MANCHESTER UNITED TRANSFER NEWS, LIVE! LATEST REPORTS, RUMORS, UPDATES

Manchester United transfer news is always intriguing, and it’ll be doubly so this summer as manager Erik ten Hag prepares for his second season at Old Trafford.

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The Red Devils have Champions League football to offer once again after finishing 3rd in the Premier League this season, now they must start to chip away at the 14-point gap between themselves and three-time defending champions (and noisy neighbors) Manchester City.

Last summer, Man United brought in Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Casemiro, and Christian Eriksen and bolstered their squad further in January with loanees Marcel Sabitzer and Wout Weghorst.

So what’s next?

[ TRANSFER NEWS: Liverpool | Chelsea | Tottenham | Man City | Arsenal ]

Below we round up the latest done deals, reports, and rumors and give our analysis on Manchester United transfer news as Joe Prince-Wright (JPW), Nicholas Mendola (NM) and Andy Edwards (AE) will guide you through a hectic month.

Manchester United expiring contracts, June 30

• David de Gea (38 PL appearances)
• Marcel Sabitzer (end of loan – 11 appearances)
• Wout Weghorst (end of loan – 17 appearances)
• Phil Jones (0 appearances)
• Jack Butland (end of loan – 0 PL appearances)
• Tom Heaton (0 PL appearances)

Manchester United transfer needs, summer 2023

• Striker – A goal-scoring, line-leading star man to permanently move Marcus Rashford to the left wing/underneath.
• Midfielder(s) – A more attacking box-to-box player than Fred/Donny van de Beek; an upgrade of Casemiro’s backup/someone who can play alongside him (currently Scott McTominay).
• Goalkeeper(s) – Maybe as many as three, if David de Gea doesn’t sign a new contract.

Tottenham’s 6-1 loss to Newcastle at the weekend put a serious crimp in the club’s top-four plans and Manchester United may seem the time as right to strike in its striker search.

United’s been linked with Harry Kane for a while and Kane has to be questioning is future with Cristian Stellini the latest Tottenham coach to be fired by Daniel Levy, and that move coming amid reports that former boss Mauricio Pochettino is the front-runner for the Chelsea job.

(command-c, command-v) Kane, 29, is heading into the final year of his Tottenham contract and is being mentioned as a target for Bayern Munich and others. United would make sense here, too, as a new center forward is top of their list. (NM)

Fabrizio Romano says Man United will face competition from Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea when it comes to the France U-21 star’s signature. (NM)

Surprising moves between Munich and Manchester may not be limited to Joao Cancelo’s move abroad.

Marcel Sabitzer could end his frustrating spell at Bayern Munich by heading to Manchester United, as the Austrian is reportedly unhappy with his usage at Bayern.

The move makes a ton of sense now that Christian Eriksen is out until at least April with injury, and Sabitzer would likely be freed up to make more adventurous passes. He’s been in a more defensive role at Bayern.

A hard-tackling midfielder who likes to both advance the ball and receive the ball in advanced spots, Sabitzer could be another masterstroke from Erik ten Hag. (NM)

January 7 – Man United negotiating loan move for Wout Weghorst

Earlier this week, Erik ten Hag made Manchester United’s January intentions very clear: “We are looking for a striker,” he said. According to multiple reports, the Red Devils are in talks with Burnley over Dutch forward Wout Weghorst, who is currently on loan to Besiktas. To facilitate a move to Old Trafford — temporary or otherwise — Burnley would have to recall Weghorst from his loan spell in Turkey. (AE)

Manchester United archived transfer news, rumors

August 31 – Ronaldo expected to stay at Man United; Antony, Dubravka to be last signings

Erik ten Hag has said he expects Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Manchester United as the transfer deadline ticks down, while the Dutch coach also confirmed that winger Antony and goalkeeper Martin Dubravka will be United’s final pieces of business in the summer window.

Ronaldo, 37, has been linked with a move away all summer as it is believed he wanted to move on and play for a team in the Champions League. However, no deals have been lined up for him and Erik ten Hag and United have always stated that they want Ronaldo to stay. It seems like they may win this battle as the only real options left are Sporting Lisbon and Napoli on loan, and even those two deals seem very tough to get done with just over 24 hours to go in the summer window.

“It’s clear, of course. We need quality players,” Erik ten Hag said when asked about Ronaldo staying at United. “You need more to cover all the games to keep the consistency going, that’s what we strive for.”

