChelseaCredit: Getty Images – Getty
    The Serbian spent five years at Old TraffordCredit: PA More

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    Man Utd outcast Facundo Pellistri ‘offered Old Trafford escape route’ with Erik ten Hag willing to sanction transfer

    PSV EINDHOVEN have reportedly formalised their interest in Manchester United outcast Facundo Pellistri.The Uruguayan star has struggled to impress Erik ten Hag who is prepared to let the winger go in the January transfer window.
    PSV Eindhoven has reignited their interest to sign Facundo Pellistri on loanCredit: Rex
    Pellistri, 22, has never come close to a regular run for the Red Devils since arriving from his home country for around £9million in 2020.
    And he has failed to make an impact at Old Trafford this season despite seeing the likes of Antony and Marcus Rashford struggle in his position.
    The winger featured in United’s 2-0 victory against Wigan on Monday for the first time since September.
    But that could be his last game for a while as he is set to be the next star to leave the club this month, according to the Daily Mail.
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    The report claims Ten Hag has signalled he is willing to let Pellistri go, sparking PSV into confirming their interest in the Uruguayan international.
    The Eredivise side are set to begin talks with United about a potential loan move.
    However, they will not be alone as MLS giants LA Galaxy are also interested in the winger.
    And LaLiga’s Villarreal also hope they can get the Uruguay international on a permanent deal this month.
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    The Spanish side initially showed interest in the winger during the summer.
    The move could suit Pellistri who already has experience in top-flight Spanish football after completing two loan spells at Alaves.
    And the club are open to an initial loan until the end of the season with United keen to recoup at least what they paid for the 18-cap star.
    But a move to the Netherlands should not be ruled out for the Pellistri as PSV are on track for Eredivisie glory this term. More

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    Man Utd ‘to cover £100,000 a WEEK of Jadon Sancho’s wages during Borussia Dortmund loan after £73m flop frozen out’

    BORUSSIA DORTMUND are demanding Manchester United pay a third of Jadon Sancho’s wages, according to reports.Talks between the clubs are progressing over a potential loan move this January.
    Jadon Sancho could seal a return to Borussia Dortmund this monthCredit: Getty
    Sancho, 23, is open to ending his Old Trafford nightmare and rejoining his former club.
    But Dortmund are not willing to pay his entire £290,000-a-week salary as it is out of their budget, claim the Mail.
    Therefore, the German giants are demanding Man Utd pay £100,000 of his wages every week.
    It means the Red Devils will hand Sancho around £2.5m to play elsewhere until the end of this season should they agree to the proposal.
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    However, United would save £5m from getting a portion of his wages off the books, which will help the club meet FFP regulations.
    Reports suggest that there will be no obligation to buy Sancho included in the deal.
    But Dortmund may have to pay more for the loan if clauses based on appearances made and Champions League qualification are met.
    Sancho has not played for Man Utd since a public fall out with Erik ten Hag in September.
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    The exiled £73m star claimed the manager made him a “scapegoat”.
    Sancho refused to apologise and has since been banned from training and all first-team facilities.
    Meanwhile, Dortmund are closing in on the loan signing of Chelsea star Ian Maatsen. More

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    Sir Jim Ratcliffe told to REBUILD Old Trafford as INEOS chief warned of huge project after Man Utd investment

