Farewell, Scott, and thank you for everything

There have certainly been better footballers than Scott McTominay to have donned the iconic Red of Manchester United.
There have been players of immeasurable skill, incredible, historic feats of derring do and we've had some of the finest ever exponents of our great game strutting their stuff at Old Trafford.

Limited ability but massive in heart 

But for desire, heart, passion and pure love for our club, McTominay stands out above most, as one of the most feted Academy stars of his generation. Foreign exports may bring the flair, the silk and the style, but it's those lads that bleed United whom truly resonate with us fans. McTominay epitomised all that and more. As a footballer, his scope was maybe limited, but there can be no doubt he loves Manchester United and gave absolutely everything for us every time he pulled on that jersey. A popular and much loved figure in the Old Trafford dressing room, you would struggle to find anyone who has a bad word to say about him. 

As a young Lancashire-born Scot, McTominay's United career - rising through the ranks from promising graduate to fully fledged first teamer - is one that will stand the test of time. He was, quite simply, one of us. 

One of the reasons why we love home grown players so much is they represent us on that pitch: we'd all love the chance to represent our beloved team and play out our shut eyed fantasy. McTominay certainly did that: he acted out every United fan's dream in front of us all on one of the biggest and most iconic stages in the game. He understood our 'DNA' and has given his blood, sweat and tears for us during a difficult period in our history. I'll always be thankful to him for that. 

Arrivederci, Scott 

255 games and 29 goals later, McTominay has completed a £25m deal to sign for Antonio Conte's Gil Azzurri as part of a makeweight for the incoming Manuel Ugarte. 

Now, as McTominay heads to Napoli to begin a new chapter in his career, he departs for Serie A with the very best wishes of everyone here at United Faithful. He leaves not just for a new club, but he leaves the only home he has ever known. Whilst he could not outrun his limitations, he has more than contributed to the cause during his seven seasons in the spotlight. 

So how will history remember McTominay's United legacy? 

McFred 

McTominay was given his breakthrough as a tall, rangy, 20-year-old by Jose Mourinho in 2017 and quickly established himself as a key cog in the United engine room. He was very highly rated by Mourinho, so much so the Portuguese created an end of season award especially for him. When Mourinho was sacked, in came Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and the affable Ole also took a shine to McTominay. Sitting deep with Brazilian international Fred in Solskjaer's 4-2-3-1 system, he started 28 times as United reached the Europa League final and secured a second placed finish in the Premier League. 

But the flaws in 'McFred' were obvious - both players were too similar and would run through walls for their manager and the club. But neither of them offered anything either going forward, or as an effective shield for the defence. It wasn't until the arrival of Erik ten Hag that 'McFred' finally broke up with the addition of Casemiro and emergence of Kobbie Mainoo. 

He earned his place in the team as one of those type of players every side needs: a workhorse, a grafter, a player who covers every blade of grass and would rather die than stop running. But McTominay is 27, and with INEOS on a mission to resurrect United, he represents the type of mediocrity they want to stamp out. 

McTominay becomes our second Academy graduate to depart United this summer, after Willy Kambwala left for the sunnier climes of Villarreal. But the Carrington conveyor belt still continues to turn brightly at United, with Alejandro Garnacho, Mainoo and Marcus Rashford regular starters and Toby Collyer and Ethan Wheatley on the periphery of stardom.

Best ever season in worst ever team

Surprisingly, McTominay managed to outlast Fred at United, and even saw his role change as ten Hag's side evolved. Last season turned out to be the best of McTominay's career at Old Trafford in United's worst ever Premier League team.

There were a series of clutch, game-winning goals as McTominay stepped off the bench to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at home to Brentford with two roof raising injury time strikes. He turned one point into all three at Champions League chasing Villa, scored twice at home to Chelsea and also notched his first Champions League goal in the Istanbul firepit.

He ended the season with double figures in terms of goals with a career highest of ten and his past existence as a striker firmly in evidence. But there were issues too: when he didn't score, his lack of contribution was damning and McTominay was often left stranded by ten Hag's high pressing but low block blueprint. Casemiro's legs started to fail him and McTominay spent most of the season running around aimlessly. 

For me, I'm at peace with his departure. I'm grateful for everything he's done, for the loyal and unstinting service he has given our wonderful club. But I also know he's not the level of player we need.

Who can forget that generational 40-yarder in the derby as lockdown loomed back in 2020, or the two goals in a minute against Leeds in that 6-2 thumping the following season? He scored in that stonking quarter final win over the Scousers and in the semi at Wembley en route to winning the FA Cup last term. There was the night he channeled his inner Xavi in the Parc des Princes, and those totemic, lung busting performances in four major finals. There are so many fantastic memories that will last a lifetime. 

Brighter future ahead for United and INEOS

McTominay can look back on his United career with a sense of pride, and of duty, as he embarks on his Italian Job. Meanwhile, for INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, their Reds revolution continues apace. Ugarte becomes our fifth summer signing after Leny Yoro, Mathijs de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee and Noussair Mazraoui. Replacing substandard or disruptive players with young, hungry and top class upgrades, ruthless calls are being made to set us up for a brighter future. There is no room for sentimentality.

Ratcliffe's overhaul has stepped up another gear as a new set of players bid to scale the heights McTominay and his colleagues weren't quite capable of. 

Thank you for everything Scott and all the best in Italy. Bravo! Maybe see you around some time..

Marcel Sabitzer: An eleventh hour deal done in a day

Shortly before midday on Monday, the entire landscape of Manchester United's season shifted with confirmation of the extent of Christian Eriksen's injury.

Our Danish, string-pulling schemer has been one of the key factors behind Erik ten Hag's Reds revolution but, thanks to Andy Carroll's criminal act of thuggery, Eriksen faces a lengthy layoff. So long, there is doubt whether he will feature again this season.

The ramifications quickly began to sink in. With Scott McTominay also facing a spell out, Casemiro and Fred were United's only two fit senior midfielders. With respect to Fred, he simply cannot be expected to influence a match in the same way as Eriksen. Beyond the Brazilian pair, 17-year-old Kobbie Mainoo and Zidane Iqbal, 19, with one senior start between them, were our only other options. 

The club, as Erik ten Hag himself alluded to, had not expected to sign any more players on the final day of the window. But all that changed with the devastating blow that came with Eriksen's crippled ankle; all because of Carroll's out-of-control antics in the Cup tie. 

ten Hag did not want to risk his side's upward trajectory through a lack of numbers, so there was little option. United would have to dip into the transfer market and break with tradition by doing so at breakneck speed with a little under twelve hours to go. From the utter despair of Eriksen's heartbreaking news, came hope. Hope that, after all, we could still salvage the season with the latest of additions. But then, United are notoriously slow when it comes to this transfer malarkey, so there was always lingering doubt we'd fail to get any new signings over the line in time. 

To expect United to continue to challenge on four fronts with a game every three days with only Casemiro and McFred was, to be frank, delusion of the highest order. 

I'd like to think the club knew the extent of Eriksen's injury before going public with it and so it stands to reason they already had a few short-term targets in mind. We have long been admirers of Leicester man Youri Tielemans but the east Midlands club wanted a huge fee for the Belgian. Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern was also high on our list of targets but neither the club nor their manager Julian Nagelsmann wanted to part with the player. 

Attention turned to Marcel Sabitzer, a player well known to ten Hag and a man who also played under the Dutchman's ill-fated interim Ralf Rangnick during his time at Leipzig. Rangnick is now, of course, Sabitzer's national manager and recommended his former charge to United's powers that be back in the summer. United had been in communication over Sabitzer for a few days and, then, once the injury news broke, things really accelerated. 

United's scouting department was familiar with Austrian international Sabitzer's energetic style, pressing ability, and versatility from his seven-year stint at the Red Bull side - a side renowned for their intensity.

United may not have spent any money but reacted quickly in the transfer market when bringing in loan striker Wout Weghorst as cover for the injury-prone Anthony Martial. With the addition of Sabitzer, United's swiftness and sure-footedness is another indication the club is heading in the right direction. 

