Man Utd news LIVE: Solskjaer will NOT be sacked EXCLUSIVE, Fergie blasts Ronaldo benching, Brozovic transfer interest
MANCHESTER UNITED are NOT thinking of sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, despite his side's topsy-turvy start to the season.
Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham are also interested in signing Kessie, whose contract expires in June 2022.
Meanwhile, legendary former Red Devils boss Alex Ferguson was overheard telling Khabib Nurmagomedov that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should have started Cristiano Ronaldo in the 1-1 draw with Everton.
And United are reportedly keeping tabs on Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic ahead of the January transfer window.
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- Sandra Brobbey
EDIN FOR A ROW
Edinson Cavani is reportedly thought to have been "puzzled and furious" with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following the Red Devils' 1-1 draw with Everton.
SportBible quotes Richard Keys claiming he was informed of the United's forward's alleged strop by his mole at the club.
Cavani started ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo for United in their clash with the Toffees but was substituted during the game.
Speaking on via blog Keys said: “Solskjaer started his best centre-forward, but strangely chose to withdraw him after an hour.
"I’ve no idea why — but more significantly — Cavani was both puzzled and furious.
“My mole working near the dugouts tells me he stormed past Solskjaer when he came off, but quickly changed his mind about ignoring the manager and shook hands."
- Joshua Jones
GOOD MORNING RED DEVILS FANS
Gary Lineker has revealed that Manchester United chief Ed Woodward completed Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer in his back garden.
Lineker explained that the United supremo lives next door to him and came over to his house one day on the phone to Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes.
Shortly after that call, Ronaldo was a United player once more.
Meanwhile, Ronaldo’s United team-mate Edison Cavani claims he doesn’t mind playing second fiddle to the Portuguese star at the club.
Cavani hasn’t had much playing time since Ronaldo’s Old Trafford return but he insists he’s happy at United as it’s just a part of football.
The Uruguayan said: “Sometimes you play more, sometimes you play less, managers make decisions, but that doesn’t stop the work to always be competitive.”
Speaking of Ronaldo, Liverpool legend Didi Hamann reckons the ex-Juventus star is keeping United afloat this season and without him they’re pathetic.
Hamman told Sky Sports: “The one and only reason why Manchester United are still in the title race and doing alright in the Champions League is Cristiano Ronaldo."
Finally, Red Devils legend Peter Schmeichel has blasted critics calling for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to lose his job.
The Dane told fans to have patience with Solskjaer or risk heading back to the days of crisis at the club when Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho were in charge.
He said to ITV Sports: “I think it’s ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.
“Do they want another [Louis] Van Gaal or another [Jose] Mourinho? What do they want?”
- Justin Lawrence
CAV TO KEEP GOING
Edison Cavani says he is committed to the Manchester United cause despite seeing game-time limited after the return of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Uruguay striker has only made four appearances for United this season, with his one start coming in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Everton.
And the start against the Toffees ended after 57 minutes when United's main man Ronaldo came on to replace him at Old Trafford.
Despite being linked with a loan move to Barcelona last month, Cavani says he is happy to stay and fight for his place at the Red Devils.
While on international duty this week, Cavani told El Observador: “In football, you have to always be ready.
"It’s one of the keys at the top level.
"Sometimes you play more, sometimes you play less, managers make decisions, but that doesn’t stop the work to always be competitive."
- Justin Lawrence
HAMMER BLOW
Liverpool legend Didi Hamann has blasted Manchester United's recent performances as pathetic.
United have been so bad that Hamann expects their boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to be sacked sooner rather than later.
The German also claimed that without Cristiano Ronaldo, the Red Devils wouldn't still be in the running to lift the Premier League title.
He told Sky Sports: "The one and only reason why Manchester United are still in the title race and doing alright in the Champions League is Cristiano Ronaldo.
"I don’t know where they would be without him or his goals. It is all patchwork. Old Trafford, that used to be the Theatre of Dreams, now it is more like the Theatre of Nightmares.
"Their performances are pathetic. At the moment, they just don’t play good football."
- Justin Lawrence
KHABIB THRILL
UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov revealed it was a pleasure to spend time with Manchester United stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Pogba before they played Everton.
Khabib explained that it was an honour to be in their presence as they had won countless trophies in their time in football.
He also found it interesting to connect with them as athletes due to his prior involvement in the UFC.