    MANCHESTER UNITED hero Lee Sharpe has warned new club chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe that he faces a “big project” after his recent investment.And that includes an Old Trafford rebuild.
    Manchester United hero Lee Sharpe warned Sir Jim Ratcliffe he is facing a ‘big project’Credit: PA
    Sharpe believes Ratcliffe needs to rebuild Man Utd’s iconic Old TraffordCredit: Reuters
    Sharpe claims Man Utd’s Carrington training ground also needs a ‘refurb and a reshuffle’Credit: Getty
    Ratcliffe has completed his long-awaited 25 per cent investment of United, pending final approval from the Premier League.
    Sir Jim will be in charge of all sporting matters regarding the men’s and women’s teams along with the academy.
    The Ineos chief is facing a massive task that includes improving Erik ten Hag’s struggling team and upgrading the club.
    And Sharpe advised the 71-year-old to start by rebuilding Old Trafford to compete with Arsenal’s Emirates and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
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    United fans have repeatedly complained about the state of the Theatre of Dreams, which includes cracks on the ceiling that have led to water leaking through.
    Former winger Sharpe also believes the Red Devils’ Carrington training ground needs a “refurb and a reshuffle”.
    Ratcliffe is expected to invest £237million into the club’s infrastructure after his £1.3billion minority share takeover last month.
    And Sharpe is confident Britain’s richest man can change the club’s fortunes along with Sir Dave Brailsford after they held a “positive” meeting with players and staff at Carrington last week.
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    But the former England international has warned Ratcliffe not to sack Ten Hag despite the Manchester giants’ turbulent campaign, which sees them sitting eighth in the Premier League and out of Europe..
    Sharpe told SunSport on behalf of Fruityslots.com: “I think we’re looking for stability. I think stability, I think support. I think he’s already came in and gave everybody a bit of a pep talk and a bit of a motivational speech.
    “I think everybody’s pleased to have him now. I think they like to see his sort of ambitions and his aims for the club. So it’ll be interesting to see what happens and how much input he actually has, and how much the manager can still retain his input.
    “And how the manager keeps a strong say in transfers on who goes, who comes in and who goes out. So it’ll be interesting to see how the dynamic works.
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    Sharpe is confident Ratcliffe will turn Man Utd’s fortunes aroundCredit: Getty
    Sharpe believes Ratcliffe and Sir Dave Brailsford will change Man Utd’s fortunesCredit: Getty
    “But I think Jim Ratcliffe has already got them on a positive foot. Spoken to the players, spoken to the staff, and already had a bigger response than the Glaziers have had in 15 or 20 years they’ve been in charge.
    “So you know, I don’t think it’s time to sack the manager just yet. Let’s hope that Sir Jim Ratcliffe can give the manager the support he needs and we can turn the results around.
    “I think there’s a lot of things [that need to be done] I think the ground probably needs a rebuild to be fair.
    “If It’s gonna keep up with the likes of the Emirates and the Tottenham Stadium and the things that are going on.
    “Manchester United, you know, classify themselves as the biggest if not one of the biggest clubs in the world and they need the best facilities, the best ground.
    “I think the training ground at Carrington probably needs a refurb and a reshuffle. They probably need a couple of players so it’s a big project. Brailsford has been in cycling, we’re not sure how that translates back to football.
    “But he certainly did a great job with Great Britain cycle team, let’s hope he can do the same with the club.
    “It’s all about relationships now and how they build those relationships and the manager has to have trust in in the people that are coming in above him.
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    “And then it’s about the manager laying down his foundations of how he sees the team playing, what sort of players he’s looking for.
    “And for the people above him to go and get the players that he’s asked for.” More

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    Paul Scholes tells Jesse Lingard to stop ‘f***ing around in gym & play football’ after unemployed ex-Man Utd star’s pic

    PAUL SCHOLES has hit out at Jesse Lingard with an X-rated post on social media as the ex-Manchester United man continues to search for a club.Lingard, 31, has been a free agent since he was released by Nottingham Forest at the end of last season.
    Free agent Jesse Lingard shared pictures of him in the gym on MondayCredit: Instagram / @jesselingard
    Paul Scholes has slammed Lingard for still not having a clubCredit: Alamy
    Towards the end of 2023 he trained with West Ham and Saudi Arabian side Al-Ettifaq, but failed to secure a contract with either of them.
    Everton are being linked with a move for the ex-England international in the January transfer window.
    But for now he remains without a club as he seeks a way back into the game.
    On Monday, Lingard shared a host of photos showcasing his work in the gym.
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    But Man Utd icon Scholes, 49, who won 11 Premier League titles at Old Trafford, was not impressed by the social media post.
    He replied to the photos saying: “Are you just gonna f**k about in the gym or are you gonna actually play football?”
    As well as a potential move to Everton, Lingard has reportedly offered himself to Barcelona.
    In the 2022/23 campaign, Lingard contributed just two goals and two assists in 20 games for Forest.
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    Lingard is being linked with a move to EvertonCredit: Instagram / @jesselingard
    And he did not manage a single goal contribution in the Premier League for Steve Cooper’s men.
    He scored 35 goals and provided 21 assists in 232 matches for boyhood club Man Utd.
    And he also earned 32 caps for England, scoring six goals.
    But Gareth Southgate has not selected Lingard since 2021. More