From reports first emerging shortly after lunch, to representatives of United and the player meeting in Munich to discuss terms two hours later, United's late swoop for Sabitzer moved at head-spinning speed. 

By 6pm UK time, Sabitzer was on a private plane from Munich en route to Manchester where he was driven to the training ground. There, the player underwent the formalities such as his photoshoot, medical and finalising the paperwork. A deal sheet was lodged to give the club an extra hour to wrap up the formalities before the deadline at 11pm. At ten minutes past midnight on Wednesday morning, a short statement on the club's website confirmed the arrival of Sabitzer on loan until June. There's no option to buy but the 28-year-old spoke of his clear pride in coming to the club despite the unexpected nature of the deal. 

His pedigree and 'big club' clout is impressive: a stable and skilful short-term solution, a league and cup winner at RB Salzburg and Bundesliga champion with Bayern having played at two major tournaments for Austria. 

With Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka holding the status quo in midfield for the perennial Bundesliga champions and Nagelsmann willing to let one of his squad players go, a move for Sabitzer made sense. Too much sense for Manchester United and a fanbase used to a club scrimping over every last penny. 

But the club acted decisively and with alacrity, trading players efficiently and as smoothly as Brad Pitt's Billy Beane in the film Moneyball. 

With an authoritative, decisive manager, a proper football director with his feet now firmly under the table, and a chief executive content with background duties, United, at last, resemble a fully functioning, professional football club.

Welcome to Manchester United, Marcel Sabitzer. 

Welcome to Manchester United, Wout Weghorst

Manchester United are set to complete the signing of Burnley's on-loan Besiktas striker Wout Weghorst  on a short-term deal until the end of the season.

The Dutch international will link up with his compatriot Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford and all eyes now turn to whether he will be registered in time to feature in Saturday's Manchester derby. 

Weghorst is flying to England on Thursday where the paperwork and his medical will be completed. He must be registered by 12pm on Friday to be in the squad for the visit of Pep Guardiola's men on Saturday lunchtime. There is no option to buy as part of the deal - it will be a straight loan until the summer. 
Weghorst scored twice in the last ten minute of his side's World Cup quarter-final with eventual winners Argentina, as Oranje recovered from two down only to eventually succumb on penalties.

Cristiano Ronaldo's acrimonious departure after his now infamously unsanctioned interview has left ten Hag with only the in-form Marcus Rashford and injury-prone Anthony Martial - neither of whom are genuine, out-and-out strikers - as his only options at no.9. If United are to maintain this winning form and go deep into as many competitions as possible, another striker was a must.  

It's true Weghorst is not Erling Haaland 2.0, far from it, but the 30-year-old is the best option from what was available and fits the needs of the squad to a 'T.' United desperately needed another striker and a player very different from our current options. At 6ft 6, Weghorst brings a strong, tall, physical presence to the attack and will be a decent option off the bench too if needed. His arrival allows United to end the over-reliance on Martial, and also allows us to mix our game up too. If we need a Plan B, we can get crosses into the box for Weghorst to get on the end of. He set up Jay Rodriguez to score for Burnley at Turf Moor against us and, although he was unable to help them stave off the drop, Weghorst caught the eye during his brief stint in east Lancashire and has scored eight goals in 16 appearances for Turkish club Besiktas in the Super Lig.

We need a rotation option and although he's not someone I would have pinpointed to come in and help us, if ten Hag wants him then that will do me. Dutch strikers have a good record at United and we won the league the last time we had one. He's not a big name but who were we going to get with a very limited budget in the short term? It's clear United will try to sign a longer-term centre-forward in the summer with Harry Kane and Napoli striker Victor Osimhen among the names mentioned. 

Beyond merely his goalscoring record, Weghorst is, as you'd expect for a man of 6ft 6, good in the air with effective hold up work. A goal poacher but also a striker willing to drop back and link the play, he averaged more presses per 90 minutes than anyone else during his time in the Premier League. In short, he's a nuisance for opposition defences and has all the assets needed to be a success at Old Trafford. 

The board were never going to go and spend £60m+ on a striker with the current financial constraints and the ongoing process of a sale. We always had to get someone cheap and I will back big Wout 100%. People just think of the biggest names all the time but let's give this lad a chance and, like I said, if it's what the manager wants then I'm all for it. 

Weghorst began his career in Dutch lower league football before being spotted and signed by Drenthe-based club Emmen. There, he plundered an impressive 20 goals in 62 appearances before moving on to Heracles Almelo and then AZ. It was with the Alkmaar-based club where Weghorst's career really blossomed, as he scored 20 goals in 29 appearances during his debut season to finish a joint third top scorer and earn a maiden call up for Ronald Koeman's Dutch squad. 

Wout Weghorst at Wolfsburg has a nice alliterative feel to it and the move duly transpired when he joined the Bundesliga club ahead of the 2018-19 season, going on to net a hat-trick of hat-tricks before another 16 goals the following season to fire the side into the Europa League.

With Burnley staring relegation in the face, Sean Dyche turned to Weghorst as the man to lead his Clarets out of trouble as he made his first foray into the Premier League for a fee of £12m. 

As we now know, Dyche's rare dip into the transfer market did not pay off and Weghorst moved on loan to Besiktas where he has impressed in front of goal. 
United have a mixed record when it comes to ageing, veteran, short terms strikers. For every Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrik Larsson, we have had Odion Ighalo and Edinson Cavani. In fairness, 17 goals in 39 games for Cavani during his first season at Old Trafford wasn't too bad a return but persistent fitness and availability issues meant the Uruguyuan barely featured during his second term at United with only two goals in 20 games.

Welcome to Manchester United. Welcome to Old Trafford, Wout Weghorst. 

Ten Hag's revolution in full swing as five Reds leave

Erik ten Hag has wasted no time at all in putting his stamp on the Manchester United squad ahead of the 2022-23 season.
The Dutchman has started his work at United with the announcement of the departures of three Reds - Paul Pogba, Jesse Lingard and Juan Mata. The trio are all out of contract at the end of June and the club will not offer new deals which means they will all leave for nothing.

Nemanja Matic, Lee Grant and Edinson Cavani are also expected to step through the doors of Carrington for the last time, bringing the number of departures to six with more to maybe follow. Dean Henderson, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly, Anthony Martial and Aaron Wan - Bissaka are among those with uncertain futures and at the mercy of their new boss. 

It has been clear for some time major surgery was needed at Old Trafford to cleanse of the toxicity that's engulfed the club. A big clear out was needed and no one can accuse United of failing to act. With chief executive Richard Arnold's imprint on the club coming to the fore - and with director of football John Murtough now in charge of a new-look negotiating team - this is a massive summer of change in M16. 

For all the platitudes in United's grandiose farewells, the brutal brunt of the matter is United twice paid money for the World Cup winning Pogba - as a kid to get him from Le Havre and then again, this time for a world record £89 from Juventus - and he has twice left for nothing. But at no time has he ever consistently delivered. There have been flashes, tantalising glimpses of Pogba at his best: notably his two-goal contribution to the famous climb-off-the-canvas comeback at City in 2018, and his four assists against Leeds on the opening day of last season.

It was all too fleeting and compared to the impact of Kevin de Bruyne at City and even the far less heralded Fabinho at Liverpool, Pogba's influence was only occasional. Nothing like you'd expect from a player of his price tag and stature.

United should have built a team around him but instead looked as though they never knew how to use him. Even his colourful and personable off-field antics became a problem.

He very publicly fell out with Jose Mourinho, who stripped him of the captaincy, and failed to repay the faith shown in him by Mourinho's successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. 
Pogba remains a draw and will attract a number of suitors but, in many ways, will be remembered as the epitome of United's confused and muddled thinking and profligacy which has left us so far adrift of City and Liverpool. 

On a busy day at Old Trafford, the club announced Lingard will leave having risen through the ranks to play 232 times with 35 goals, two of which came in cup finals. Having returned from a successful loan spell at West Ham, Lingard only started twice upon in 2021-22 after two decades as a Red. West Ham have already expressed an interested in re-signing the player, this time for good. 

