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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admits Daniel James could leave Manchester United

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has refused to rule out the possibility of Daniel James leaving the club in the final two days of the summer transfer window.

The 23-year-old found first-team chances hard to come by last season, making just 15 Premier League appearances, but he has started two of Man United’s three outings so far in 2021-22.

However, the imminent arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford is expected to knock James further down the pecking order, and Solskjaer has acknowledged that the return of the five-time Ballon d’Or winner could have a knock-on effect on other players’ futures.

“I’m not going to discuss individual players and names,” Solskjaer told reporters when asked about James’s future.

“There have been a couple of enquiries for some of our players and with the signing of Cristiano we may give less playing time to a few. Dan is a Man United player at the moment.”

Everton, Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United and Crystal Palace have all been credited with an interest in the Welsh winger, although Man United would only be willing to sanction a loan exit.

The future of Jesse Lingard is also up in the air, with West Ham United rumoured to be lining up a late £15m bid for their former loanee.

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Mason Greenwood makes Wolves pay for missed chances

Mason Greenwood continued his electric start to the season as his late strike snatched Manchester United a 1-0 victory at Wolves.

Greenwood’s third goal in three games made the hosts pay for a string of missed chances and also saw United set a new all-time English football record by extending their unbeaten away record to 28 matches.

But United needed David De Gea’s sensational second-half stop from Romain Saiss to give them the platform for victory.

It capped a dramatic week at Old Trafford after United agreed a deal with Juventus to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to the club, 12 years after he left for Real Madrid.

They rode their luck at Molineux as Wolves – who have now had 57 shots in the Premier League without scoring this season – suffered Groundhog Day.

Bruno Lage’s side lost their opening two games 1-0 to Leicester and Tottenham and were left empty handed again.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka cleared Francisco Trincao’s shot off the line, Raul Jimenez was denied by De Gea and Trincao missed a fine second-half chance.

But United carved out victory against the run of play as they prepare to mark Ronaldo’s return.

Wolves’ rapid start began when Adama Traore burst forward after intercepting Fred’s loose pass and found Jimenez, only for De Gea to save with his legs.

Fred’s nightmare start continued when he failed to cut out Ruben Neves’ pass on the break and then could not stop Trincao muscling past him into the area.

The Barcelona loanee beat De Gea and only Wan-Bissaka’s brilliant recovery denied him a first Premier League goal.

Wolves’ rapid start – inspired by Traore – was only aided by United’s mistakes and Jadon Sancho’s miscued header presented Joao Moutinho with a chance which he volleyed over.

The hosts had failed to score in their opening two games, despite having 42 shots, and their profligacy underlined why they had moved for striker Hee Chan Hwang.

The South Korea international watched from the stands after joining on loan, with a £13million option to buy, from RB Leipzig.

Debutant Raphael Varane endured a busy introduction to the Premier League but stood firm against the ferocity of Wolves’ tempo, underlining why United shelled out £34million for the former Real Madrid man.

At the front United lacked ingenuity and ideas and, while Bruno Fernandes smashed past Jose Sa six minutes before the break he was comfortably offside.

It was a rare moment of respite for the visitors but Greenwood still drilled wide to warn Wolves, despite their dominance, United were ready to punish them.

Another blank would have been a worry for Lage at the break and United underlined their own attacking riches by bringing on Edinson Cavani for Daniel James early in the second half.

Solskjaer’s side stabilised and Fred fired at Sa but Wolves missed another guilt-edged chance after 63 minutes.

Traore was found by Jimenez and he teed up Trincao, only for the forward – unmarked 15 yards out – to miscue his effort and it trickled wide.

Wolves appeared to be edging closer and it took a wonder-save from De Gea to stop them from opening the scoring with 21 minutes left.

Saiss rose to meet Moutinho’s corner and De Gea parried his header but the defender looked certain to score the follow up, only for the goalkeeper to brilliantly parry his shot from point blank range.

