Man Utd transfer news

FOUR little-known Manchester United youngsters were spotted in first-team training in a huge hint they could feature in Erik ten Hag’s plans.The Red Devils are back in training ahead of Sunday’s visit to Elland Road for a second clash with Leeds this week.
Kobbie Mainoo, Alejandro Garnacho, Noam Emeran, Anthony Elanga and Bjorn Hardley of Manchester United – all have played in the Red Devils’ academyCredit: Getty
Mateo Mejia training with Casemiro behind himCredit: Getty
Sam Murray is also highly rated at Man UtdCredit: Getty
Leeds held Man Utd to a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Wednesday – but Ten Hag’s men won’t be too keen to drop points again.
They’ll have to see off the relegation-threatened Leeds without a number of key players.
Midfield enforcer Casemiro is still serving a three-game suspension after being sent off in the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace.
And first-team midfielders Christian Eriksen, Donny van de Beek and Scott McTominay are all nursing injuries.
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The arrival of Marcel Sabitzer has, however, handed Ten Hag a huge boost in the midfield department.
Nonetheless, Ten Hag decided to hand four little-known Red Devils youngsters the chance to impress in first-team training.
Bjorn Hardley, Mateo Mejia, Noam Emeran and Sam Murray were all snapped training alongside Man Utd first-team regulars.
All of the players involved have impressed for the youth sides so far this term.
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It could also be a hint that Ten Hag could deploy them in the future.
After Sunday’s clash with Leeds, United will travel to the Nou Camp to face Barcelona in their Europa League last 32 tie.
A home game against Leicester follows soon after.
Barca will then return for the second leg before United play Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final on February 26. More

ERIK TEN HAG is considering ditching Wout Weghorst for their return league fixture against Leeds after another underwhelming performance from the on-loan Dutch striker.Weghorst has scored just once in his seven games since Manchester United bought him out of his loan at Besiktas to fill a goals gap for the Red Devils.
Erik ten Hag could ditch Wout WeghorstCredit: Reuters
But he is not filling any gap at the moment, certainly not in the opponents’ area with not even an assist to add to that sole strike away to Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup.
The 30-year-old’s stats from Wednesday night’s 2-2 draw with Leeds on Manchester United’s own website hardly backed the case for him continuing upfront.
He had just one touch in the opposition’s box which is credited with creating a chance.
Of the four “duels” he was involved in he lost out in two and only had four successful passes in the final third, where he was brought in to wreak havoc.
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There could be a reason why Burnley decided their £12million investment in him in January of last year was not money well spent.
The 6ft 6in frontman scored twice in 20 Premier League games as the Clarets went down and was farmed out to Besiktas in the summer.
He scored eight in 16 league games for them, which may say more about the Turkish league than anything else.
There were those two late strikes for Holland after coming on as sub in their World Cup quarter-final with Argentina.
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But since arriving at Old Trafford he has offered little.
There was the goal at Forest when he followed up Antony’s parried shot.
He hit the post with a header in the return leg, and… well that’s about it.
In all competitions for United, Weghorst averages just 1.4 shots and fewer than four touches in the opposition box per game.
For a big man he has won just nine of his 20 aerial duels.
Ten Hag meanwhile has a forward in Marcus Rashford at the very top of his form.
Rashford now has 12 in 14 games since returning from the World Cup to go with the three he got in Qatar. It’s 23 for the season in all for club and country.
The United boss said: “He has unbelievable focus at this moment. He is in such a flow, he brings it to every game on the pitch. If he has that energy, those levels, he will score goals.”
When in-form Rashford is moved into the middle United look far more potent despite his own goalscoring exploits from a position on the left.
Twice in successive games, Weghorst has been subbed in the 59th minute to enable Rashford to move into the middle and both times the England international scored with a header just three minutes later.
Meanwhile, Jadon Sancho is back with his confidence restored following his equaliser on Wednesday.
So, far better to put Rashford in the middle with Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho on either side of him rather than the static Weghorst.
Sancho’s return in his first league action since October certainly pleased his manager and team-mates.
He had been sidelined with what the boss cited as physical and mental issues, and Ten Hag has carefully managed him back.
Stand-in captain Bruno Fernandes said: “Jadon is getting back, he’s getting his minutes, and got his goal.
“It will hopefully be a big boost for him and for us for the rest of the season because we need everyone at their best.”
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Ten Hag’s side has won just one of their last four league games, shipping seven points and face Leeds again at Elland Road on Sunday.
But Fernandes said: “With the character we have in this team, the passion, the desire, the togetherness… we’re not afraid to go anywhere to play against whatever opponent it is.”
Jadon Sancho’s return to form is a timely boost for Man UtdCredit: AP More