Two of Lingard's best moments at the club came on the biggest stage with his finest hour in the 2016 FA Cup final when his extra-time screamer took United to Wembley glory against Palace. He also netted in the following season's Community Shield win over Leicester and again in the EFL Cup final victory against Southampton. 

Mata arrived at United for a then club-record fee of £37m as the talismanic figurehead of the post Sir-Alex Ferguson era. One of the finest no.10s of the modern era, United somehow never quite seemed to get the best out of the diminutive playmaker, with Mata often shoehorned into a role out on the wing - a position simply not conducive to his considerable, and at times magical, talent. Widely considered the nicest man in the game and hugely popular wherever he plays, Mata has still more than made his mark on the Reds recent history. 
Mata's best season at the club was his first full campaign in a series of scintillating showings under new manager Louis van Gaal in 2014-15. The best one came on enemy territory on a day known simply as 'Juanfield' when his spectacular brace against Liverpool - the second a stunning match winning scissor kick (later voted our Goal of the Season) - earned him instant cult hero status at Old Trafford. 

He would go on to score in an FA Cup final and added a Community Shield, the EFL Cup and the Europa League to his personal CV under his former Chelsea boss Mourinho. Mata's influence gradually started to decline but he remained a popular squad player with his peers speaking highly of his professionalism and positivity.

In truth, Mata no longer possesses the energy levels required for the top level and probably should have been moved on a few seasons ago. That takes nothing away from the unstinting and selfless service he has given to the club but there is no place for sentiment in football. 

We would like to wish every player leaving United all the very best for the future. 

Manchester United: Transfer window round-up

Well, where to even begin when it comes to dissecting Manchester United's summer transfer activity of 2021?
United went into the window in need of a right-back, a right winger and a defensive midfield player and ended it with only player across those three positions. Usually, this would be cause for consternation but times they are a-changing and there was instead widespread euphoria as the deadline passed late on Tuesday.

Indeed, this was the best transfer window the Reds have had in years: it was as if we suddenly remembered who we were again. There have been some serious duds coming through the revolving door at Carrington over the past few seasons but, this time, United rediscovered their transfer magic, sprinkled the stardust and threw down the gauntlet. 

Granted, United will have to make do without the defensive midfield player so badly needed. Eduardo Camavinga ended up at Real Madrid and Saul Niguez joined Chelsea on loan. Yves Bissouma - Brighton's talented string-puller, stayed where he was and a move for Declan Rice did not materialise.

But United still ended up with a generational player and two further world class, genuine, 24-carat talents. The Reds (at last) got their man as Jadon Sancho - for so long the apple of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's eye - finally arrived from Borussia Dortmund for 73m. United had walked away from the deal as the German giants dug their heels in a year ago, but, twelve months on, the Reds long running pursuit of the 21-year-old came to an end as the generational talent came to Old Trafford to provide an immediate solution to our problematic right-wing position. 

Raphael Varane proved the yin to Sancho's yang - for as good a buy as Sancho was, United's defence needed improvement and, in the phenomenal Frenchman, there are few better to do so.  A serial winner, Varane - a four time Champions League winner and a World champion - is a man to bring an instant and immediate upgrade to any defence in world football. Varane's Reds career may only be 90 minutes old, but he's already shown his class with a simply colossal showing at Wolves as Solskjaer's side battled to an ugly, smash and grab 1-0 victory. Victor Lindelof may have rarely let his team or his manager down, but there can be no better fit for this side than a man with more silver than your local branch of Ernest Jones.

We thought that was it - all transfer business done and dusted, in terms of incomings at least, now on with the season. But the biggest bombshell was yet to come. Twelve years on from his departure - and in the same summer his long time rival Lionel Messi also moved clubs - Cristiano Ronaldo came home.

In a chain of events no one saw coming, the man still adored at Old Trafford - the king known simply as CR7 - played out a public dalliance with City until United, or more pertinently, Sir Alex Ferguson, intervened. 
It was a moment we had dreamed of for so long, no one believed it would ever actually happen, but on Friday 27 August 2021 Ronaldo rejoined the club that made him. If Varane was the icing to Sancho's cake, then Ronaldo was sweet the red cherry perched gloriously on the top. 

Even by Manchester United's standards, this was surely one of the most extraordinary summers in this club's proud and illustrious history. If you'd told me we'd sign these three remarkable players, I'd have said you're mad and should lay off the sauce. 

Tom Heaton joined from Aston Villa - a signing perhaps understandably under the radar, and ex-Red Paul McShane - by now a 35-year-old veteran arrived as player-coach with the view of coaching the Reds production line of talent on the Carrington conveyor belt.

Elsewhere, several Red youngsters went out on loan. Axel Tuanzebe, his game time further stunted by the arrival of Varane, went the opposite way to Heaton whilst Tahith Chong, Will Fish, Facundo Pellistri, Andreas Pereira, James Garner and Brandon Williams will all play their football away from Old Trafford during 2021-22. Good luck to everyone in their continuing education and development. 

There was a permanent farewell to Old Trafford, too. Dan James played 74 times for United across two seasons, and was just embarking on his third campaign in Red when the lure of Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds proved too great. 'DJ' almost joined the Elland Road club after he left Swansea only to sign for Solskjaer instead. James always gave 100%, had an unstinting attitude with a fantastic work rate and clearly loved playing for United. The emotional scenes after he scored on his debut against Chelsea just days after the death of his beloved father will live forever in our memories. Ultimately, James wasn't quite good enough but came across as a lovely young man and, of course, we wish him well in his new career across the Pennines (apart from when they play us, that is). Leeds paid £25m for the jet-heeled 23 year old - United's third biggest outgoing ever. 

United have started the season well and already sit four points ahead of last term's tally at the same stage. With the stellar signings and depth in abundance, there's no reason not to be confident of a serious tilt at the title in 2021-22. 

Welcome to Manchester United, Raphael Varane..

And so its official - Raphael Varane is finally a Manchester United player with the signing of the £34m defender confirmed on Saturday.

It was always going to take some doing to upstage the return of fans to Old Trafford as the Uniteds of Manchester and Leeds met on the opening day, but - in truly iconic style - the Frenchman walked down the tunnel and held his new shirt number aloft in front of a rocking, baying Stretford End.

The deal had seemingly taken an eternity to complete - with United having agreed an initial fee for the 28-year-old on 27 July - but then held up through quarantine requirements and image rights with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitting on Friday the deal was not "100% done" as United still needed to "dot all the i's and cross all the t's." It all left us wondering when and perhaps even if the deal would be struck, but then, 24 hours later, Manchester United's latest recruit walked on to the Old Trafford pitch as a Red for the first time.

34m for a player of this quality seems almost criminal, especially when you consider Arsenal bought Ben White - a player in only his second Premier League season - for 50m. I never thought we'd see such a madcap transfer window as Lionel Messi departed Barcelona and their arch rivals Real Madrid moved on Sergio Ramos and Varane - one of the finest centre-back pairings of their generation - in the same summer. 

So what are Manchester United getting for their money? Widely considered one of the best exponents of his craft on the planet, the 28-year-old is one of the most decorated players in world football and brings with him a wealth of experience.

With a glittering CV of three La Liga titles, a Copa del Rey, three Spanish Super Cups, four Champions League titles, four FIFA Club World Cups, three UEFA Super Cups during his decade at Real Madrid, and the World Cup with France, Varane is a serial winner as the only United player from this current squad to win everything there is to win. 
Only David de Gea is a league champion with the Reds, with Varane's influence and trophy-winning  expertise across 360 games for Los Blancos a significant boost as United seek to end their four-year search for silverware. It's easy to see why he's so highly rated - United have needed a player like this for years. The club have been long term admirers of the French international with former manager Sir Alex Ferguson originally interested in the then 18-year-old Lens player and Jose Mourinho also attempted to bring the player to M16. 

