MANCHESTER UNITED target Frenkie de Jong will only be sold if Barcelona they can sign Robert Lewandowski or Bernardo Silva, according to reports.
The midfielder has been linked with a £65million move away from Catalonia.
Elsewhere, goalkeeping coach Lee Grant has confirmed his retirement from professional football at age 39 and has since joined up with ex-United coach Kieran McKenna on his staff at Ipswich Town.
The veteran shot-stopper made 511 total appearances across his career and joined the Red Devils from Stoke back in 2018.
Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher has urged Erik Ten Hag to AXE Cristiano Ronaldo this summer.
Whilst the English giants are reportedly closing in on the signing of £30 million Jurrien Timber from Ajax.
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- Ian Tuckey
'Red Devils won't let Ten Hag spend big'
United will not splash the cash on transfers during Erik ten Hag's first year in charge.
That is according to the Daily Mail, who report that United will approach the summer transfer window in a conservative manner.
That is despite the fact the club's hierarchy announced a total revenue increase of 29 per cent in the Red Devils' third quarter financial results.
Business is returning to normal at Old Trafford after the coronavirus pandemic. But net debt has risen £52million since last year.
United will instead focus their investment on their recruitment system and that initiative will be led by football director John Murtough. They will be looking to replace senior scouting figures Jim Lawlor and Marcel Bout as well as chief transfer negotiator Matt Judge.
Ten Hag will be in charge of transfers and will approach the summer market with discipline. The Dutchman is reportedly keen on Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong as well as Ajax duo Jurrien Timber and Lisandro Martinez.
United chief executive Richard Arnold said: "It has clearly been a disappointing season for the men's first team. Work is well underway to address this, led by our football director John Murtough and our new manager Erik ten Hag.
"Resilience and high standards are core values for Manchester United, and we are determined to achieve better results next season and beyond. Faith in youth is another key tenet of the club and the continued success of our academy gives us confidence in the future.
"Off the pitch, our revenues have continued to recover from the pandemic, reflecting the enduring strength of our commercial operations, which in turn support our ability to continue to invest in the club."
- Ian Tuckey
JT vs Rio: 'Stats don't lie'
John Terry has claimed the "stats don't lie" after Rio Ferdinand only labelled him as the fifth-best centre-back in Premier League history.
The Chelsea icon is regarded by many as one of the greatest defenders in the Prem era, winning the title on five occasions.
Ferdinand though put THREE Manchester United centre-backs ahead of old England colleague Terry, including himself.
The Old Trafford hero was debating the best central defenders of the Prem era with Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk for BT Sport.
And Ferdinand put himself in top spot, followed by team-mate Nemanja Vidic, Van Dijk at third, Jaap Stam fourth and Terry fifth.
Van Dijk meanwhile omitted himself and put Ferdinand top too, followed by Vincent Kompany, Stam, Terry and Sami Hyypia.
One man though who didn't agree was Stamford Bridge stalwart Terry.
Taking to his Instagram story Terry posted a picture that contained a variety of stats to back him up.
They included captains with most Prem titles and centre-backs with the highest winning percentage in Prem history.
Both of which were topped by Terry, who captioned the post "opinions are great but the stats don't lie".
- Ian Tuckey
Man Utd hit snag over De Jong
Barcelona will only sell Frenkie de Jong if they can sign Robert Lewandowski or Bernardo Silva, according to reports.
The Manchester United target has been linked with a £65million move away from Catalonia.
While he remained a regular after Xavi's arrival, De Jong isn't considered untouchable at Barcelona.
The LaLiga giants remain in financial peril, with club chief Joan Laporta trying to juggle making ambitious signings with balancing the books.
De Jong could go for the right price… and if Laporta can replicate his star power in other areas.
Bizarrely, Barca are willing to replace the former Ajax wonderkid… with a player in a different position.
According to Mundo Deportivo, Laporta will part ways with De Jong if he can sign striker Lewandowski or attacking midfielder Silva.
Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski has admitted that he wants to leave the Bundesliga champions and that he won't extend his contract, which has a year left to run.
Silva, meanwhile, could have been sold by Manchester City last summer, although his performances since have re-cemented his position as a key player.
- Ian Tuckey
Is Ron a 'giant' or a giant 'problem'?