A PUBLIC relations expert has said that any club looking to sign Mason Greenwood could face losing millions due to fan backlash.The 21-year-old striker may have to leave current club Manchester United despite allegations of rape and assault against him being dropped.
Any club looking to sign Mason Greenwood could face a significant backlash, according to a PR expertCredit: Getty
The star is currently waiting to hear if he will be sacked by Manchester UnitedCredit: AFP
David Alexander, managing director of Calacus PR, told The Sun Online: “It’s impossible to put a figure on the impact of United choosing to retain Greenwood, if that is what they end up deciding to do.
“But with corporate partnerships being significant, the financial impact could easily run into millions.
“Fans in other countries in Europe can be even more vociferous in their opposition to players signing that they do not approve of.
“Clubs in lesser leagues do not have the broadcasting and sponsorship revenues that Premier League teams enjoy and could ill afford the risk of losing partners who do not want to see their logos emblazoned on a player with such a tarnished reputation.”
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He pointed to a previous case in which Scottish side Raith Rovers saw board members and executive resign and their women’s team split off when they re-signed David Goodwillie last year.
Goodwillie had been ordered to pay damages in a rape case alongside a teammate in 2017.
Mr Alexander added: “In terms of Manchester United as well, what message does it send to fans, to young women in particular or to families if Greenwood is let back into the fold with question marks about his behaviour enduring?
“It will become a constant distraction, whenever his puts on the United jersey.
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“Club sponsorship at the top end of the Premier League is big business and while some partners may not take action, it would send out a message that they do not care about vast swathes of their target audience who rightly believe violence or threatening behaviour towards women should not be tolerated in any form whatsoever.”
He concluded by saying that Greenwood may have to go “beyond Europe” to a country where “women’s rights are not as advanced” to re-launch his career.
It comes as the England international is rumoured to be lining up a major transfer to China, which could see him take a large pay cut due to the Chinese Super League’s salary cap on foreign players.
Meanwhile, a sports law expert said that the young star himself lost “millions” after being dropped by sponsors Nike over the accusations.
Greenwood is currently suspended by Manchester United, pending an internal investigation.
Charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control against the star were dropped earlier this month after several key witnesses withdrew.
Despite the case against him collapsing, sources have said that his clubmates are not all in favour of having him back.
Likewise, furious female United fans have demanded that he never run out at Old Trafford again.
David Alexander said his next club could lose ‘millions’ by signing himCredit: Getty
Charges of attempted rape, assault and coercive control against him were dropped earlier this monthCredit: PA More

BRITAIN’S richest man Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made a MAJOR move in an effort to land Manchester United. The Glazer family who currently own the club announced they had put them up for sale in November after 17 years of ownership.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has stepped up his takeover for Man UtdCredit: PA
The Glazers are set to enter talks to sell the club for £4.5bCredit: Getty
Boyhood United fan and billionaire Ratcliffe was the first to announce his intention to buy the club by formally launching his takeover attempt in January.
A spokesperson for Ratcliffe at the time said: “We have formally put ourselves into the process.”
And now the owner of Ineos and French club Nice has hired a pair of Wall Street giants to help advise him on the takeover.
According to Bloomberg, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs have both been recruited to help Ratcliffe with his bid.
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The unpopular Glazer family want to sell United for £6billion, but such a sum is unlikely to be reached.
Instead, a more realistic range of £4.1bn-£4.5bn is being estimated.

Speculation has been rampant on who the potential new owners could be, with a deadline of February 17 set for bids to be submitted.
Recent reports have suggested a remarkable bid has been launched from a Qatar-based group, with talks already underway for a £4.5bn takeover.
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Ratcliffe first registered his interest in buying an English club last year.
He was rejected in favour of the Todd Boehly led Clearlake consortium in Chelsea’s takeover, while the Glazers swatted away his declared interest in the Red Devils last summer. More

RONALD KOEMAN reckons Cody Gakpo signed for the WRONG club at the WRONG time – and the stats back him up.Gakpo joined Liverpool from PSV for an initial £37million last month after they pipped Manchester United to his signing.
Cody Gakpo has endured a frustrating start as a Liverpool playerCredit: Rex

But the Dutch forward, 23, has failed to score a goal or deliver an assist in his six appearances so far for Klopp’s faltering side.
Of those matches, the Reds have won just ONE.
Before his arrival, Gakpo hit 13 goals in 24 games for PSV with 17 assists, along with three at the World Cup for Holland.
But at Liverpool he is averaging just four touches per game in the opposition box.

Ex-Everton boss Koeman, now back in charge of Holland, said: “You can see that he has ended up in a team that is not doing well. Then it becomes more difficult for him, as a new signing.
“You are tested right away and if you don’t score or you’re not important and you don’t win any matches, it’s very difficult, especially for a young player.

“If that was someone aged 28 with experience, it would be  different.
“Also, the level in England is higher than in the Netherlands but they are also young boys.”
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Koeman’s comments are bound to rile Jurgen Klopp, facing his first crisis in seven and a half years at Anfield.
Klopp was forced to fast-track Gakpo into the side because of injuries to fellow frontmen Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Roberto  Firmino.
Yet the striker could have been working alongside Erik ten Hag, with his fellow countryman reigniting United as a force.
Gakpo is understood to have agreed personal terms months before Klopp ambushed the move.
And PSV boss Ruud van Nistelrooy has since blasted his former star for not waiting until summer for the Red Devils.
But Gakpo explained: “I had another style of playing back in Holland so in terms of putting pressure on and running back, I’m learning about that.
“I’m learning a lot and I’m eager to learn even more, so I’m really enjoying it.
“Everybody has a lot of quality here and we have a really great squad. I want to play with and against the best players as this is only good for my game, to improve as a player.
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Ronald Koeman reckons Gakpo has joined the wrong club at the wrong timeCredit: EPA
“It’s always different when you come into a team that was maybe first and winning every game but it’s now in a little bit of a difficult situation.
“So for me it is to come in and show what I can do. If we were in first I have to do that and now we are in another place, I have to do that also — I just try to show my best side.” More