Ever since Rio Ferdinand departed Old Trafford in 2013 as Father Time finally tolled for a brilliant player, it left a gaping chasm in the defence that hasn't really been filled since. Plenty have tried - from the makeshift (Scott McTominay) to the moribund (Phil Jones) but none have succeeded. Ferdinand's exit saw the sudden absence of a specific type of defender, someone whom is dominant in his defensive duels whilst being calm and elegant on the ball to play out from the back. Last season, it was increasingly obvious we needed a partner for Harry Maguire - Varane ticks both boxes and generally brings an upgrade to a previously much maligned backline. That said, new Sweden captain Lindelof was excellent against Leeds but you feel it is his place in the team under the greatest threat now Varane has come in. 

The affable Norwegian said: "We are all absolutely delighted that we have managed to secure one off the best defenders in the world over the last ten years. Raphael is a proven winner who we have tracked over a long period of time and we know just how much of a dedicated professional he is.
"We have a great depth of international defenders and he will add immense skillset, experience and leadership to our group. He is a unique defender with a rare combination of top level attributes we hope will rub off on our young players."

His guile to Maguire's grit will be the final piece of the puzzle in the defence for Solskjaer with Varane's pace, ability and composure on the ball the perfect foil for his captain's tenacity and aerial strength. 

Varane will don the number 19 shirt at United, previously worn by Amad who now takes up 16 (Michael Carrick's former number). He will available for a debut at Southampton on Sunday - welcome to Manchester United, Raphael Varane. 

United complete Jadon Sancho signing

Manchester United have finally confirmed the much anticipated signing of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund for £73m.
After a two-year long transfer saga that saw talks for the player last summer break down when the two clubs could not agree a fee, the 21-year-old - long linked with a move to Old Trafford - put pen to paper on a deal until 2026 with the option of a further year. 
The Reds have finally got their man to resolve the problem right-wing position, vacated by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009 and not adequately addressed since. Only took us twelve years. 

Sancho - for whom the deal was agreed on July 1 - becomes United's fourth most expensive summer signing (after Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Harry Maguire) and the second costliest English player of all time - behind only team-mate and new captain, that man Maguire.

Sancho, a former youth team player at Manchester City, said: "I'll always be grateful to Dortmund for giving me the opportunity to play first team football, although I always knew and hoped I would return to England one day.
"The chance to join Manchester United is a dream come true, and I just cannot wait to perform in the Premier League. 
"This is a young and exciting squad and I know, together, we can develop further into something special to bring the success the fans deserve. I'm looking forward to working with the manager and his coaching team to further develop my game."

Sancho, widely regarded as one of the brightest young talents in Europe, scored 50 goals (64 assists) in his four seasons (137 appearances) in Germany, won the German cup and DFL Supercup (the equivalent of the Community Shield) and has been capped 22 times by England under Gareth Southgate having won the World Cup at U17 level in 2017.
Highly
technical, creative and brimming with pace and trickery, Sancho was the focal point of Dortmund's youthful attack and will look to reprise that role at Old Trafford - stationed on the right hand side to dovetail with stellar talents Bruno Fernandes, Cavani and England colleague Marcus Rashford. 

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told ManUtd.com: "Jadon epitomises the type of player I want at this club - he is brilliantly exciting forward player in the best traditions of Manchester United.
"He will form an integral part of my team for years to come and we look forward to seeing him blossom - there is no better place for him to unleash his considerable talent. His goals, assists and attacking influence records speak for themselves and he will bring us pace, flair, and impetus to my squad."

Sancho's arrival at Old Trafford completes the final piece of Solskjaer's attacking puzzle, with the problematic right-wing issues now consigned to the history books. Not since a certain chap by the name of Cristiano have we had a right-winger worthy of the name, but now Sancho - who will take up the no.25 shirt at the club - will mean we have a proper, top class, out-and-out right sided player for the best part of a decade to come. Sancho had been linked with the iconic, exalted status of United's famous no.7 but Edinson Cavani - whom currently occupies the hallowed epitome of excellence - will now retain that number. 

United's newest recruit is currently on a well deserved holiday having played for England at the Euros but is expected to return in time to feature during pre-season ahead of our opener with Leeds on 14th August. 

Welcome to Manchester United, Jadon Sancho. Welcome to the biggest club in the world.

Manchester United sign four on deadline day.. but I'm not happy

Deadline day came and went in an unusually busy manner for Manchester United. Four players came through the Old Trafford entrance door but not one of them was named Jadon Sancho.

United had spent all summer pursuing and flirting with the object of their affections, with Dortmund setting their stall out very early in the summer. We knew the price, we knew what was needed to get him and we even had a timeframe to work to. Sancho wanted to come, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wanted him and Dortmund would have sold. All we had to do was pay the money. No instalments, no add on, just give them the money and he would have been ours. Sancho was United's number one target, a phenomenal young talent just waiting to become the talismanic figurehead of the Reds bright new era. He's slipped through our fingers and you can bet there will be a whole host of suitors queuing up to sign him next summer. United came last in a one horse race and may have missed their chance. 

Whether you feel Sancho, a generational talent and the elite winger United desperately needed, was worth the money, not signing him is a dereliction of duty. It's an embarrassment. A negligence of the highest order. We had three months to sign, seal and deliver the deal. We failed. Even our attempts at some semblance of an alternative was weak, ham fisted and half hearted. We may have dodged a bullet by not signing injury prone Ousmane Dembele, but even that - as United lurched from a loan deal to a permanent one, even being willing to pay without a medical, to nothing at all, just summed up the incompetence of this toxic hierarchy.

Even the winger we did get, Facundo Pellistri, left you feeling underwhelmed. Recommended by former United cult hero Diego Forlan, the 18-year-old arrives from Penarol in his native Uruguay as one for the future. So too does Atalanta's Amad Diallo. Promising, yes, but is this really where we are now? Solskjaer needs ready made players for the here and now, otherwise he won't be here to witness the success - or otherwise - of Traore and Pellistri. The latter signed on a four year deal for 9m, with the latter not arriving at Old Trafford until January. 

Alex Telles came in from Porto in what amounted to effectively a free transfer. Telles, a 27-year-old Brazilian with one cap, joins United on a four year deal but there's no fee because United recouped the £15m for Telles on Chris Smalling's move to Roma. The United centre-back had spent last season on loan in Serie A, and made his switch to the Eternal City permanent. Telles is an attack minded full-back with set piece prowess and will provide competition for Luke Shaw. Given the fact that Shaw always has a stint on the sidelines, Telles will get his chance. 

But if ever a transfer summed up the sheer ineptitude of this board, it is that of Edinson Cavani. Not content with not getting Sancho, the no.7 shirt that had been kept warm for him was instead handed to an ageing, injury prone veteran past his peak. Cavani could turn out to be another Zlatan-type masterstroke, but there's every chance he could be the next Alexis Sanchez or Radamel Falcao. Do this board not learn anything? How is this progressive, how is this a "cultural reset." We could have got him in April, instead we waited until the eleventh hour of deadline day to announce a signing that smacks of desperation. Cavani's been a free agent since March and the fact United had no competition for his signature should tell you everything you need to know. There's no denying the fact that Cavani has an impressive goal scoring record and heads PSG's goal charts with a double century. Five years ago, he'd have been great, but we're looking at a player whose star is on the wane. He signs for United on a one year deal with the option to extend for a further year.

Odion Ighalo leaves United in January so the Reds felt they needed another striker, with Cavani expected to go straight into the side in the three-game absence of the suspended Anthony Martial. 

None of these signings excite me and none of them, apart from possibly Telles, will improve us. Not only that, but its 2020 and still Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo are Manchester United players. We failed to shift Sergio Romero - surplus to requirements now with Dean Henderson firmly installed as our no.2 keeper.

Just think, if we'd even managed to even 30m for those three, we could have paid the extra money for Sancho. What a shambolic embarrassment. Not only have Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea improved their squads and strengthened, even the likes of Villa, Everton, Spurs, Leeds and Newcastle have shown more ambition. 

United may have signed five players this summer, but they still had the worst transfer window in living memory. 