Cristiano Ronaldo's roles will be one of the major dilemmas for new United boss Erik ten Hag.
The Dutchman insists he 'can't wait' to work with the 'giant' who at 37 was this season's top scorer.
But Jamie Carragher is among pundits who believe the older version of Ronaldo could cause a tactical 'problem'.
No-one doubts that Portugal frontman Ronaldo is an all-time great – for Real Madrid, Juventus and United.
But CV and reputation alone can't sustain a playing career.
So who do you reckon will be right? Or could it be a mixture of both – a 'giant' headache?
- Ian Tuckey
Blow for Prem giants as Dembele is set for PSG
Chelsea have been dealt a transfer blow as Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele could join Paris Saint-Germain, reports suggest.
AS say Dembele – previously linked to Manchester United and Arsenal-has rejected a new Barca contract offer to leave on a free transfer next month.
The forward has been linked with the Blues, who are looking to add some firepower up front after Todd Boehly's takeover is officially completed.
However, the 25-year-old looks set to return to France for PSG ahead of the summer transfer window.
The Blaugrana tried to sell Dembele in January to avoid losing their second most expensive signing of all time for free at the end of the season.
But the Frenchman stayed put and played an important role in the team's dramatic improvement, which saw them finish second in LaLiga.
The Catalan giants were hoping to convince the striker to stay by signing his friend Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Arsenal.
Barcelona manager Xavi also sang his praises continuously and expressed his desire to keep him. However, Dembele, who joined Barca from Borussia Dortmund for a whopping £138million in 2017, will be leaving next month.
- Ian Tuckey
David de Stayer
David de Gea is set to sign a new Manchester United contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until 2025.
The 31-year-old has 12 months remaining on his current deal, but Ekrem Konur understands that the Spaniard is ready to pen a two-year extension.
De Gea joined the Red Devils in 2011, and is closing in on 500 appearances for the club.
Meanwhile, United have announced a pre-season friendly with De Gea’s former club Atletico Madrid.
The fixture will be played in Oslo on July 30, a week before the new Premier League season is scheduled to start.
- Sam Dymond
James starts to Garner interest
Southampton are keeping close tabs on Manchester United's plans for James Garner.
The Athletic report that there are several admirers of the young midfielder within the Saints hierarchy, who have been impressed during the player's loan spell with Nottingham Forest in the Championship.
The south coast club are waiting to hear what Erik ten Hag has in store for Garner, but would be interested in doing a deal on either a permanent or temporary basis.
The 21-year-old has scored four times and laid on eight assists in 41 league games for Forest this season, helping to propel them to Sunday's play-off final at Wembley.
- Sam Dymond
United best placed for Pau
Manchester United are leading the race to land Villarreal defender Pau Torres, according to reports in Spain.
AS (via Sport Witness) suggest that it is United who are best placed to sign the 25-year-old among several interested parties from the Premier League.
Tottenham attempted to land the Spanish international last year, but were knocked back ahead of the Yellow Submarine's semi-final assault on the Champions League.
New United boss Erik ten Hag has reportedly stated that he wants the Red Devils to bring in Torres 'at all costs' as he begins to reshape his side's defence.
- Sam Dymond
Breaking: Lee Grant announces retirement
Manchester United back-up goalkeeper Lee Grant has announced his immediate retirement from the game at the age of 39.
The stopper began his career at Derby 20 years ago, and has since played for Burnley, Oldham, Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke.
He told the club's official website: “After 511 appearances, I’ve decided it’s the right time to move into the next stage of my career.
“There have been so many fun moments mixed in with the odd challenge, but I’m grateful for each and every one.
“Fulfilling a boyhood dream of playing for Manchester United was something I thought was out of reach, so to have achieved that fills me with great pride and emotion!"
- Sam Dymond
Red Devils were in for Scarlett
Manchester United approached Tottenham last month to enquire about young striker Dane Scarlett, it has been revealed.
Samuel Luckhurst at the Manchester Evening News reports that the Red Devils were interested in bringing the 18-year-old to Old Trafford, only to discover that he had signed a new deal with Spurs just days earlier.
United's outgoing director of football negotiations Matt Judge had identified Scarlett as a potential recruit with the player in the final months of his previous deal with the North Londoners.