Khabib told MUTV: "Pogba [is] a world champion, Cristiano is a legend, how many times has he won the Champions League [again]?
"It was an honour to talk with them before the match.
"It was very interesting for me [to see] like how they are feeling and what energy they are doing before the match, the night before the match.
"Because I am an athlete too and I have this feeling and it was very interesting to see how football players are feeling."
- Justin Lawrence
PETE IT IN
Peter Schmeichel has blasted critics who are calling for Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to be sacked.
Solskjaer's been under fire for United's recent poor run of form but Schmeichel believes United fans need to be patient with the Norwegian.
Or United will end up in another crisis, similar to what they faced when Louis Van Gaal and Jose Mourinho had stints in charge of the club.
The Dane told ITV Sports: "I think it’s ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.
"Do they want another [Louis] Van Gaal or another [Jose] Mourinho? What do they want?
"That period before him [Solskjaer], a lot of players came in and a lot of coaches left, so everything needs to be rebuilt. I hope people understand that it takes time."
- Justin Lawrence
KLAY COURTS GLORY
Klay Rooney is making a big name tag for himself.
Wayne Rooney's son, eight, streaked away for a solo try in tag rugby – after NOT following in the legendary footsteps of the ex-Manchester United and England footballer.
Proud mum Coleen posted a clip of the magical touchdown with the words "GO KLAY".
It comes just days after 11-year-old Kai Rooney, the eldest of the couple's four sons, netted all four goals as United's Under-12s lost 5-4 to Liverpool.
Klay scooped up a bouncing ball virtually on his own line before slaloming through this way and that to thrust it down at the other end.
And sports fans on Twitter were almost as quick as Klay's scorching run in the way they rushed in to praise him.
One hailed his "great balance great vision" while another said: "He's absolutely rinsed them" – with a laughing-crying emoji.
- Justin Lawrence
PATIO PROMISE
Gary Lineker has revealed that Manchester United chief Ed Woodward completed Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer in his back garden.
Lineker explained that the United supremo lives next door to him and came over to his house one day on the phone to Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes.
Shortly after that call, Ronaldo was a United player once more.
The football pundit even claims to have a snap of Woodward on the phone in his backyard that he might release one day.
Lineker made the revelation on the Match Of The Day Top 10 podcast.
He said: "I'll put my cards on the table – Ed Woodward is a good friend of mine and lives next door.
"He signed Cristiano Ronaldo when he was in my garden!
"When he walked in he was on the phone to Jorge Mendes – I hope I'm not giving too much away!
"I have a fantastic picture of him sat on the phone to him which I might share one day with his permission."
- Jake Lambourne
PORT OF CALL
Georgina Rodriguez has flown 'home, sweet home' for the international break.
The model, 27, jetted back to Lisbon to catch some sunshine as partner Cristiano Ronaldo completes international duty with Portugal.
Georgina has been getting used to Manchester in recent weeks after Cristiano's blockbuster transfer to United from Juventus – with the family even having to move house just a fortnight into their new adventure.
She has attended the 36-year-old's matches at Old Trafford.
And she gushed with pride as their four children started at their new schools in Manchester.
- Jake Lambourne
NOT GUNNAR GO
EXCLUSIVE – Man Utd are fully behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and have NO intention of sacking him.
The Red Devils manager has had a tricky few weeks after a draw at home to Everton at the weekend.
His side also lost against Aston Villa the week before last and struggled at home to Villarreal in the Champions League before winning in the last minute.
But despite growing frustrations among fans and calls for him to be axed, United are backing their boss.
SunSport understands the Old Trafford hierarchy are happy with the direction he is steering the club in.
United see him as a long-term project, and are fully behind what he is trying to create as they fight for the Premier League title.
- Jake Lambourne
RON RAGE
Cristiano Ronaldo got Real Madrid youngster Manu Hernando axed for flooring the Portuguese superstar in a training session, according to reports in Spain.
The Spanish 23-year-old was never called into a first-team training session again after taking out the Bernabeu legend three years ago.
A routine training session was taking place at Valdebebas when the Frenchman split his squad into two teams for small practice games.
All hell broke loose when Ronaldo and Hernando both went to pounce on a loose ball.
According to Marca, the Real academy starlet arrived late and his challenge sent the Portuguese ace crashing to the ground.
Ronaldo reportedly let rip at the youngster but Hernando held his hands up and apologised, so the game continued.