Manchester United sign Donny van de Beek

It was a transfer concluded quietly, quickly and efficiently - words that can hardly ever be associated with Manchester United's dealings in the transfer market.
United and this board have a reputation for bumbling along and bungling up when it comes to negotiations, but this was done in a very un-Reds like way, with a minimum of fuss and concluded in a matter of days. Confidently, competently and quickly. Exactly how it should be. What is this - Manchester United making a sensible, clearly thought out, value for money signing in double quick time. What a time to be alive. 

Yet so it proved when it came to the signing of Donny van de Beek, a signing that none of us saw coming and one that came from nowhere. United had been monitoring the Dutchman for some time
, but - although Real Madrid had been in for him last summer - all the talk surrounding Jadon Sancho's potential move to Old Trafford meant this one caught us on the hop. Sancho remains United's number one target but talks have stalled over the size of the fee. Aston Villa's Jack Grealish was another option, but the west Midlands side wanted up to 85m for him. van de Beek is a cheaper, younger and better alternative to the claret and blue captain.

van de Beek has signed for United on a five year deal for a fee of £35m, rising to £40m in add ons as he becomes our first summer buy.

Regarded as one of the hottest properties in the game, van de Beek rose through the ranks of the Amsterdam giants, becoming a key cog as an exciting young Ajax side took Europe by storm, surprisingly surging to the Champions League semi finals off the back of a league and cup double two seasons ago. He also came off the bench against United in the Europa League final of 2017 but was unable to prevent his future employers winning 2-0. He hit double figures in both goals and assists, with ten and eleven respectively, before the Eredivisie was curtailed, in the season just gone.

Van de Beek played 175 times for Ajax, scoring 41 goals and catching the eye with his vision, work rate and link play. He has played for the national team at every age group and has been capped ten times for Oranje at senior level.
Educated in the nuances of the Dutch club's vaunted philosophy, van de Beek helped to reawaken the sleeping giants - dormant for two decades - as they fired back into life, with van de Beek playing a starring role in their revival with an eclectic mix of youth and experience

An archetypal box to box central midfielder, van de Beek (or VdB for short), can play as a six, an eight or a ten. He can sit deep or dictate play, and does everything a midfielder is supposed to do and does it very well. He's unlikely to play as an out and out attacking midfielder, given the presence of Bruno but can slot in alongside Pogba, dovetailing with the Portuguese magnifico and our enigmatic World Cup winner. United normally play 4-3-3 so he seems a perfect fit to slot in alongside those two, or we could play a diamond with two up top and bring in Nemanja Matic if you wanted a more defensive approach. His movement, pressing, pace and vision, coupled with an ability to find space, drifting between the lines to link defence with attack, is not something you can easily coach. From a lightweight and ponderous midfield to one of the most eye catching, impressive engine rooms in Europe, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's rebuild looks to be in the finest of fettles.

It became increasingly evident that Solskjaer did not trust his back up players, as proved by not making a change against Sevilla until the 87th minute. Van de Beek gives us options we didn't previous have, he can allow us to give Bruno Fernandes a breather if needed, the tactical flexibility as already mentioned, and also gives us quality off the bench if he doesn't play every game. We clearly needed better strength in depth.

van de Beek said: "I cannot begin to explain how incredible an opportunity this is, to join a club with such amazing history and tradition.
"I'm ready to take the next step in my career and perform at the highest level and standard. There is nowhere higher than Manchester United.
"This team has some of the best midfielders in the world, I know that I can learn from them but I also hope to bring my own strengths to the group.
"I have spoken to the manager about his vision for the team, the direction the club is going in is hugely exciting and I cannot wait to be a part of it."

Currently on international duty with the Netherlands, van de Beek is set to make his United debut in our Premier League opener against Crystal Palace in a fortnight.

Welcome to Manchester United, Donny van de Beek!

Player profile: New United signing Bruno Fernandes

So it's official. After weeks and months of wrangling, negotiating and deadlock, Bruno Fernandes is a Manchester United player. He brings with him a reputation as one of the most eye-catching attacking midfielders in Europe and will add some much quality and intelligence to a threadbare and slipshod side.

I knew nothing of this player before United came sniffing for him so why did we want him so badly and who exactly is he?

The Portuguese international, 25, can score goals, create and plays in midfield either as a 10 or an 8, and that pretty much says it all. With key injuries and a lack of threat in an area so crucial, Fernandes will seemingly fill a void that has desperately needed addressing.

Through 15 domestic games with former side Sporting Lisbon, Fernandes has eight goals and seven assists in league play alongside five goals and three assists in five Europa League ties.
Those numbers alone are eye-catchingly impressive but when we look at them compared to what we've got already, you will quickly see why we need someone like Fernandes in there. 

Dan James - 23 games (three goals, six assists)
Andreas Pereira - 21 games with one goal and three assists (awful)
Scott 'McSauce' - 17 games with three goals and one assist but he's out until February
Fred and Jesse 'Invisible Man' Lingard - 20 games and - wait for it - ZERO goals and NO assists
Juan Mata - 15 games no goals and two assists and Paul Pogba seven games but NO goals and two assists, out for 4-5 weeks

Fernandes began life in Italy with Novara in Serie B before making the step up to Udinese. 86 games and ten goals later, he was on the move to Sampdoria on a loan deal. Scored five times in 33 appearances.
In June 2017 he returned to his native homeland with Portuguese giants Sporting Lisbon for £8.5 million.
With Sporting, he became the player that everyone - fans, players, pundits, friends and foe alike - sat up and took notice of. His breakthrough season came last term when he plundered 20 goals in 33 games.

Fernandes could slot into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side as either an attacking midfielder, centrally in a 4-2-3-1, or an out and out midfielder who can play deeper but chip in with goals.
Currently, with the depleted state of our midfield, the attacking thrust just isn't there and we've had to rely on a more defensive system.
Fernandes give us a new attacking danger that been sorely conspicuous by its absence. In theory, once Pogba and McTominay return from injury, we'll have the most offensive minded engine room that we've had for many a year.

If used as a central midfielder his defensive contribution is solid if unspectacular, but we haven't signed him to do that job. In the past, having played there he is at his best when accompanied by someone more defensive. He's an accomplished passer of the ball and is not afraid to take risks in order to cut teams open or switch the play.

He comes to OT with a hefty price tag and even loftier expectations. Let's see what sort of impact he will have but - one thing's for sure - he can't be any worse than what we have now!

United complete Bruno Fernandes signing

So it's official. Bruno Fernandes is a Manchester United player. Yesterday we penned on these pages that a deal for the player had been agreed and shortly after 5pm on Thursday United confirmed the signing on a five and a half year deal.

Having strengthened the defence during the summer, it was blindingly obvious that we needed a creative spark and sprinkling of stardust to replace the departed Ander Herrera and the stricken duo of Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay. I very much hope that Fernandes will be that man.

Fernandes flew to Manchester yesterday and was pictured at Carrington in the iconic Red with his contract on the table having agreed personal terms and passed his medical. The Portuguese international is set to go straight into the squad for Saturday's Old Trafford meeting with the Old Gold of Wolves.
The initial fee for the 25-year-old is set at £47m but add ons could see that rise to around £67.7m. Nonetheless, he represents a significant upgrade to the side and hopefully this marks the end of Jesse Lingard's days as a regular. Fernandes can come in and dislodge both Lingard and Andreas Pereira from first team duty straight away. Capped 19 times by Portugal, he has scored twice and helped his team to UEFA Nations League glory and also played at the 2018 World Cup.

Bruno was a relative unknown when he arrived at Sporting Clube from Italian side Sampdoria but quickly became one of the most exciting and sought after players on the continent.  Fernandes won the Portuguese league's Player of the Year award back to back in 2018 and 2019.  Described by former Swansea manager and compatriot Carlos Carvalhal as a 'player from another level', and touted as a player with great leadership, his transfer - despite its protracted nature - had been expected for some time.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told ManUtd.com: "We have been tracking Bruno for a while now, and everyone here has been very impressed with all his attributes and what he will bring to this team.
"Most important he is a tremendous person with a great personality and his leadership qualities are clear for all to see. His goals and assist stats speak for themselves, he will be a fantastic addition to our team and will help us push on in the second half of the season.
"The winter break is coming at the perfect time for us to integrate Bruno into the squad and for him to get know his team mates."

