De Gea could leave Man Utd on loan, Haaland interest wanes after Raiola roadshow, Nuno Mendes targeted
MANCHESTER UNITED are reportedly so keen to get David de Gea off their wage bill that they could let him leave on loan.
And the Red Devils are also said to have become less keen on Erling Haaland following Mino Raiola's visit to Barcelona and Real Madrid.
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Stay up to date with our blog, below, for all the latest from Old Trafford…
- William Pugh
LEAVE US A LOAN
Spanish goalkeepers David De Gea and Kepa could be loaned out by Manchester United and Chelsea, according to reports.
Both stoppers have fallen out of favour at their clubs with Dean Henderson edging his way towards being permanent No 1 ahead of De Gea at Old Trafford.
And Kepa has been well and truly ousted by Edouard Mendy at the Blues.
As a result, ESPN report the pair could be farmed out on loan this summer as both clubs look to free up some wages.
Their report states: "Two goalkeepers — United's David de Gea and Chelsea's Kepa Arrizabalaga — are prime candidates to be loaned out because they've both lost their first-team place, are tied to long contracts and earn big wages.
"Potential buyers for either player are likely to be thin on the ground, but if United and Chelsea can find a team willing to share some of the wage outlay and give two high-profile international keepers some much-needed game-time, everyone benefits."
- William Pugh
LIONEL JESSE
Jesse Lingard said 'practice makes perfect' when asked about his vast improvement since moving from Man Utd to West Ham on loan.
The midfielder scored a 'goal of the season' contender for the Hammers against Wolves last time out and the England star revealed he has been practicing such goals in training.
- William Pugh
GRAVE RAIDERS
Manchester United have reportedly joined the race for Ajax's Ryan Gravenberch – who has been dubbed a 'better Paul Pogba'.
Dutch outlet SoccerNews reports the Red Devils are after the talented 18-year-old following his rapid development.
The report states the Eredivisie giants could receive up to £26million for their prized asset. United face plenty of competition with Prem rivals Chelsea and Liverpool also linked.
Runaway league leaders Manchester City have also been mentioned as well as LaLiga giants Barcelona. Both United and the Blues did business with Ajax last summer which could help them negotiate a deal this time around.
Donny van de Beek arrived at Old Trafford from the club for £40m but has struggled for Premier League minutes under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Chelsea hammered out a deal for playmaker Hakim Ziyech, with the transfer agreement announced in February 2020 before the player arrived ahead of this season.
- William Pugh
DEJA VIEWS
Manchester United are reportedly lining up a move for Juventus star Dejan Kulusevski.
Italian journalist Daniele Longo claims the Red Devils have renewed their interest in the Swede after attempting to sign him from Atalanta. Yet the report adds that United face a battle to sign Kulusevski with Serie A giants Juventus reluctant to sell.
Andrea Pirlo is set to remain in charge next season despite a poor season and wants to continue the club's rebuild around the 20-year-old. SunSport revealed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was keeping tabs on Kulusevski before he completed a £31.5million move to Turin in January 2020.
United sent scouts to watch him in action during his loan stint at Parma before Juve moved to sign him from parent club Atalanta. But Kulusevski has struggled to make an impact in his first season with the Bianconeri, leading to speculation surrounding his future this summer.
He has operated as a second striker and winger this term but has scored just three goals in 26 Serie A appearances.
Juve however remain convinced he is destined to become a superstar and Kulusevski is learning under United legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
- William Pugh
FANNING THE FLAMES
Uefa has revealed that FOUR planned host cities have not been able to give the fan commitments required to host Euro 2020 games.
And the news increases the prospect of more matches being shifted to English soil. As expected, Euro chiefs are set to dump Dublin – due to host a potential England last 16 game – and the other planned Group E venue of Bilbao.
But Rome, due to host the opening game and also Wales’ final Group A game with Italy, and Munich, also failed to meet Uefa’s deadline for guaranteeing fans will be allowed.
Like Dublin and Bilbao, they have until Uefa’s ruling executive committee meets on April 19 “to provide additional information on their plans” but the clock is ticking.
Uefa is aware that England is keen to take on extra games in addition to the seven scheduled for Wembley if needed, with the Dublin matches the most likely to be moved at this stage.
Of the eight venues who have said turnstiles will be opened, Uefa confirmed the FA will allow “a minimum” 25 per cent of Wembley’s capacity – 22,500 fans – to attend the three England group games and the last 16 match in the stadium, with the hope to add numbers for the two semi-finals and Final in July.
- William Pugh
MARK OF RESPECT
British sport will stand in silence for the Duke of Edinburgh tomorrow but all fixtures and events will go on as planned.
Prem clubs joined the League and FA in paying their condolences after Prince Philip’s death was announced at the age of 99. The League said it was 'deeply saddened' by the news.