That would be his final session with the first-team and boss Zidane never called on him to participate again.
- Jake Lambourne
A DON DEAL
Everton are favourites to sign Manchester United star Donny van de Beek.
That's according to bookmakers Betfair, who've installed Rafa Benitez's side at 13/8 to secure a deal for the talented Dutch midfielder.
The Toffees previously trailed Inter Milan for his signature, but those odds have been reversed after an interview with Everton's director of football Marcel Brands.
He told Dutch broadcaster NOS's Along the Line: "We had him on our list. At the beginning of the transfer window, we inquired at United, then it was impossible.
"At the end of the window, I received a call from Guido Albers, his agent, that he might be loaned out after all. But at the last minute it was cancelled; stopped again."
Pressed on whether Everton could return in January, Brands added: "You always depend on whether a club wants to cooperate.
"It is early October, so much can still happen with injuries. United are playing on various fronts. It's hard to say now."
- Jake Lambourne
JANUARY SALES
There is less than three months until the transfer window swings wide open again and clubs try and find some New Year deals.
The likes of Luis Suarez, Bruno Fernandes and Pierre-Emerick Aubemayang arrived in the Premier League during previous winter windows.
And there is already plenty of speculation surrounding who will be going where in the first few weeks of 2022.
So SunSport rounds up some of the biggest transfers that could get over the line in January…
Click HERE for more.
- Jake Lambourne
FERGIE CONTINUED
"Part of the restrictions were, in the event of war we had to turn the ground into potato fields.
"And, up at the very end, there had to be an acre or two acres for Canadian geese.
"There were moats and we couldn't change them because voles were living in them.
"We couldn’t do anything really."
- Jake Lambourne
CRISP-IANO RONALDO
Man Utd's training ground will be turned into a POTATO FARM if war breaks out thanks to an incredible legal clause.
Sir Alex Ferguson, 79, told the United Podcast about overseeing the 2000 move from The Cliff training ground to what is now called the Aon Training Complex.
He told the United Podcast: "The Cliff was great when I first came, but then the club grew. We had to put an extension in the indoor place for the boys to dress because we had no space in the actual building.
"So, then I started to wander around Manchester looking for a piece of ground that we could build a new training ground on. We’re hunting everywhere, in North Manchester in particular.
"(Former chief scout and academy director) Les Kershaw came to me and his friend worked for Shell.
"He said ‘Shell are trying to sell some of their ground over at Carrington’… so we went to see.
"The size of the land we were getting, I think it was 28 acres or something, but there were restrictions which I can’t understand today."
- Jake Lambourne
NU TARGET
Man Utd sent scouts to watch Benfica striker Darwin Nunez but he flopped on the latest occasion.
Red Devils' representatives have watched the Uruguayan three times but the pressure is said to have got to him last time out as the Portuguese giants lost 1-0 at home to Portimonense.
Nunez shone in the first two games United reportedly had officials in the house for.
Benfica beat Boavista 3-1 at home on September 20 with Nunez scoring the first and last goals in the game.
And he got another brace in Benfica's brilliant 3-0 win over shambolic Barcelona in the Champions League last Wednesday.
United scouts were present on both occasions, according to Portuguese outlet A Bola, and they sent someone else to watch for a third time on Sunday.
But Benfica's grip on the top spot in Portugal's Primeira Liga got weaker with a 1-0 home defeat to Portimonense thanks to Lucas Possignolo's second-half effort.
- Jake Lambourne
GUNNAR COST YOU
Darren Bent says Manchester United will struggle to win the Premier League if they keep playing Fred and Scott McTominay together in midfield.
Bent told talkSPORT said: “When you look at his team he played… I like Cavani, he still looks super sharp, hungry.
“[Anthony] Martial scored a very good goal, his form has been indifferent. Fernandes we know, and Greenwood, OK.
“Fred and [Scott] McTominay… listen they’re both good players but I don’t think you’re going to win the league with them two playing centre midfield."
He added: “You saw yesterday for yourself how open United were every time Everton counter attacked.
“You look at [Abdoulaye] Doucoure and Allan against them two… absolutely bullied them."
- Jake Lambourne
RON TOP
Mohamed Salah reportedly wants £300,000-A-WEEK to stay at Liverpool – making him one of the Premier League's highest earners.
