Category: Footy News

Former Manchester United graduate Danny Higginbotham feels Manchester United made a mistake selling the likes of Michael Keane and Jonny Evans during Louis van Gaal’s reign at Old Trafford.

The Dutchman was responsible for overseeing a transition at the Mancunian giants, and this saw the likes of Keane, Evans, Robin van Persie, Angel di Maria, Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck shown the exit door.

Whilst United are currently in a good stead under Jose Mourinho, Higginbotham believes United were wrong to offload Keane and Evans as they could have evolved into instrumental players for the club. Keane never got his chance to impress under Van Gaal, and he was loaned out to Burnley in September 2014, before sealing his permanent move a couple of months later.

The England international has since moved on to Everton for around £30m, and he looks set to play a pivotal role in their progress under Ronald Koeman. Meanwhile, Evans was offloaded to Tony Pulis’ West Bromwich Albion back in the summer of 2015, and he has since been identified as one of the most consistent centre-backs in the division.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho has dismissed suggestions that Galatasaray are close to signing Marouane Fellaini this summer.

The Special One insists that the Belgium international is ‘too important’ for his squad after the 29-year-old found the scoresheet in the 3-0 friendly win over Valerenga on Sunday.

Galatasaray sporting director CenkUrgun recently told the press that the club would be pushing through a deal for Fellaini with the midfield enforcer heading through the Old Trafford exit door, he said: “There will be surprises, we are in talks with Fellaini. We have made an approach, we are close and if we get Fellaini we will end our pursuit of N’Diaye. We need a player like Fellaini who can shuttle around in midfield.”

However, following the Valerenga game, Mourinho has maintained his stance that Fellaini is not for sale while insisting the Turkish giants have a better chance of signing him than the Belgian in terms of probability, he said: “It’s easier for Galatasaray to get me than Marouane. If they need a manager, they have a chance, but Marouane? Forget it. He is too important to me.”

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed that defensive trio Luke Shaw, Ashley Young and Marcus Rojo will miss the start of the new campaign.

In spite of their respective injuries, Mourinho has allowed the players board the plane to the United States, where they have been cheering for their teammates in pre-season games.

The Red Devils have won all three of their pre-season games in convincing fashion including the 2-0 victory over rivals Manchester City on Wednesday, but Mourinho is still eager to add at least one signing to his ranks with the midfield, in particular, in need of strengthening ahead of the 2017/18 season.

Prior to United’s pre-season game against Real Madrid, Mourinho delivered an injury update on his players, where he clarified that Shaw, Young and Rojo would all miss the start of the Premier League season next month. Out of the three, however, Shaw could be the earliest to return to first-team action while Rojo could be the lengthier absentee as he continues to recover from a serious knee injury.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has insisted that he was not directly involved in a deal which saw Romelu Lukaku arrive at Old Trafford this summer.

The Belgium footballer was officially signed earlier in the week after United paid up an initial £75m to pursue his services from Everton.

Lukaku bagged 25 goals in the English top-flight last season, and he would have been named the Golden Boot winner, had Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane not come with a flurry of goals in the final weeks of the campaign.

A reunion between Lukaku and Mourinho had looked far-fetched for the past couple of months, but the Red Devils managed to find a breakthrough in negotiations after executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward sealed the deal with the Merseyside outfit.

“The reason why he was so important and difficult to get is what he did in the Premier League because obviously there are other good strikers in football but the Premier League is a very specific habitat, a different habitat, normally they need some time to adapt and Lukaku plays in Premier League for the last four or five seasons,” Mourinho told reporters.

Manchester United will have to cough up a sum of around £50m if they are to pursue the signature of Tottenham Hotspur ace Eric Dier this summer.

The England international has integrated well into the Spurs’ squad, which has come close to lifting the Premier League title in recent seasons. Despite the progress, Dier is not entirely satisfied with his stay in north London as he has been often deployed in the backline rather than his preferred central midfield position.

As a result, speculation over his future has intensified in recent weeks with Manchester United emerging as potential contenders to secure his signature this summer, The Telegraph reports. Jose Mourinho is eyeing a long-term successor to Michael Carrick, and the England international has been earmarked at the perfect fit for the role owing to his age and experience. Carrick, 35, is likely to be limited with his first-team opportunities next season, and his successor will get the chance to cement himself as a regular at the centre of the park.

Manchester United have reportedly finalised the long-awaited transfer of defender Victor Lindelof from Portuguese giants Benfica.

The Sweden international will link up with the Red Devils for an undisclosed fee once he undergoes the necessary formalities later in the month. The 22-year-old had been on the United radar since the festive period, but Jose Mourinho was reluctant to push through a deal in January as he felt it would unsettle his current crop of players who had maintained a long unbeaten league streak.

Portuguese outlet Record recently suggested that the deal is near completion and the Europa League holders have reacted to the speculation by making an official announcement regarding the progress, the statement read: “Manchester United is pleased to announce that it has reached agreement with Benfica for the transfer of Victor Lindelof, subject to a medical examination, international clearance and personal terms. A further announcement will be made once the transfer is complete.”

It is like the story of a once respected and revered hunter – the kind you get to read of in folk tales – till he all of a sudden falls off the cliff of his elevated status and even becomes ridiculed for not able to catch a common mouse.

Old age or angry gods are common causes of such misfortune. Either way a living legend dies.

David Moyes might not be as old as our referenced elder nor can we say some resident Everton deities may be angry with him but a careful look at the timeline of the Glaswegian’s managing career offers a tempting urge to point out a pattern of fate between our dear Scot and hunter.

David is a manager who the words “hardworking and dedicated” must have been bestowed upon more than most football managers out there. His achievement at Everton where he stayed put for eleven solid years formed a strong foundation for such adulations.

Unfortunately for him, the credibility of those adjectives became more scrutinized and questioned the moment he put his signature on Manchester United’s appointment letter.

Jose Mourinho says that Manchester United are not focusing on the Premier League games anymore, as they want to win the Europa League.

The club have qualified for the Europa League final after beating Celta de Vigo 2-1 on aggregate. Victory in this competition represents the only opportunity for United to qualify for the Champions League group stages next season. Losses against Arsenal and Tottenham mean that they will not be able to finish in the top four irrespective of the results in the remaining two matches. United suffered a 2-1 defeat at White Hart Lane on Sunday.

Jose Mourinho defended his team by saying that the club’s concentration has shifted from the premier league to the European competition largely due to the lack of players. A number of injury problems has meant that United’s squad is reduced to just 15 top players.

José Mourinho has admitted that he is not sure about striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic remaining at Old Trafford next season. The striker has faced a major injury that will rule him out of 2017.

He is not expected to come back until December of this year. The serious knee injury suffered against Anderlecht has also raised suspicion that the striker may not decide to extend his contract with the club. He has reportedly been offered a new two year contract, but suffering a major injury in the mid-30s has finished the careers of several players.

Even Ibrahimovic has faced little issues over the course of the campaign, the club are thought to be considering the possibility of extending his contract. United have been linked with a number of strikers over the last few months. Andrea Belotti has also joined in this list with the Torino forward reportedly being one of the top targets for the club.