Man Utd transfer news

MANCHESTER UNITED is well known for its talent development and willingness to give youngsters a chance in the senior team. In fact, United boast a proud record of featuring an academy player in every matchday squad for over 85 years.
Academy graduate Marcus Rashford is firing the way the Man Utd this seasonCredit: Getty
Tom Heaton would also feature in an academy only teamCredit: Getty
Since that run began in 1937, the club have seen a plethora of talent come through the ranks, including the Busby babes and the Class of 92.
In keeping with tradition, Erik ten Hag has been utilising members from the academy, with some players taking leading roles in his United revolution.
But how might United’s current academy talent line up if they were asked to play together? And for the sake of parity, we will not be using players currently on loan from the club.
Starting in goal, 36-year-old Tom Heaton would be handed the gloves.
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After initial promotion to the first team at in 2004, Heaton was with Man Utd until 2010 when he left on a free transfer.
He then returned to the club in 2021 with a bank of Prem experience behind him.
The back four will consist of just one senior star, Brandon Williams, who can play either full-back position.
He would likely play alongside right-back Marc Jurado and centre-back duo Rhys Bennett and Tyler Fredricson, with the latter included in United’s B-list for the Europa League.
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Here’s how the United academy XI might look on paper
In midfield, Scott McTominay would anchor alongside 17-year-old Kobbie Mainoo.
Mainoo has featured twice under Ten Hag this season, getting minutes in both cup competitions. Mainoo also signed a new long-term contract with the Red Devils yesterday.
Zidane Iqbal would complete this team’s midfield but up front, some familiar names come to the fore.
Anthony Elanga and Alejandro Garnacho would provide the width in support of talisman Marcus Rashford.
Rashford has netted 20 goals in all competitions this season.
Garnacho came under scrutiny during his most recent performance against Leeds despite a solid display which saw a goal attempt cleared off the line by Maximilian Wober.
But it seems he puts more pressure on himself than anyone else after appearing to like a Tweet suggesting he is not ready to start.
He will have a chance to redeem himself when United face Leeds again at the weekend.
Facundo Pellistri replaced him in the second half of that game and despite featuring in the United academy, is not an academy prospect.
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Despite coming from the academy, Mason Greenwood has been excluded from the eligibility to play with his future at the club uncertain.
United are conducting an internal investigation after charges of attempted rape, controlling and coercive behaviour and assault were dropped. More

JAMIE CARRAGHER has admitted he is worried about Manchester United’s revival under Erik ten Hag.The Red Devils are looking competitive again after years in the wilderness and sit only seven points off top spot in the Premier League.
Jamie Carragher has admitted he is keeping an eye on Man UnitedCredit: Getty
Jadon Sancho capped his return with a goal on WednesdayCredit: AP
It’s been nearly a decade since United last won the title, with fans having to witness rivals Manchester City and Liverpool enjoy great success in the meantime.
But pundit and Liverpool legend Carragher has revealed his fears that United are on their way back.
He told The Overlap: “It does feel different to me under Erik ten Hag.
“I always felt there was a negativity around the previous managers. With Jose Mourinho it felt like there were problems between him and the board.
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“With Louis van Gaal, I’m not sure the fans were ever on board with his style of football. And with Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer], no one ever thought he would be a manager who could win United a title.
“But now it feels like they’ve got a manager who knows what he’s doing. Also, it feels like there’s a spirit at United that we haven’t seen for a while.
‘It feels like that’s coming back. I think there’s something happening at Manchester United that I didn’t see with those other managers. So it’s worry, yeah.”

Things could get even more exciting for fans as news of a takeover gathers pace.
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The unpopular Glazer family put the club up for sale last year and now a group of Qatari investors are believed to be among those jostling for control of the club.
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On the pitch, Wednesday night’s draw against Leeds ended United’s 13-game home-winning run.
But with the club still in contention for four competitions, with a cup final and a two-legged tussle with Barcelona to come this month, United fans will be hoping to end the season on a high. More

MANCHESTER United’s women’s players don’t want Mason Greenwood to return to the club.Players are reportedly set against the idea of the 21-year-old ever running out at Old Trafford again, despite the attempted rape charges against him being dropped.
Manchester United’s women’s players are reported to be set against any return for Mason GreenwoodCredit: AFP
The charges against the striker were dropped earlier this monthCredit: PA
According to reports in The Athletic, “the feeling is strong” amongst the team that Greenwood should be let go.
They cite an audio clip released on social media last January, which was alleged to be a recording of the player forcing himself on a woman.
This has apparently made some players “deeply uncomfortable” with the prospect of him pulling on the red jersey again.
Likewise, furious female United fans have demanded that he be released from his contract.
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This feeling is reportedly even shared amongst his teammates in the men’s dressing room, who are not all in favour of having him back.
The striker is currently suspended by the club, 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.
It comes after a PR expert exclusively revealed that United or, should the young star be sacked, any club looking to sign him could lose “millions” due to fan and sponsor backlash.
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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.”
He concluded that the Manchester ace 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.

Similarly, top sports lawyer and former pro player David Winnie told The Sun Online that Greenwood himself could have lost a similar amount after being dropped by major sponsor Nike.
Manchester United have been contacted for comment.
However, the women’s team are said to be ‘deeply uncomfortable’ with the prospect of the club retaining himCredit: AFP
He is currently suspended by the club, pending an internal investigationCredit: Getty More

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