Man Utd transfer news

MANCHESTER UNITED came from behind to claim a 2-1 win over bitter rivals Manchester City on Saturday.After a solid first-half display, the Red Devils found themselves at a disadvantage when Jack Grealish gave City the lead following a fantastic cross from Kevin De Bruyne.
Rashford scored the winning goalCredit: Getty
Fernandes also got on the scoresheetCredit: Reuters
But, Bruno Fernandes levelled the score with a controversial finish just minutes before Marcus Rashford fired home the winner.
The sensational result sees Man Utd move just one point behind their rivals.
Here’s how SunSport’s Emillia Hawkins rated the performance.
David De Gea – 6
The Spaniard didn’t have too much to do throughout the game thanks to the defensive line in front of him, but when he was called upon he reacted well.
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There wasn’t much he could’ve done to prevent Grealish’s goal in the second half, with De Bruyne picking out the England international with a clever pass.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 7
Wan-Bissaka did well both defensively and when carrying the ball out from the back.
He played a key, yet understated role in United’s back four. 
Raphael Varane – 7
The Frenchman did an exceptional job to keep Man City target man Erling Haaland quiet throughout.
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Luke Shaw – 7
For a natural left-back, Shaw certainly did not look out of place alongside Varane in the middle of United’s defence.
The England international put on a solid performance to stop City’s flow going forward.
Tyrell Malacia – 7
Malacia put on a strong defensive display, limiting the creativity of Riyad Mahrez on the wing.
Casemiro – 8
United’s £70million summer signing certainly justified his price tag with another solid performance in midfield.
Alongside fellow Brazilian Fred, Casemiro was able to shut De Bruyne and Rodri out of the game which limited City’s creativity.
Fred – 8
A stand-out performance from the Brazilian. He did an excellent job to keep De Bruyne quiet throughout the first half while also providing an attacking threat going forward.
But, City began to take control of the game in the early stages of the second half, making it much harder for Fred to keep the Belgian at bay.
Christian Eriksen – 6
Eriksen was able to unlock the Man City defence with a few outstanding passes during the first half, but he struggled to make as much of an impact after the break and was substituted with 20 minutes to go.
Bruno Fernandes – 7
Far from his best performance, Fernandes struggled to offer much of an attacking threat on the right wing.
He was also lucky to escape a booking for a number of rash challenges.
Nevertheless, he was the man to level the score, albeit in controversial fashion, late in the game.
Anthony Martial – 6
We didn’t see too much of the Frenchman as he was bizarrely hauled off at half time, but he did pose a threat to City’s defence when he was on the pitch.
The Red Devils appeared to lose their spark when Martial made way for Antony at the break.
Marcus Rashford – 8
Rashford struggled to make the most of his chances throughout the first half and his game was almost cut dramatically short when he went to ground with a suspected hip injury in the 40th minute.
But, he came out for the second half all guns blazing and secured all three points for his team with a composed finish in the final 10 minutes.
Substitutes
Antony (For Martial, 54) – 6
He didn’t offer too much up front after replacing Martial at the break.
Alejandro Garnacho (For Eriksen, 71) – 7
The young star looked to cause problems as soon as he was introduced in the second half.
He posed a threat to City’s defence while on the ball going forward and claimed the assist for Rashford’s winner.
Harry Maguire (For Rashford, 90+2)
No time to make an impact after being introduced.
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Scott McTominay (For Casemiro, 90+2)
No time to make an impact after being introduced.
Lisandro Martinez (For Malacia, 90+3)
No time to make an impact after being introduced. More

MANCHESTER UNITED fans likened midfielder Fred to Ander Herrera after his man-marking of Kevin de Bruyne. The Brazilian had the job of staying touch tight to City playmaker De Bruyne in the Manchester derby at Old Trafford.
Kevin De Bruyne runs with the ball past FredCredit: Getty
And it reminded supporters of the time Herrera completely marked Chelsea’s Eden Hazard out of the game in United’s 2-0 win in 2017.
United fans posted a video of Herrera following Hazard around the pitch in a carbon copy of Fred and De Bruyne.
One said: “Fred with De Bruyne in the Manchester Derby today.”
Another said: “Fred man marking De Bruyne is reminding me of this. If you know you know.”
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One joked: “Fred is gonna follow De Bruyne into the City dressing room at half time.”
Another added: “Fred man marking De Bruyne reminds me of Ander Herrera man marking Hazard in that game.”
Fred was recalled into the United side, shifting Bruno Fernandes out wide.
Manager Erik ten Hag said: “You have to respect opponent but also play your own game.
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“But you can’t ignore it, every opponent you have to face and take account of their capabilities.”
City midfielder Rodri has been a man in form of late and a player Ten Hag has a plan to specifically deal with.