The teenager made seven appearances for the Spurs first team last season, having become the club's youngest Premier League player the previous campaign.
- Sam Dymond
De Gea to pen new deal
David de Gea is set to sign a new Manchester United contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until 2025.
The 31-year-old has 12 months remaining on his current deal, but Ekrem Konur understands that the Spaniard is ready to pen a two-year extension.
De Gea joined the Red Devils in 2011, and is closing in on 500 appearances for the club.
Meanwhile, United have announced a pre-season friendly with De Gea's former club Atletico Madrid.
The fixture will be played in Oslo on July 30, a week before the new Premier League season is scheduled to start.
- Sam Dymond
United to open Nkunku bidding
Manchester United will open the bidding for RB Leipzig's in-demand Christopher Nkunku with a £60m offer, according to journalist Ekrem Konur.
The Red Devils have long been tracking the 24-year-old, who has just completed a sensational season in Germany.
The forward struck 35 goals in all competitions, and weighed in with 20 assists too as Leipzig finished fourth in the Bundesliga.
Following the appointment of Erik ten Hag, the Premier League club are now ready to begin the business of overhauling their squad.
However, it has emerged in the past 24 hours that Chelsea are ready to rival United for the French international.
- Sam Dymond
Bayern 'keeping eye' on Rashford
Bayern Munich are keeping a close eye on Marcus Rashford's ongoing situation at Manchester United.
The English international endured a frustrating 2021-22 campaign, and had entertained the possibility of a move away from the hometown club that he joined as a seven-year-old.
The revelation earlier in the year had put a number of teams on red alert, and Bayern have maintained their interest despite the Red Devils' recent change in regime.
The Telegraph understand that Rashford now wishes to stay and fight for his place under new boss Erik ten Hag, but could a bid from the German giants be too much to ignore?
- Alex Cole
Good morning United fans
Villarreal star Pau Torres’ agents will travel to Manchester this week to negotiate a contract with United.
According to reports, the centre-back is one of the players up for grabs and is valued at just £45million.
Manchester United ace Anthony Martial is on his way back to Old Trafford after Sevilla rejected the chance to sign him.
Martial joined the Andalusians on loan during the January transfer window but he missed six games through injury, scored just one goal and was even jeered by his own fans in a miserable spell.
Chelsea are “ready to launch a bid” for RB Leipzig forward and United transfer target Christopher Nkunku, claim reports.
New manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo is part of his plans for next season.
Boss Ten Hag has also met with kitchen staff as he wants to look at weekly menus and choose what will stay or go, according to SunSport’s Daniel Cutts.
Ten Hag will speak to the groundsmen about daily training set-ups for drills ahead of pre-season as well.
The 52-year-old is a real stickler for detail, even down to the length of the grass on different pitches.
- Alex Cole
Torres agents coming to Manchester
Villarreal star Pau Torres’ agents will travel to Manchester this week to negotiate a contract with United.
That is providing an agreement can be struck with the Yellow Submarine first.
According to Deportes de Periodico Mediterraneo, the centre-back is one of the players up for grabs and is valued at just £45million.
The Red Devils are among those keen and it’s also claimed that the Spain international’s agents Tarraga and Fores would be willing to travel to Manchester as early as this week to negotiate a contract.
The 25-year-old has been made available this summer due to the La Liga club’s financial struggles
- Alex Cole
Meet the Rashfords
Premier League ace Marcus Rashford proposed to his childhood sweetheart while on a romantic trip to Hollywood.
The Manchester United forward, 24, popped the question to Lucia Loi, also 24, as they toured celebrity hangouts in Los Angeles.
Rashford shared a romantic image to mark the special occasion.
Congrats Marcus!
- Alex Cole
Ant good enough
Manchester United ace Anthony Martial is on his way back to Old Trafford after Sevilla rejected the chance to sign him.
Martial joined the Andalusians on loan during the January transfer window but he missed six games through injury, scored just one goal and was even jeered by his own fans in a miserable spell.
Sevilla president Jose Castro said: “Anthony Martial will return to Man United.