All Prem players will wear black armbands and there will be a minute’s silence before kick-off of all 10 fixtures this weekend, starting with Fulham’s clash with Wolves last night “as a mark of respect”.
The EFL swiftly followed suit by implementing the same policy across the 72 clubs. And while the Prince Philip’s grandson, the Duke of Cambridge, is FA President, Wembley chiefs said that, after 'seeking guidance from the Royal Household and the Government', it was approving matches.
The FA, which is 'recommending' 60-second silences and black armbands, said: “We can confirm all football fixtures this weekend can continue at the discretion of the competition organisers.
“As a mark of respect, all flags at Wembley Stadium and St. George’s Park will fly at half-mast and the Wembley arch will also be lit.”
- William Pugh
'SHE'S OVER THE MOON'
Jesse Lingard has revealed his mum is loving his stunning performances for West Ham.
The Man Utd loanee has been in scintillating form since his January switch to the East Londoners and he is widely believed to want to make the move permanent in the summer.
And the England star has also revealed his outstanding form has been wonderful for his mum to see.
Lingard has spoken in the past of her struggles with depression and is delighted his mum is now getting the help she needs.
- William Pugh
RASH DECISION
Manchester United have been handed a boost with Marcus Rashford set to be fit to start this weekend's clash against Tottenham.
The England star was on target in the 2-0 Europa League win over Granada but was withdrawn during the game due to a lingering ankle issue. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted pre-match that Rashford was not 100 per cent fit after he was also forced off in the win over Brighton.
But the Norwegian played down any fears that the 23-year-old's injury problems had worsened meaning he is likely to start on Sunday.
He said: "I don’t think you need to be concerned about his fitness, no, of course barring any injury. His fitness is really good, he’s an athletic boy, he's a fit boy, a strong boy. You see tonight when he goes into headers and challenges, he can look after himself.
"At one point of course you hope to get to a postion where he doesn’t have to play every game, every minute and at the moment we have to take him off because his foot's a little bit sore.
"Hopefully that'll improve as the season goes on because I think he was better tonight than he was on Sunday."
- William Pugh
NUDE AWAKENING
When Olmo Garcia revealed himself to the world during Manchester United's Europa League game on Thursday, the people of Granada could be forgiven for having seen it all before.
A famous night for the LaLiga club had only reached the sixth minute when the game was interrupted by a streaker. The man raced across the Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes pitch before taking a tumble and being arrested by police.
But it would not have taken long for the authorities to identify the perpetrator, who has reportedly been arrested 15 TIMES in the last few months alone.
Garcia, 37, is something of a local celebrity in Granada and is often seen baring all on his walks around the city. In the summer of 2016, he was inspired to live life in the buff during a trip across the Americas.
And this way of life culminated in Thursday's demonstration that took some time to prepare.
According to Granada newspaper Ideal, he snuck into the ground at 9am on the day of the game and hid under a tarpaulin for 14 HOURS before emerging once the game had kicked off.
- Dylan Terry
MOURINHO ON SPURS V MAN UTD
Spurs boss Jose Mourinho has reflected upon his side's 6-1 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford earlier this season, insisting it has no bearing on the reverse fixture this weekend.
He said: "I believe that 6-1 doesn't reflect the reality. It can happen. Of course it can happen, between two great, the results they can happen in an isolated way.
"I go much more in the direction of the other two previous matches between us and United.
"We lost 2-1 at Old Trafford, with the penalty, and we draw 1-1 at home last season, also with a penalty. I think this is more the reality. We are not far from each other so I think it is going to be a difficult match for both.
"If Solksjaer is going to use that result I don't know. If it was the opposite. If it was my team losing 6-1 to them I would just say to my guys that it happened once and it's not going to happen twice. This doesn't reflect the reality.
"The game is going to be tight and we can win, but I don't know, maybe Solksjaer has different things."
- Dylan Terry
HAALAND OR KANE?
Among this debate around Harry Kane and a possible move to Manchester United, there is also the question as to whether they would consider moving for Erling Haaland this summer.
Paul Scholes and Owen Hargreaves had that conversation last night…
- Dylan Terry
SOLSKJAER ON KANE
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has spoken about Spurs star Harry Kane as Man Utd prepare to come up against him this weekend.
Kane, 27, is being linked with a move away from north London at the end of the season.
And Solskjaer could not be more complementary about the brilliance he possesses.
He said: "When you're playing against one of the best centre forwards in European football, of course it’s something that we prepare for.
"I think every team when they play Tottenham or England, you know Harry Kane's qualities.
"But we prepare the defenders for every single opponent.
"The season that Son and Kane have had, their relationship is one of Tottenham's strengths and they have other quality players we have to be aware of."
Credit: PA - Dylan Terry
MAN UTD BACK CORONAVIRUS PASSPORT
Manchester United have officially declared their support for the Premier League's decision to write to Boris Johnson in a bid to back vaccine passports to pack out stadiums this summer.