Despite having already played for former side Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League, Fernandes will be eligible to turn out for us in that competition when it resumes next month with the "cup tied" rule having been abolished.

The signing of Fernandes is the biggest of the January window so far and he follows Marcos Rojo and compatriots Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani in making the move from the Portuguese capital to M16.

I don't know much about him but I'm told he's very good and I can't wait to see him in the Red of United. We don't know yet what squad number he will be given.

Welcome to Manchester United, Bruno Miguel Borges Fernandes.

Bem-vinda Bruno Fernandes: Man Utd (finally) get their man

Its been the longest running transfer saga of the January transfer window but Manchester United are finally set to land Portugal midfield Bruno Fernandes after a deal was agreed.
The 25-year-old will become the fourth player to make the move from Sporting Lisbon to Old Trafford following in the footsteps of Marcos Rojo and compatriots Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani.

After weeks of deadlock, procrastination and dithering akin to Brexit, it took reported interest from Barcelona (whether genuine or otherwise) for United's transfer negotiators to launch a final bid for the player, one that was finally accepted by the cash strapped Portuguese giants. Ironically, we ended up paying the same fee that Sporting originally wanted.

 Subject to the mere formalities of a medical and personal terms, the Reds have finally got their man. The signing is expected to be completed by Thursday, in time for the registration deadline so that he can go straight into the squad to play Wolves on Saturday.

 This should have been done weeks ago or even back in the summer, and despite the exciting signing it does not mask another awfully incompetent transfer window. Had it been done nice and quickly, we could've focused our attentions on another area of the team - with a striker the priority - instead of kicking our heels and dragging this out until the eleventh hour.

Nonetheless, you feel he will instantly be an upgrade on what we already have (surely anyone would be) and could prove the difference between the top four and another season in the second tier Europa League. If that's the case, he'll have fully justified his fee.

United will pay an initial fee of around 55m Euros (£47m) though add ons could increase the overall cost to 80m Euro (67.6m). Capped 19 times by Portugal, Fernandes has become one of the most sought after players on the continent and will add a sprinkling of stardust to a depleted United side lacking both quantity and quality.

Fernandes joined Sporting from Sampdoria for £7.2 million in 2017 and has gone on to plunder 64 goals in 137 appearances, winning the Portuguese Cup with the club last term.

So what do we know about this player? I'll be honest - not much, as it goes. Before United's interest in him, in fact I had never heard of him. Stats can be misleading but his make for impressive reading - 32 goals and 13 assists in 50 games as a no.10 in 2018-19 and eight goals with seven assists in only 17 appearances this season. United have badly needed a creative, attacking midfielder with Juan Mata a squad player but Andreas Pereira and Jesse Lingard not fit for purpose. United don't have a great track record with January signings often struggling to settle straight away - Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra a case in point - so we probably won't see the best of Bruno until next season. Fans have a tendency to demand instant gratification but patience will be needed.

A free-roaming, prolific goalscoring playmaker, Fernandes' passing, vision distribution and ability to spread the play have impressed and made him the apple of United's eye. His style of play has been compared to the likes of Toni Kroos, Koke and Marek Hamsik and he was a key man as Portugal swept to the inaugural UEFA National League title last season.

Welcome to Manchester United, Bruno Fernandes. Let's just hope he doesn't get given the number seven shirt...

Good riddance and thanks for nothing, Romelu Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku's 73m move to Inter Milan late on Deadline Day finally brought the curtain down on a forgettable two years at Old Trafford.
Lukaku's style was clearly at odds with the fast, incisive counter-attacking ethos that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to implement. That - coupled with the fact he missed training and leaked private data - spelt the end for Lukaku. Juventus had seemed his likely destination but when a swap with Paulo Dybala failed to materalise, Inter, who have been linked with him all summer, got their man.

He becomes the third most expensive signing by a Serie A club after the Juventus duo of Cristiano Ronaldo (£99.2m) and Gonzalo Higuain (£75.3m).

It represents great value for a player signed from Everton two years ago for only 2 million more than we sold him for, a player and striker supposed to be the figurehead of Jose Mourinho's new-look, new era Manchester United side. Signed as the marquee spearhead of the attack in the wake of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's departure, he arrived with a lofty price tag and even loftier expectations. So how will he be remembered at Old Trafford? Quite simply, as a player who was never good enough to wear the red of United. A catastrophe, in fact.

Lukaku hit 42 goals in 96 games for the club, but most of these were consolation strikes or tap ins at 3-0 up. He probably missed as many sitters as he did score.
However, 26% of his United goals - 11 out of 42 - came in the first two months of his Old Trafford career during a red hot start in which he scored ten goals in his first nine months. Every new relationship has a honeymoon period.

You can point to his brace against PSG as evidence of his importance to the club as a match-winner, but let's be honest - both were gifts that any striker worth his weight in gold should be putting away. Statistically he outscored everyone else during his time in Red, but then Djimi Traore won the Champions League so it goes to show stats can be misleading. Distorted somewhat further by the fact that he only scored more because he played every week whereas his contemporaries - Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial et al - were in and out of the team through injury.

He was injured tripping over the ball at Southampton, couldn't trap a bag of cement, can't run, doesn't put a shift in and always looked double the size he should be.
 His disaster class away at Valencia last season, albeit one in the final throes of the Mourinho era, came to epitomise Lukaku's time at the club. It was the worse individual performance I've ever had the misfortune to witness. It's also fair to say that Lukaku has not behaved very professionally whilst angling for a move away. He's missed training twice and publicly leaked private data, actions that saw him fined, left Solskjaer incensed and paved the way for his departure. 

He will be remembered as another expensive flop - up there with the likes of Angel Di Maria, Alexis Sanchez, Memphis Depay and Radamel Falcao. The latest in a long line of foreign exports to find the challenge of reinvigorating United one too much to ask.

To celebrate Lukaku's depature from Old Trafford, here is a video of him doing what he does best. Good riddance and thanks for nothing.

Lessons have been learned as United pull out of Dybala coup

United have finally shown we've learned our lesson after pulling out of the deal for Paulo Dybala with the forward's wage demands deemed excessive. Dybala's heart never seemed to be geared towards Old Trafford, and the Argentine will instead stay and fight for his place under new Juve boss Maurizio Sarri.

The swap deal - which also would have involved Romelu Lukaku - is certainly not the first time United have gone after a big name signing in the final throes of a transfer window. It was in not too dissimilar circumstances that a certain Angel Di Maria arrived as the club's then record signings back in 2014. A superstar Argentine forward interested only in the pound signs in front of his eyes, under a star-struck boardroom regime only wanting the shirt sales and sell on value such a signing can bring. Where have we heard that one before? It seemed like we were walking that road once again with the 25-year-old Argentina international but have come to our senses and, on reflection, made the right decision.

Di Maria came with a hefty price tag and even loftier expectations but turned into a flop during a catastrophic ten months in Manchester. He never wanted to come, was motivated only by the wages and used us a stepping stone to get his move to PSG.
  The Alexis Sanchez saga is further proof of what can happen when a player's demands cause the entire wage structure to become lopsided. Further proof, again, that lessons have been learned and wrongs are being righted.

There is no doubt Dybala would have represented a significant upgrade on Lukaku. A versatile, technically gifted, two-footed player capable of playing anywhere across the front line, it would have been an undoubted and surprising coup had we managed to land him. But I don't want any player at our club that doesn't want us, they need to want to play for the club and that seemed a major sticking point during the talks with Dybala, his agent and the club. Perhaps we've dodged a bullet.
This looked to have the grubby stamp of Ed Woodward all over it, unable to resist the big name, big money commercial signing that has become the United CEO's raison d'etre during his reign of terror.
It is a strategy that has become synoymous with the wider Old Trafford malaise. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made no secret of his preference for young British talent, Dybala did not seem to fit that philosophy so it stands to reason that United officials concluded further bids for Dybala would be a move away from that.