“We spent important money on him but it didn’t work. Also, he had injuries and we’re not going to buy him on a permanent deal”
- Alex Cole
Lingard of honour
Marcus Rashford was spotted leaving a swanky restaurant in Los Angeles with Jesse Lingard on Wednesday.
The pair may have been tucking into a farewell meal for Lingard who is set to leave United on a free transfer this summer.
Lingard’s contract at Old Trafford is set to expire in the summer and the winger has no intention of penning a new deal with the Red Devils.
The winger could remain in the Premier League with West Ham keen on giving him a new home following his successful loan spell in East London during the second half of the 2020/21 season.
- Alex Cole
Van de Beek district
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag says he is relishing working with former Everton loanee Donny van de Beek.
The two men had a successful partnership at Ajax that saw them winning the Double and making it to the Champions League semi-finals.
Ten Hag said: “Of course we had a fantastic squad in that time in Ajax.
“We had a fantastic relationship and I look forward to seeing him again”
- Alex Cole
Don’t be Rash
Marcus Rashford is poised to turn down Bayern Munich and fight for his place under new boss Erik ten Hag at Manchester United.
Rashford was thought to be considering a move away from United following a poor season where he only scored five times in 32 matches across all competitions.
However, it seems Rashford still wants to prove his worth to the Red Devils, according to The Telegraph.
Ten Hag’s plan to challenge Liverpool and Manchester City for the Premier League title has resonated with Rashford.
And to show his intent, Rashford plans to put himself through some intense training in the USA.
The England international will travel to America for a grueling training schedule next month, before linking back up with his United teammates on June 27, the report adds.
- Alex Cole
Chelsea in for Man Utd target Nkunku
Chelsea are “ready to launch a bid” for RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku, claim reports.
GOAL report that Chelsea sense a chance to get their man.
Nkunku was named Bundesliga’s Player of the Season.
The 24-year-old attacking midfielder has been constantly linked with a move to United, who sent scouts to watch him in action in April.
United’s pursuit was given a boost when it was reported that the France international was open to a Premier League switch.
And now it appears the Blues have joined the race to sign Nkunku.
- Alex Cole
Laying down the law
New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is already undergoing a huge internal review as his plans to overhaul the club begin, according to SunSport’s Daniel Cutts.
Ten Hag has begun his United rebuild at their training ground, with ambitions to lead the club back to the Premier League’s elite crew.
SunSport understands the different support departments at the Carrington training complex have been told of his plans.
The Dutch tactician wants to spend time with each of them to see how they work and meet the staff on a personal level.
This includes everyone from the technical analysis team to the nutritionists and conditioners
- Alex Cole
It’s still Ron
New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has confirmed Cristiano Ronaldo is part of his plans for next season.
Ronaldo’s future has been uncertain for quite a few months and there were questions as to whether Ten Hag was planning to hold onto him.
But the Dutch tactician has put all the speculation to rest after being asked if he wants the five-time Ballon d’Or winner to stay: “Of course!”
Ten Hag was then asked what Ronaldo brings, to which he responded “goals”.
- Alex Cole
Ten Hag taking over
New Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has also met with kitchen staff as he wants to look at weekly menus and choose what will stay or go, according to SunSport’s Daniel Cutts.
Ten Hag will speak to the groundsmen about daily training set-ups for drills ahead of pre-season as well.
The 52-year-old is a real stickler for detail, even down to the length of the grass on different pitches.
A source said: “He’s bringing his own style. It feels like an army leader getting his troops in order.”
The Dutch tactician took an official tour of the Aon Training Complex earlier this week and had his first press conference on Monday afternoon.
And Ten Hag has already warned his players of his brutal work ethic and preparation plans ahead of the new campaign
Credit: GETTY IMAGES - Alex Cole
Torres agents coming to Manchester
Villarreal star Pau Torres’ agents will travel to Manchester this week to negotiate a contract with United.
That is providing an agreement can be struck with the Yellow Submarine first.
According to Deportes de Periodico Mediterraneo, the centre-back is one of the players up for grabs and is valued at just £45million.
The Red Devils are among those keen and it’s also claimed that the Spain international’s agents Tarraga and Fores would be willing to travel to Manchester as early as this week to negotiate a contract.
The 25-year-old has been made available this summer due to the La Liga club’s financial struggles
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