The Egyptian's existing deal runs out in June 2023 and is thought to be demanding a similar salary to Manchester City ace Raheem Sterling, 26.
Salah, 29, currently earns £200,000-a-week at Anfield, nearly half of what the top earners in the Prem receive from their respective clubs.
Manchester United legend Cristiano Ronaldo, 36, is the top earner in the division on £480,000-a-week.
But there are seven other players receiving more than £300k every seven days and Salah reportedly wants a similar pay packet.
Take a look at the highest earners in the top-flight below.
- Jake Lambourne
KESS CHASE
Man Utd are lining up a free transfer for AC Milan midfielder Franck Kessie to potentially replace Paul Pogba should the Frenchman decide to leave, reports say.
Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham are also interested in signing Kessie, whose contract expires in June 2022.
According to Calciomercato, talks between Milan and Kessie over a new contract are at a stalemate.
And the Ivorian international's situation has alerted Man Utd, who have a contract situation of their own with star man Pogba.
The 28-year-old's contract expires in the summer, but United have set a Christmas deadline on when they want an answer on whether he'll sign a new deal.
Should the midfielder sign a contract extension, he could top an eye-watering £400,000-a-week.
- Jake Lambourne
CARR BLIMEY
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher believes Cristiano Ronaldo has added to Manchester United's problems of being 'a team of individuals'.
He told The Telegraph: "They remain a team of individuals rather than a team. Cristiano Ronaldo has added to that rather than fixed it.
"That’s why, despite a brilliant squad, they are not yet at the level of the other three (Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea).
"Dropping five points in their last two home games highlighted lingering inconsistency."
- Jake Lambourne
MAN UTD NEXT MANAGER ODDS
Man Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under pressure after his team picked up just two wins from their last six games.
Many Red Devils fans are calling for the Norwegian to be sacked… and the bookies are offering odds on some extraordinary names to replace him.
Here, SunSport consider the six most bizarre names on the bookies longlist.
Jurgen Klopp – 100/1
Gary Neville – 100/1
Jose Mourinho – 50/1
Steven Gerrard – 250/1
Arsene Wenger – 50/1
Neil Warnock – 500/1
- Jake Lambourne
GOT IT GALL
Roy Keane is full of praise for Crystal Palace loanee Conor Gallagher – and is backing old foe Patrick Vieira to get the best out of the midfielder.
The ex-Manchester United captain relished his bitter rivalry when Vieira was at Arsenal.
Keane said: "He has certainly got a goal in his locker.
"He is still learning his trade, but he is working with Patrick, an ex-midfielder so that should be a big, big help. He has gone to a very good club in Crystal Palace.
"But he’s also gone into a new club where there has been lots of changes, lots of new players obviously Roy Hodgson leaving.
"So you have to give these players the chance to progress and learn the game."
- Jake Lambourne
CAV SOME OF THAT
Man Utd star Edinson Cavani is a shock transfer target for Barcelona, according to reports.
The Uruguayan striker has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford so far this season.
The 34-year-old is now behind Cristiano Ronaldo, Mason Greenwood and Co in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's plans.
And Barcelona are interested in bringing him to the Nou Camp in January after a tough start to the season.
According to El Nacional, Real Madrid are also keen on the former PSG forward.
- Jake Lambourne
'LOVE FOOTBALL'
UFC icon Khabib Nurmagomedov was at Anfield on Sunday – 24 hours after watching Manchester United host Everton at Old Trafford.
The Russian, 33, described the pulsating 2-2 draw between Liverpool and Manchester City as a 'beautiful game' and was supporting the visitors.
Khabib told an audience in Harrogate on Sunday night: "I go to the stadium to watch and enjoy this beautiful game.
"It was an amazing atmosphere today but the game was even better. I was rooting for Man City. I just love this sport.
"Manchester, Liverpool, I don't care. I just love football, sport. I was watching this game – I don't even blink.
"You guys can support whoever you want."
- Jake Lambourne
MAN ALIVE
Former Manchester United winger Nani has showed off his incredible physique as he enjoys his time playing in the MLS.
The 34-year-old, who spent seven successful seasons at Old Trafford between 2007 and 2014, arrived in the US two years ago with Orlando City.
He has scored 30 goals in 81 games for the American side and remains an integral part of their team.
On Sunday, Nani played 81 minutes for Orlando as they saw off DC United 2-1 at their home ground, the Exploria Stadium.
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