If he doesn’t leave, let’s see how Ronaldo reacts to being a bit-part played at United over the next few months… (JPW)

August 29 – Antony flying to Manchester for medical ahead of $100 million move

Brazilian winger Antony, 22, will be on his way to Manchester shortly for his medical, according to Fabrizio Romano. After United and Ajax finally agreed a fee of $100 million (after a little push from Antony as he expressed his desire to leave the Amsterdam club), Antony is now ready to head to Manchester to complete the formalities of this huge deal. Do United need a winger? Probably not. But Antony’s arrival would add another attacking player who is able to play across the front line and United’s forward unit would become even more flexible. (JPW)

August 19 – Man United confirm agreement with Casemiro, Real Madrid

Man United announced on Friday that an agreement has been reached with Casemiro and Real Madrid, with the 30-year-old Brazilian defensive midfielder set to move to Old Trafford upon completion of his medical exams. Casemiro recently held talks with the Real Madrid hierarchy and indicated that he “wants a new challenge” at this point in his career. According to reports, Casemiro’s contract will pay him just short of $450,000 per week ($23.4 million annually), marking significant investment in a vitally important position as Erik ten Hag tries to right a wayward ship. The transfer fee is reportedly $70.9 million with another $11.8 million possible in add-ons. (AE)

August 19 – Manchester United “making progress” on USMNT right back Sergino Dest

Sergiño Dest is not wanted by current Barcelona manager Xavi — not to mention, the club needs to rid itself of unwanted wages in the worst way — making the 21-year-old USMNT right back extremely available. The only problem, at least thus far, is that Dest doesn’t necessarily want to leave Catalonia. Now, according to a report from the Independent‘s Miguel Delaney, Manchester United and new manager Erik ten Hag are “making progress” on a deal to bring Dest to Old Trafford. Dest played two seasons under Ten Hag at Ajax, from 2019-2021. (AE)

August 18 – Pulisic loan deal in doubt

The reports that Christian Pulisic is a loan target for Manchester United are swirling but both the BBC and Sky Sports believe a loan move for the USMNT star to United is very unlikely. Why? Well, Chelsea don’t want to strengthen a potential top four rival by letting the 23-year-old join them. Per the latest reports, Chelsea would prefer to sell Pulisic on a permanent deal or they may want him to extend his contract with them first before loaning him so his market value remains high. It seems unlikely that United, or any other club, will pay what Chelsea want for Pulisic as the American winger has just under two years left on his contract and the Blues are said to want to recoup most of the $70 million they paid for him in 2019. (JPW)

August 18 – Casemiro now the main target for United

According to a report from The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Manchester United’s main transfer target is now Casemiro from Real Madrid. The 30-year-old Brazilian midfielder has been a star at Real over the last nine years, winning five UEFA Champions League titles and his status as a Real legend is undoubted as he’s meshed so well with Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. Per the report, United have offered Casemiro huge wages and see him as being key to Erik ten Hag’s rebuild as he would give the team defensive stability in midfield. The midfielder is also said to be keen on a move (he’s been offered a five-year contract which will reportedly almost double his wages) and he has just under three years left on his current contract at Real Madrid. It is believed Casemiro would cost in the region of $70 million.

Would Casemiro be a good fit? Of course he would. He would break up play, get attacks going and general dominate the engine room. However, he is just one of a few key players United need to sign between now and the end of the summer window. Erik ten Hag needs a deep-lying playmaker (ahem, Frenkie de Jong…) to sit alongside Casemiro as that means all of the tackles he wins will then be used effectively to start attacks. Perhaps Christian Eriksen alongside Casemiro would work? (JPW)

August 17 – Cristiano Ronaldo sends cryptic message ahead of expected exit

Cristiano Ronaldo is apparently keeping a notebook with all of his transfer rumors, as the egomaniac Portuguese megastar is reportedly moving closer to get his desired Manchester United exit, with the club reportedly now ready to sell him.

Ronaldo says that the media has been “telling lies” about him and his potential moves while promising that he will give an interview in two weeks’ time to give all the details of his summer. Does this mean he’s planning to stay, or just that he knows any Ronaldo transfer is going to take to the end of the transfer window?

Our own Joe-Prince Wright has more on the story, here.

We couldn’t wait two weeks, so we went in a time machine and found it: “I will always love Manchester United and am sad to leave/excited to stay. Something about Sir Alex. GGMU.” (NM)

August 17 – Christian Pulisic open to Man United loan move

Manchester United has reportedly joined the list of clubs interested in taking USMNT winger Christian Pulisic on loan from Chelsea, and the player is said to be into the move.

Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Newcastle United, and AC Milan have also been linked with Pulisic, who wants to stay at Chelsea but is anxious to leave Stamford Bridge in pursuit of playing time before the World Cup.

United could pair Pulisic and Jadon Sancho on either side of a center forward, whether Anthony Martial, Cristiano Ronaldo, or even Marcus Rashford. A new face has been expected to join United at CF for some time, too.

What does it say about the status of Manchester United that Chelsea would be open to the move? And to a lesser extent, what does it say about Thomas Tuchel’s view of Pulisic? (NM)

August 14 – USMNT back Sergino Dest linked with Old Trafford

Barcelona boss Xavi Hernandez needs players to leave in order to give him the freedom to register new players before the end of the window but Sergino Dest has so far shown desire to fight for his place.

And so Dest’s omission from the 18 for Barcelona’s 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano on Saturday is reportedly intended to show the USMNT back his status in the pecking order, and now Man United is said to feel encouraged at their chances of wooing the player to Old Trafford.

Dest will surely want to play and Saturday could well serve as the intended wake-up call. Gregg Berhalter will be encouraging Dest to go somewhere he can play and United would provide that hope with reports of Diogo Dalot going the other way. With a pal in Frenkie de Jong continually linked with United, maybe having a teammate join them in the move could sway both to Manchester?

Would it be good for Dest? Who knows? United is a mess right now but the player would be familiar with so many pieces at United including fellow ex-Ajax men Lisandro Martinez and Erik ten Hag. (NM)

August 9 – Arnautovic deal is off

According to a report from The Athletic, a deal for Marko Arnautovic is off after uproar among United’s fanbase. Per the report, United’s hierarchy didn’t expect such a negative reaction and Bologna also began to increase their asking price for the Austrian striker. Let’s see who United move for next when it comes to forward options? (JPW)

July 29 – Ronaldo to play for Manchester United in preseason friendly this weekend

Cristiano Ronaldo may want to leave Man United this summer, but with a clear path away from Old Trafford yet to materialize, the 37-year-old is set to join his Red Devil teammates in a preseason friendly this weekend. Ronaldo made the announcement himself on Friday, via Instagram, commented “Domingo o rei joga” — “Sunday, the king plays.” It was reported earlier on Friday that the Portuguese superstar had been left out of Erik ten Hag’s squad for a friendly against Atletico Madrid on Saturday (in Oslo, Norway), but Ronaldo has indicated his return is slated for a friendly against Rayo Vallecano on Sunday (at Old Trafford). (AE)

July 29 – Ronaldo’s agent in talks with former club Sporting Lisbon

We now that Cristiano Ronaldo wants out of Manchester United and his first-ever club, Sporting Lisbon, could be the solution. According to a report from The Athletic, Ronaldo’s agent, Jorge Mendes, is in talks with the Sporting hierarchy over a potential deal. Ronaldo, 37, came up through the youth team at Sporting and left them for Manchester United when he was 18. Sporting finished second in the Portuguese top-flight last season, so are in the Champions League group stage and Ronaldo is adamant he wants to move to a club playing in the Champions League. So, in theory, this seems like a good fit. But financially there’s no way Sporting Lisbon could afford this move and Ronaldo will have to lower his wage demands massively.

With Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Bayern Munich and Chelsea all passing up on signing Ronaldo, the legendary forward has basically run out of other options to leave Manchester United this summer. There has been talk that United want Ronaldo to sign his option of an extra year on his contract (which will take him up to the summer of 2024) and he will then be loaned out to Sporting Lisbon for the 2022-23 season. That scenario still seems very unlikely but what other choice does Ronaldo have right now? He’s used to getting his own way when it comes to negotiations because, well, he’s Ronaldo. But Ronaldo and his representatives have badly miscalculated this one and Manchester United are holding firm as Erik ten Hag wants him in his plans for the 2022-23 campaign. (JPW)

July 28 – Cristiano Ronaldo still wants out after talks

Manchester United could not sell Cristiano Ronaldo on its project after crisis talks with the reportedly wantaway star, according to Sky Sports.

Ronaldo, 37, still wants to leave Old Trafford after flying into Manchester to meet with club hierarchy, but is now training with the team.

The reporting says Ronaldo wants to exit in order to join a UEFA Champions League club, and to be fair this is totally on-brand and what United should’ve expected when signing the Portuguese.