He said: “Definitely. He is the key player in building up and organising the team.”
Manchester United’s head coach Erik ten HagCredit: AP More

MANCHESTER UNITED have turned to Burnley flop Wout Weghorst in a bid for goals.The Dutch World Cup ace has joined on loan from Burnley until the end of the season after United forked out £2.5million to cut short his Besiktas spell.
Man Utd have signed Wout Weghorst on loanCredit: Getty
And this is far from the first time a United signing has raised eyebrows, particularly in a January window.
Here are ten of the strangest signings the club have ever made.
Odion Ighalo
Odion Ighalo fulfilled his boyhood dream by playing for Man UtdCredit: Getty
Ighalo arrived in 2020 with a record of having scored 16 goals in a Premier League season, though that was at Watford four years earlier.
After a dreadful run in front of goal at the end of 2017 he left the Hornets and headed to China.
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With Ole Gunnar Solskjaer desperate for goals up front, the club turned to Ighalo, who would fulfil his dream of being the first Nigerian ever to play for Man Utd.
He failed to score in the Premier League but chipped in with crucial goals in the FA Cup and the Europa League, leading to his six-month loan from Shanghai Shenhua being extended for a further year.
Ighalo departed for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal in 2021 after falling out of favour.
Bebe
The signing of Bebe was investigated by the Portuguese police for corruptionCredit: Getty
The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani show Man Utd have a knack for noticing a quality Portuguese youngster.
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However, when Bebe rocked up in 2010 from Victoria Guimaraes for a bumper £7.4m fee, eyebrows were raised.
One reason for this was that Fergie only met the player, who was 20 at the time, a day before completing the transfer.
In 2012, the Portuguese police even investigated the deal for corruption.
After three loans, he joined Benfica permanently in 2014 where he made just one appearance.
However, he is now enjoying a fruitful La Liga career in Madrid at Rayo Vallecano.
Michael Owen
Michael Owen secured Old Trafford immortality with a last minute winner over Man CityCredit: Getty
When Cristiano Ronaldo left Man Utd, former Liverpool legend Michael Owen was hardly the favourite to succeed him in the famous number seven shirt.
Nor was the injury-hit England legend particularly in demand at the time, after being relegated to the Championship with Newcastle.
Owen admitted it was “out of the blue” when Fergie gave him a call, offering a pay-as-you-play deal.
The striker would stay at Old Trafford as a fringe player for three years. But despite him not scoring every week, the goals he did score tended to be important.
He netted a hat-trick away to Wolfsburg in the Champions League group stage and helped United to the League Cup with a Wembley goal against Aston Villa.
But, most importantly, he secured Old Trafford immortality with a last minute winner over Man City in a 4-3 win in the 2009 Manchester derby.
Dong Fangzhuo
Dong Fangzhuo only ever started one gameCredit: Getty
In 2004, Man Utd made the surprising signing of Dong Fangzhuo from Dalian Shide.
The striker, who is the only Chinese player ever to play for the Red Devils, was then immediately farmed out to feeder club Royal Antwerp.
And his record of 34 goals in 71 games over two seasons suggested he could ultimately end up being more than just a marketing gimmick for United.
In January 2007, Dong was given a Man Utd squad number for the first time.
However, he failed to enter Fergie’s thinking and had his contract terminated in 2008, having made just one start and two sub appearances.
Henrik Larsson
Henrik Larsson stayed at United for just ten weeks because of a promise to his hometown clubCredit: Getty
Like Michael Owen, Henrik Larsson arrived with a record of having previously been one of the world’s top strikers.
And despite being 35 years old, Larsson still had significant pedigree, having won the Champions League with Barcelona the previous season.
However, the Larsson deal raised eyebrows because of the sheer brevity of it.
The striker was lauded for his professionalism by Fergie after scoring one goal in seven Premier League outings during a ten-week loan.
But despite United begging him to stay, Larsson decided to return to Sweden in mid-March so as not to break a promise to start the local season with hometown club Helsingborgs.
Manucho
Manucho was a surprise signing from the Angolan leagueCredit: Getty
Man Utd’s scouting system appeared to have truly gone global when they snapped up Angolan league star Manucho in January 2008.
At the age of 24, he had a healthy record of 34 goals in 78 games with Petro Atletico, but had never played outside his homeland.
Immediately after he signed, United would be forced to loan him out to Panathinaikos in order to help the player get a work permit.

After securing his work permit in summer 2008, he made one Premier League appearance before being sent out on loan to Hull.
He then left permanently for Real Valladolid in July 2009.
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic
Vanja Milinkovic-Savic with Sir Alex Ferguson in 2014Credit: https://twitter.com/SFUnion_/status/545560893099347968/photo/1
Not a transfer window goes by in which Man Utd aren’t linked with Milinkovic-Savic.