 Our need for a central midfielder is arguably greater than it is for a forward or winger with the window closing on Thursday. Lukaku has been left in limbo with United having turned down a bid for him from Inter Milan. With the emergence of Mason Greenwood and Angel Gomes during pre-season, United are likely to turn to youth should Lukaku leave without a replacement being signed.

Maguire comes with a hefty price tag but no doubt an upgrade

So it's official. Manchester United have finally got their man after agreeing an eye-popping 80m fee with Leicester for Harry Maguire.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had made the signing of a centre-back his top priority this summer and after what has seemed like an eternity, despite Leicester digging their heels in, Maguire is on his way to
Old Trafford. So badly was the 26-year-old needed, United have made him the world's most expensive defender, eclipsing the £75m paid by Liverpool for Virgil van Dijk back in 2018.

If Maguire goes on to have even half the impact of his centre-back cohort down the east Lancs road, then it's money well spent. He may be not worth even half the fee we have paid, but anything to keep Chris Smalling, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo as far away from the team as possible is fine by me. A one legged Maguire would be a significant upgrade on the defenders we already have at the club - Victor Lindelof aside. United have been in need of a dominant defensive force since Nemanja Vidic left for pastures new five years ago. Having watched the Chuckle Brothers - Old Trafford's survivors extraordinaire -   stealing a living through our fingers - for the best part of a decade, Maguire will certainly provide that. Calm, composed, strong in the air (no surprise with a head that size!) and a ball-playing centre back, he will complement the grit and guile of Lindelof perfectly. These two have to be our first-choice pairing it is as simple as that. Axel Tuanzebe has done well in pre-season and can provide the cover if needed as third choice.

Finally, after what seems like an eternity, United have a centre back pairing to trust and have confidence in. With the addition of two excellent young English full-backs on either side in Aaron Wan - Bissaka and Luke Shaw, the Reds backline looks in its rudest health for many a year. I'm a big fan of Eric Bailly, he is our best defender, but you can't rely on a player made of balsa wood.
Matthijs de Ligt was a non starter after our previous target went to Juve, and - although we could've had Toby Alderweireld - no doubt considerably superior to Maguire - you can see why Solskjaer plumped for the latter. We were priced out of a move for Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly.  Alderweireld would have been available for a paltry £25m, peanuts for a player considered one of the finest exponents of his craft. But he's 30, injury prone and would only be a short-term option, albeit a very good one. Maguire, on the other hand, is still only 26, appears a better fit long term and is also in keeping with Solskjaer's transfer raison d'etre of bringing the best of British to Old Trafford.
Maguire's aerial prowess also makes him stand out and he is considered one of the most consistent defenders in the league.

On average, he won an aerial battle once every 22 minutes for Leicester last term, better than both Lindelof and Jones (37 and 27 minutes respectively) and significantly better than Bailly (49 minutes). Smalling, though, won aerial duels slightly more regularly, once every 20 minutes last term, as per BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49208153

The rise and rise of Maguire - from Sheffield United to Leicester via Hull and England - to one of the biggest clubs in the world for a gargantuan transfer fee - is undoubtedly a great story. But his move to Old Trafford brings a kind of scrutiny that will be alien to the player. For that price tag, he will be expected to transform our defence in the manner Van Dijk has done for the Scousers. Not just plugging the cataclysmic chasm and the most glaring leaks, but doing so with a sense of calm and authority.
For a young man from England's Steel City who went with his mates to Euro 2016 to cheer on his country, his life has changed beyond all recognition.
The Slabhead Cometh.

The Slabhead Cometh: Harry Maguire to become world's most expensive defender

United finally look set to land manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's priority signing with the deadlock broken in our pursuit of centre-back Harry Maguire.

After having a 70m bid turned down earlier in the summer, United upped the ante and, after a game of tug and war in which Leicester dug their heels in, this time we look to have got our man.
Maguire, subject to the obligatory medical, will become our third summer signing after Aaron Wan - Bissaka and Daniel James. Despite other cheaper, arguably better, options being up for grabs elsewhere (Toby Alderweireld, anyone), the signing of Maguire continues Solskjaer's raison d'etre of bringing the best of British to Old Trafford.

United have not boasted a centre-back worthy of the name since Nemanja Vidic, and - although I'm not for one minute suggesting Maguire is anywhere near that level - he represents a significant upgrade on what we already have. Maguire, or Marcos Rojo and the Chuckle Brothers? It is a no brainer. With respect, anything to keep those three as far away from the team as possible is good with me.
There is no way on Planet Earth that Maguire is worth the money we have paid, but United's defence in its current state has more holes than a packet of Swiss cheese, so its needs must. It's been common knowledge that we've needed a centre back for what feels like an entirety, and that desperation no doubt contributed to the eye-watering sum Leicester demanded for the player. It is an epitome of the current transfer market that ten years ago, £80m would have got you Cristiano Ronaldo at his peak, now it gets you a Sheffield-born lad from Leicester with the most famous forehead in the land. How times have changed.

After years of watching Chris Smalling and Phil Jones's slapstick antics through our fingers, Maguire provides us with a calm, composed ball-playing centre back to slot in alongside United's "Iceman" Victor Lindelof. With the exciting addition of Wan - Bissaka on the right and double Player of the Year Luke Shaw on the other side, our backline looks to be in its rudest health for many a year.

He will become the world's most expensive defender with the fee to eclipse the 75m paid by Liverpool for Virgil Van Dijk - and let's hope the man affectionately known as 'Slabhead' has a similarly stellar impact for us. If that's the case, then Maguire will represent value for money.

Maguire became an unlikely cult hero during England's run to the World Cup semis last summer and his much-anticipated United move caps a meteoric rise to the upper echelons of the English game for the boy from Sheffield.

Three weeks ago, United were still assessing other options but slowly these had fallen by the wayside, leaving Maguire as the single option.
Solskjaer believes Maguire has not only the playing style but also the leadership qualities United's current squad requires.

 The Slabhead Cometh!

United’s full-back positions in safe hands again following exciting Wan-Bissaka signing

February 25, 2018. Crystal Palace are preparing for a Premier League game at home to Spurs. They have more players on the treatment table than they have available for selection and a crisis in defence.
Right-backs Joel Ward and Martin Kelly are both out. Reds loanee Timothy Fosu-Mensah is needed in central defence because so many other players are injured. Eagles manager Roy Hodgson hands a professional debut to a player few in the ground had even heard of: an English 20-year-old of Congolose heritage by the name of Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
 You’d have got long odds on that very same young man quickly becoming Manchester United’s fourth most expensive player ever. Only Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Angel Di Maria have cost us more. Exalted company indeed.



Fast forward a year, and Wan-Bissaka is now among the most sought-after young players in English football. He has the kind of vital statistics that make football’s data analysts drool, and the Croydon boy has burst on to the scene with a stunning breakthrough season in south London, his first full campaign at the top level. ‘Rapid rise’ hardly begins to cover it. Leading the way for tackles, take ons and interceptions, Wan – Bissaka, statistically at least, is the real deal.
The saying goes that you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone. Eight years on from the retirement of the last Manchester United full-back worthy of the name in Gary Neville, and following the signing of Wan - Bissaka, the Reds finally look set to once again possess a full-back that doesn’t make cover us our eyes in horror.
From the reckless Rafael, the consigned to oblivion Matteo Darmian via the never-quite-good-enough winger turned full-backs Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young, the United right-back berth has gone from a beautifully maintained, well trodden footpath of Neville and co. to a polluted and abandoned wasteland in recent years.

Consigned to the history books are the days of craned necks as Young’s umpteenth cross ends up ten rows back in the Stretford End, and the howls of derision as another corner trundles tamely into the shins of the nearest opposition defender. Gone for good is United’s penchant for the makeshift, the make do and mend that has epitomised our fall from grace. No disrespect to Messrs Valencia and Young – both loyal and long-serving – but both have become synonymous with United’s dated mentality.