But that’s not changing United’s stance on Ronaldo, as they do not want to sell him. And the story around soccer is that there may not be a club that both wants Ronaldo and can afford his wages. Sky Sports says to not completely rule out Atletico Madrid, but there’s a massive portion of the supporter base that doesn’t want the club’s longtime massive rival. Wouldn’t it be hilarious to see Ronaldo and Diego Simeone respecting each other? Seems like a recipe for success, doesn’t it?

Ronaldo wants to play in the Champions League and compete for major trophies. So does every other player in the world. It looks, for the moment, that he’s going to have to come to terms with the fact that he’s not bigger than the club, and you have to think that United would be thrilled find a buyer for him regardless of its public stance. If there’s a player in the world capable of short-circuiting Erik ten Hag’s project, he’s the one oft-mentioned in this article. (NM)

July 27 – Done deal: Lisandro Martinez deal complete

Now, we knew this deal was all but confirmed but now it is officially official: Lisandro Martinez is a Manchester United player. The Argentine international, 24, has joined United for a fee of $68.7 million and has signed a five-year contract with the option of an extra year. Martinez starred for Ajax last season as he was their player of the season under Erik ten Hag, and he now links up with his former manager to help usher in a new era at Old Trafford.

Martinez is exactly the kind of player United needed, as he will bring a calmness, authority and class to their defense. Able to play as a center back or at left back, Martinez will slot straight into this team and it will be intriguing to see if Harry Maguire loses his place or if Martinez initially plays at left back or ETH switches United to three at the back. Wherever Martinez plays, he brings quality to United and along with the signings of Christian Eriksen and Tyrell Malacia, there is a clear identity to the new players the Red Devils are signing. (JPW)

July 27 – Ronaldo running out of options

In the last few hours both Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid have talked down the idea of signing Cristiano Ronaldo. Basically, they’ve both said it isn’t going to happen. Bayern Munich director Oliver Kahn had the following to say about reports linking the German champs to Ronaldo: “We discussed about Cristiano Ronaldo internally – I consider him one of greatest footballers ever. Then we came to conclusion that, despite appreciation for Cristiano, he would not fit into our philosophy in the current situation.”

That came hours after Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo said this about reports linking Real Madrid legend Ronaldo with an audacious move to his former crosstown rivals: “I’ve already said this several times, I don’t know who invented the Cristiano story but I’ll tell you that it’s practically impossible that he comes to Atletico de Madrid. Rumors are rumors and they have to stay as rumors. If you keep on fuelling the rumors then eventually it will look like it’s something real, which it’s not.”

Ronaldo, 37, is back in Manchester at United’s Carrington training ground and is reportedly still set on leaving United this summer. But where on earth will he go? If his dream is to remain in the UEFA Champions League, there are very few options for him to join a team in the UCL which will be able to compete to win it. PSG seems like a no-go. Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Juventus and Bayern Munich all seem like no-go’s too. Of the 26 teams who have qualified for the Champions League group stage this season, perhaps his best option is a return to Portugal to play for Sporting Lisbon? They will do well to get out of the group stage, though, so would that be worth it for Ronaldo? United seem to be set on keeping Ronaldo for this season but if he doesn’t want to be there, is that a big mistake? We will find out much more in the coming days and it will be intriguing to see if Ronaldo is in the United squad for their opener against Brighton in 9 days’ time. (JPW)

July 26 – Ronaldo arrives at United’s training ground for talks

Blink and you’ll miss him, but the video below shows Cristiano Ronaldo arriving at Manchester United’s training ground for the first time this summer. With just over a week to go until the new season kicks off, Erik ten Hag will sit down with Ronaldo to discuss his plans and try to convince him to stay at United. Jorge Mendes, Ronaldo’s agent, was shown alongside him in the car and it was reported that Sir Alex Ferguson also arrived at the Carrington training base but our partners in the UK at Sky Sports say he was not involved in talks. Ronaldo, 37, is running out of options for a move away this summer as Bayern Munich and Chelsea both opted out of moving for the Portuguese superstar. Ronaldo reportedly wants to leave United in order to play in the UEFA Champions League. With Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho excelling as a front three in preseason for United, it may be tough for Ronaldo to actually get into this new-look United side early in the season. But, after all, he is Cristiano Ronaldo and if ETH convinces him to be a part of his plans, then surely he will play a big part in the 2022-23 campaign. (JPW)

July 25 – Ronaldo traveling back to Manchester, will hold talks with United

One way or the other, the Cristiano Ronaldo want-away transfer saga must be resolved at some point, and that point in time could come much sooner rather than later. According to a report from David Ornstein, Ronaldo is traveling back to England and expected to meet with Man United executives as well as, eventually, new manager Erik ten Hag. The key line, from Ornstein’s report: (AE)

Sources around the matter suggest it is increasingly likely that Ronaldo remains at United, but there is still a lack of clarity about the situation.