Few fans remember though, that the club actually managed to snap up the Serbian international in 2014.
However, it was not Lazio midfielder Sergej who joined, but his brother – goalkeeper Vanja.
After signing from Vojvodina for £1.55m, Milinkovic-Savic was loaned back to the Serbian club before being released in 2015 after failing to secure a work permit.
But after a spell in Poland, he would go on to make a successful career in Italy with Torino.
And in World Cup 2022, his performances between the sticks were one of few positives for Serbia, who bowed out at the group stage without a win.
Andy Kellett
Andy Kellett joined in a loan swap deal from BoltonCredit: Getty
A name few Man Utd fans will recognise is midfielder Andy Kellett.
Out of favour with Championship side Bolton, Kellett joined Man Utd on loan for half a season in 2014-15 with Saidy Janko moving on loan the other way.
Wanderers boss Neil Lennon said Kellett “thought he was winding him up” when he mentioned Man Utd’s interest.
Kellett would only appear for the reserve team during his short stay at United and even suffered the ignominy of losing to parent club Bolton in the Manchester Senior Cup.
Now 29, he plays his football at non-league Guiseley.
Lee Grant
Lee Grant is far more memorable for his exploits at Derby and Burnley than Old TraffordCredit: Getty
Ex-Derby and Burnley player had spent two years as backup Stoke City goalkeeper before being released in 2018.
He was then snapped up by United as very much the third choice goalkeeper behind David de Gea and Sergio Romero.
Grant’s debut would come at home to former club Derby in the League Cup after Romero was sent off.
But it didn’t go to plan as United were knocked out via a shootout with Grant failing to get near any of the Rams’ penalties.
Grant would make his first start a year later in a 2-1 Europa League defeat at Astana in Kazakhstan, before retiring and becoming Ipswich goalkeeping coach.
Peter Beardsley
Newcastle legend Peter Beardsley played for Man Utd firstCredit: Getty
Newcastle legend and Liverpool title winner Peter Beardsley would not be the first name that would come to anybody’s mind from Man Utd’s alumni.
But he actually played for the Red Devils before ever appearing in the Magpies jersey that he would make his own.
In 1982, he joined Man Utd from Vancouver Whitecaps after making a splash in the North American Super League.
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The future England star would make just one appearance, in a League Cup tie with Bournemouth, before heading back to Canada.
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BRUNO FERNANDES has admitted for the first time that he needed convincing to stay at Manchester United.The Portuguese midfielder, 28, signed a new deal in April which keeps him at Old Trafford until 2026.
Midfield mainstay Bruno Fernandes says he asked Man Utd to tell him where they were going before he agreed his new deal up to 2026Credit: Rex
Old Trafford directors John Murtough, left, and Darren Fletcher met with bruno Fernandes to persuade him the club matched his ambitionCredit: Getty
But the  club struggled to tie down their star player as their season crumbled in the wake of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s sacking and Ralf Rangnick’s period as interim manager.
Fernandes feared they were going to become permanent also-rans before a chat with football directors John Murtough and Darren Fletcher convinced him that would change.
Fernandes said: “I had a conversation last year with the club when everyone knew that Ralf was not the coach for the future.
“I spoke to the club and I said I want to be a solution for the club, I want to be helpful for the club, but I also want to know where we are going.
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“Is there a plan, is there a future?
“This was before I signed my new contract because I said to the club, obviously money is important, no one can hide that.
“It’s always important to earn more and more and more in football or life, whatever job you do, you always want to have the best for yourself.
“But at that time, for me I said I’m on good money, I don’t want a new contract without knowing that we have a good future in the club.
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“I want to know where we are going, I don’t need to know who the manager is, but I want to know just as a club, do you think we have a future?
“Do you have a plan for the future? What are your thoughts on where we can go? What does the club want? Does the club want to achieve trophies or does the club want to build something to go to the Champions League?
“Because for me, that’s not enough and the club demands more, the history of this club, the quality of the players we have, it demands more than just being here and fighting for fourth place. It demands trophies, it demands at least fighting for trophies.”
So Fernandes sat with the Dircector of Football Murtough and former player and now Technical Director Darren Fletcher and had it out.
Fernandes said: They’re the people we have closer for the players to talk to. So that was the conversation I had with them, to understand that the aim for the club is still the same they said to me when I signed in 2020.
“And the club has said they have a plan, this is what they want, we agree with you that the level of the club has to be better than it has been in the past, we can achieve much more, we can do much more and that’s why I have never had my head out of here but just making sure the club is still in the same direction that it was when I signed.”
Fernandes, who joined United in January 2020, signed a new deal last March for four years with the option of a further year on the club’s part.
This lunchtime he leads United out as captain in the derby against Manchester City at Old Trafford with the club on the back of an eight game winning run. More