Wan-Bissaka may be, in my view, £20m overpriced after one season at this level but, still only 21, he is both our present and our future. The second summer signing in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s new, fresh transfer policy of recruiting the cream of young British talent, Wan – Bissaka is well equipped to serve United for more than a decade. When you look at it like that, and consider the fact that his fee probably reflects the current going rate for any decent full-back, then 50 million doesn’t look so steep after all. If Juan Bissaka is worth that much, then what’s the demand for two Wan-Bissaka’s (sorry, see what I did there?).

Worlds apart from the moribund mob that masqueraded as their predecessors, the prospect of Wan-Bissaka in tandem with Diogo Dalot (one year AWB’s junior), is enough to have United fans excited again. Regarded as two of the best young attacking full-backs on the continent, the pair – together with Player of the Year Luke Shaw – will ensure that United’s full-back positions are in rude health again. There is lots to admire about Solskjaer’s Old Trafford ideology, now we just need to crack on with getting a midfielder and a centre back or two.

Manchester United sign Aaron Wan - Bissaka

Manchester United have completed the signing of highly-rated Crystal Palace full-back Aaron Wan - Bissaka for £45m plus add ons. 

Although either club are yet to officially announce the deal, Wan - Bissaka had his medical on Thursday and was then pictured in a United shirt before signing a five-year contract. Although the price tag seems hefty for a player with only one full season under his belt, it represents value for money as the going rate for any decent full-back in the modern market. Throw in the fact that Wan - Bissaka is still only 21, he could be at United for over a decade and it looks a bargain.

The thought of him in tandem with Diogo Dalot, one year his junior, is an exciting prospect and the pair of them - together with Player of the Year Luke Shaw - means that United's full-back positions are in the best health since Gary Neville.

Wan - Bissaka becomes United's second summer buy and continues the trend of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's revamped transfer policy in bringing the cream of emerging British talent to Old Trafford. Both he and Daniel James are young, hungry and have everything to prove.
Solskjaer may not be the right man to take United forward, but at least he has a clear plan in mind for the foreseeable future, which is more than can be said for any of his more illustrious precedessors.

So what does AWB bring to the table - what exactly is it that has persuaded the Old Trafford hierarchy to bring the player to United. An analyst's dream, he is - statistically at least - the best full-back on the continent. Leading the way in tackles, take ons and interceptions, it has been a rapid rise for the Croydon boy of Congolese descent.

Defensively, Wan-Bissaka is one of the most sought after players in Europe. He has made more successful tackles – where possession of the ball is regained or the ball goes out of play – than any other player in the top five European leagues this season, with 129. Every other player who ranks anywhere near him is a central midfielder, with his closest-challenging full-back Leicester’s Ricardo Pereira. On top of this, he was only dribbled past 7 times out of 35 Premier League games he played all season and never more than once in a single game. What United get with the money then is arguably one of the best defensive full backs in Europe. Furthermore, he has an average tackle succession rate of 3.7 per game, again, one of the highest for any defender in The Premier League. Wan-Bissaka therefore, represents to be a stellar defensive signing for United.


 Offensively, he does like to bomb forward, yet this side of his game can improve with more experience. He impressively made 56 crosses into the opposition penalty area in just 35 Premier League matches, creating 14 chances but only assisting 3 goals. However, with better offensive players at United, this will significantly improve his chances of getting better acclaim for his contribution to goals. Along with a passing accuracy of 73%, these statistics are eye-catching, considering he completed this in a mid-table team like Crystal Palace.
Wan-Bissaka represents to be a smart move by Manchester United; Young, hungry and talented, he has all the attributes needed to take his game to the next level and can replicate to Solskjaer what the famous Gary Neville did during his time in that position for Sir Alex Ferguson -  defensively sound with an eagerness to create chances and score goals. A valuable addition to an out-of-date squad.

It is thought that he will don the number 29 shirt at United, just as he did for Palace. Welcome to Manchester United, Aaron Wan - Bissaka. 

Daniel James signing bucks Man Utd trend

Manchester United pretty much announced their first signing of the summer on Friday, welcoming Swansea City winger Daniel James to the club. The 21-year-old earned plaudits for his performances in the second half of the season in the Championship, particularly drawing attention after his FA Cup display against eventual winners Manchester City.
Now moving to the upper echelons of the English elite, he fits the profile of a seemingly new vision of young, untapped potential  for the future that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer wants to bring to Manchester United. Players who will fight until the death and strain every sinew for the badge on the shirt rather than the sole motivation of an overinflated pay packet.

While that makes for exciting news when considered alongside the traditions of England’s largest club, it differs with recent signings in the sense that James is unlikely to immediately be a key player for United, but instead offer a tactical threat and more options. For so long, United and Ed Woodward's transfer raison d'etre has been a penchant for the big name, quick fix, don't-really-need X Factor Galactio. Think Memphis Depay, Angel Di Maria, Alexis Sanchez, Radamel Falcao and Bastian Schweinsteiger to name but five. All players that arrived at United with a hefty price tag and even loftier expectations, but all failed to live up to the hype.

 The addition of James bucks this trend as an emerging young British talent for the future - a winger that we've so obviously and clearly have needed now for the best part of a decade. With a deal for Aaron Wan - Bissaka of Crystal Palace potentially in the pipeline, it's a transfer strategy that goes against the grain of how this Glazer-led regime have gone about their business.

Arguably joining the club as the only proper winger in the squad, James boasts all the qualities of an excellent modern winger, with blistering pace and trickery, two-footedness, and the ability to move wide and cross or cut inside and involve himself in plays. This combination of traits could make him difficult for any opposing fullback. Combined with his penchant for heavy work rate and defensive contribution, this will alleviate some of the woeful fitness and distance records recorded by United last season.
In terms of expectations, the Welshman can be expected to feature more than recent young signings Diogo Dalot and Victor Lindelof in their respective debut seasons, but he would not slot into the side as the likes of Paul Pogba and Eric Bailly did when they joined under Jose Mourinho.

With Alexis set to be given the chance to banish his United woe, James will primarily be competing with Anthony Martial for the left-wing berth. The impressive Welshman can also play wide right, as a number ten and through the middle as a striker.

I'm really looking forward to seeing what James has to offer at Old Trafford. His squad number will be announced in due course.

Confirmed: Daniel James is a Man Utd player

So it's official. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has made his first signing as Manchester United manager with the capture of Daniel James from Swansea.

We penned on these pages a few days ago that a deal for the Welsh winger was imminent, and the 21 year old's £15m switch from Championship Swansea was confirmed today. James joins United on a five-year deal, he's certainly one for the future and we can't wait to see him in Red in 2019-20.



Swansea academy graduate James scored five goals in 38 appearances during a breakthrough 2018-19 season.
"This is one of the best days of my life," he said.
 James added: "This is one of the best days of my life and a challenge I am really looking forward to. The Premier League is the best league in the world and Manchester United is the perfect place for me to continue to develop as a player.

This is an incredibly proud moment for me and my family; however, it is tinged with sadness that my father isn’t able to share this experience with us. I am looking forward to working with Ole, meeting the team and getting started.”

James, whose father Kevan died suddenly last month, started both of Wales' recent Euro 2020 qualifying defeats by Croatia and Hungary under Ryan Giggs.
He scored his first Wales goal on his competitive debut in a 1-0 win against Group E rivals Slovakia in March.

Jumping from the second tier to the Premier League could take some adjustment but it's hardly unprecedented. Several of United's greatest ever players - Steve Bruce, Denis Irwin, Roy Keane and Peter Schmeichel came from the lower leagues - and look at Liverpool's Andy Robertson who signed from Hull.

A direct winger bursting with pace and trickery, 2018-19 proved a breakthrough season for the Welsh international. He scored five times and claimed ten assists in a eye catching debut campaign for the Swans, and earned widespread plaudits for his display against Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter finals.

 United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told the club website: Daniel is an exciting young winger with lots of skills, vision, exceptional pace and a good work ethic. He had a great season with Swansea City and has all the attributes needed to become a Manchester United player.
“We are delighted he has signed with our club and we are all looking forward to working with him. This is the perfect environment for Daniel to continue his development.”