July 19 – Cristiano Ronaldo saga rumbles on as Atletico Madrid linked

Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, is running out of places to move to this summer as Chelsea and Bayern Munich are out, while PSG seems very unlikely. According to a report from AS in Spain, a return to the Spanish capital could be on the cards but no, not to Real Madrid. Per the report, Ronaldo and his representatives have been contacted by Atletico Madrid and Diego Simeone really wants to sign him. As a Real Madrid legend, how would fans of Atleti take this one? If it helps them challenge for trophies in Spain and Europe then they would probably accept it. Could Ronaldo have a similar impact to Luis Suarez turning up in 2020 to help them win the Spanish title? Potentially. Still, it’s tough to see Ronaldo lining up in the red and white stripes of the team he tormented so often during his nine-year stay at Real.

The Portuguese superstar is still wanted by Man United and Erik ten Hag has gone as far as stating that Ronaldo is in his plans for this season and he could see Ronaldo extending his contract for another year (which he holds the option to do so) after a positive 2022-23 campaign. That seems unlikely as Ronaldo clearly wants to leave and although it is just preseason, Erik ten Hag’s front three of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho seem to be a very good fit as a unit. The kicker to all of this is that either Ronaldo would have to significantly reduce his wage demands or Atletico would have to offload plenty of other forwards just to afford him, with Alvaro Morata and Angel Correa potentially being sold. Is Ronaldo worth it for Atletico? If Simeone thinks he can add the goals and cutting edge his team is sometime lacking and can slot in to their high-pressing, manic style of play, who are we to disagree? (JPW)

July 17 – Manchester United reach agreement with Ajax for Lisandro Martinez

Arsenal were first linked with him this summer, but Lisandro Martinez appears headed for Manchester United instead after the Red Devils announced on Sunday that a $65.3-million agreement had been reached with Ajax. The 24-year-old center is expected to sign for Man United upon agreeing personal terms and/or completing a medical. (AE)

July 15 – Christian Eriksen signs for Manchester United

Christian Eriksen, 30, has signed for Manchester United as a free agent. The Danish playmaker has finally completed the move and he has signed a three-year contract at Old Trafford. This is another big move for the Red Devils as Eriksen will play a key role in helping Erik ten Hag implement his playing style.

Eriksen said the following about his arrival at Old Trafford: “Manchester United is a special club, and I cannot wait to get started. I have had the privilege of playing at Old Trafford many times but to do it in the red shirt of United will be an amazing feeling.

“I have seen Erik’s work at Ajax and know the level of detail and preparation that he and his staff put into every day. It is clear that he is a fantastic coach. Having spoken with him and learned more about his vision and the way he wants the team to play, I am even more excited for the future. I still have major ambitions in the game, there is a huge amount that I know I can achieve, and this is the perfect place to continue my journey.”

This is a superb free transfer from United and Eriksen showed his quality in the second half of last season at Brentford. His intelligence on the ball and ability to play in a variety of roles across midfield and attack will be invaluable for United. So too will his experience as United have a world-class midfielder ready to help make them tick. Now, how will ETH fit Eriksen, Bruno Fernandes and potentially Frenkie de Jong into the same team? Eriksen could play a slightly deeper role and at this stage of his career, that would be perfect for him to dictate the tempo of the game and help United keep the ball. (JPW)

July 15 – Lisandro Martinez deal is done for $55.4 million

Manchester United continue to head to the Netherlands for their new players as Ajax and Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez is about to join. Erik ten Hag was a huge fan of Martinez during his time at Ajax and the versatile defender (he can play center back or left back) will be key in improving this United defense. With Tyrell Malacia already arriving, the left-sided of United’s defense could have a totally new look this season. Martinez was chased by Arsenal for most of this summer but Martinez has decided to join United to work with ETH once again. (JPW)

 

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Manchester United transfer news, live! Latest reports, rumors, updates originally appeared on NBCSports.com

2022-05-31T21:14:57Z dg43tfdfdgfd