The footy body and other major sports groups including the England and Wales Cricket Board, Wimbledon and the RFU told the PM and other party leaders ‘Covid certificates’ are needed to ditch social distancing in stadiums.
And the Red Devils have now released their own statement on the matter.
Collette Roche, Manchester United Chief Operating Officer, said: “Manchester United fully endorses the open letter signed by a range of sports governing bodies, including the Premier League.
“We support the ongoing work of the Premier League and DCMS to deliver a timetable and a framework for the safe return of our fans.
“We have worked closely with the Premier League as they negotiate the challenges, consult with medical experts and review the different options open to them.”
Credit: Getty – Contributor - Dylan Terry
DEATH OF PRINCE PHILIP
Manchester United's official Twitter account have just sent out their condolences following the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke Of Edinburgh.
- Dylan Terry
READY TO JO
So, earlier today defender Joachim Andersen – on loan at Fulham from Lyon – was linked with a permanent move to Manchester United at the end of the season.
What do we think of that Red Devils fans? Has he impressed you enough in the Premier League so far in the 2020-21 campaign?
Credit: Jamie McPhilimey – The Sun
- Dylan Terry
LEVEL HEADED
Paul Pogba remained level headed this morning despite Man Utd's positive result last night.
Here's what he said:
- Dylan Terry
THE UNITED WAY
Eric Cantona has written and will star in a new documentary about the 'epic' history of Manchester United.
The Old Trafford legend, 54, lends his voice to a new film – taking on the role of narrator – set for release next month.
- Dylan Terry
OLE BACKS FERNANDES
Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has backed Bruno Fernandes after he controversially won his side a penalty against Granada on Thursday.
He said: "To be honest, I haven't seen it, just seen his eye when he came on, he got hit.
"Mick Phelan was sat behind me in the dugout and he said he took one in the face, so it's a clear penalty.
"I've not seen it, I've got to say. His eye is red and to score with just one eye open is also a skill!"
Credit: Getty - Dylan Terry
BEEK ON THE BRINK
Manchester United legend Gary Neville is confused by Donny van de Beek's inability to establish himself at Old Trafford.
Who else agrees?
- Dylan Terry
RASHFORD AND POGBA INJURY UPDATES
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has given an update on the fitness of Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba following their win in Granada.
Speaking to MUTV after the match, he said: “Marcus, as we spoke about, his foot is a bit sore. Paul had a bit of a niggle but we should be okay."
Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd - Dylan Terry
'LUCKY BRUNO'
Paul Scholes feels Bruno Fernandes was 'lucky' to win a penalty for Manchester United in their 2-0 win over Granada last night.
He told BT Sport: "[Fernandes] makes a meal of it I think he's lucky to get the penalty. Lucky to score it as well as the goalkeeper should do better.
"You know when it's given and it goes to VAR [that] they're going to give it because it's not a clear and obvious error and he has touched him, so there's no way they were going to overturn it.
"Fernandes does very well to get the penalty, they'll be very disappointed.
"He was just feeling where his player is and the ball's nowhere near him anyway.
"It was always [Edinson] Cavani going to get the header. Fernandes was very clever and he's fooled the referee and he's fell for it."
- Dylan Terry
MAKING THEIR MARC
Has Marcus Rashford's stunning finish last night put him in pole position for a starting place in Gareth Southgate's England side for Euro 2020.
- Dylan Terry
SPURRED ON
Turning their attention away from Europe, Man Utd now focus on the trip to Tottenham this weekend.
Will they remain scarred from the 6-1 hammering Jose Mourinho's side gave them at Old Trafford earlier this season.
A lot has changed since then…
Credit: Ian Hodgson – Daily Mail - Dylan Terry
NEVILLE NAMES MAN UTD TRANSFER PRIORITIES
Gary Neville has named the three positions Manchester United need to add to in the summer transfer window.
Answering a Q&A on Friday, he simply said: "Centre back, striker and right winger."
Do you agree?
Credit: Getty - Dylan Terry
PAUL-ING FOR HAALAND
Paul Scholes has backed Manchester United to sign Erling Haaland this summer.
Asked about a United bid on BT Sport, the former midfielder explained: "I think they probably would, why not? I think it's about the club who can pay for him. I don't think there's too many of them.
"You think of Real Madrid and Barcelona, all the noises you hear. They probably couldn't pay that type of money. Man City look like they don't want to pay that type of money.
"To be fair, they very rarely play with a No9 anyway. Even with [Sergio] Aguero and Gabriel Jesus, he's hardly played them. So is that the type of player that Guardiola wants? I'm not sure it is.
"It's a player United will be desperate for, Chelsea will be desperate for. They're probably the two clubs who I think could probably afford it this summer."
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