It proved pivotal as Greenwood snatched victory with 10 minutes left, to leave Wolves fuming.

Pogba and Neves went in for a 50-50 tackle with the ball running to Varane and he found Greenwood who cut inside on the right and beat Sa from the angle.

Wolves’ protests that Pogba fouled Neves were rejected by Mike Dean as they slipped to another defeat.

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Manchester United submit official bid for Cristiano Ronaldo

News broke earlier on Friday that the Red Devils had hijacked Manchester City’s move for the 36-year-old, leapfrogging their local rivals in the race for his signature as City ended their interest.

Talks between Man United and Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes only began on Thursday evening, while a series of messages from the Portuguese forward’s former Old Trafford teammates helped to sway him towards a move back to the red half of Manchester.

The 36-year-old had looked destined to join United’s local rivals Manchester City in a £25m deal, after telling current club Juventus that he wants to leave before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.

However, in a remarkable turn of events Man City have since pulled out of the running to sign Ronaldo, with United now the clear front-runners for his signature.

Talks between the two parties only began on Thursday night, but they have advanced quickly and ESPN reports that a series of WhatsApp messages between Ronaldo and a number of his former teammates at Old Trafford helped to convince him to return.

The report claims that Ronaldo was warned that his Manchester United legacy and the esteem in which he is held by the club’s fans would be irrevocably damaged if he joined their cross-town rivals.

A contract proposal has also been sent to Mendes, with Man United offering Ronaldo a two-year deal until June 2023.

While none of the ex-teammates have been named, now-Derby County boss Wayne Rooney hinted on Thursday that Ronaldo joining Man City would damage his reputation as a Man United legend.

The Red Devils are now confident of pulling off a sensational return for the forward on a two-year deal for the transfer window closes on Tuesday.

Ronaldo made 292 appearances for Man United between 2003 and 2009, scoring 118 goals and helping the club to three Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League crown.

With the five-time Ballon d’Or winner now pushing for a return, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Man United have submitted a formal offer of €25m (£21.4m) plus add-ons to Juventus, who are understood to be holding out for a fee of around £25m.

Since leaving for Madrid, the prolific Portuguese attacker has netted 551 times at club level, while Man United’s leading scorer in the same timeframe is Rooney with 156

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Marcus Rashford back in Manchester United training

Marcus Rashford is already back training with Manchester United despite only undergoing an operation on a long-standing shoulder issue earlier this month.

The 23-year-old has been unavailable for selection for his side’s first two matches of the 2021-22 campaign due to the surgery that occurred in the early stages of August.

Rashford is unlikely to be able to make his return until October at the earliest, but Man United have released footage of the England international on the grass at Carrington.

“He seemed very happy with the surgery. He’s working in the gym. We see him every day so he’ll be chomping at the bit when it gets nearer to the time when he can come back,” Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said at the weekend when questioned on the attacker’s progress.

Rashford, who made five appearances for England at Euro 2020, scored 21 goals and registered 15 assists in 57 appearances at club level during the 2020-21 season.

Man United will be looking to return to winning ways in the Premier League when they travel to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday afternoon.

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Manchester United in pole position to sign Erling Braut Haaland next summer

Manchester United are reportedly at the head of the queue for Erling Braut Haaland‘s signature in the summer of 2022.

The Norwegian starlet seems set to remain at Borussia Dortmund for the 2021-22 season, with Chelsea understood to have had a proposal turned down while the Black and Yellow can afford to play hardball over a fee.

However, Haaland’s £68m release clause will be active by the time the next summer window rolls around, and an intense battle for his services is set to commence at the end of this season.

According to Bild, Haaland will “definitely” be on his way out of Dortmund after the current campaign, and United are in pole position to sign the former Red Bull Salzburg man.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was tipped to bring his compatriot to Old Trafford earlier in the summer, but Edinson Cavani’s contract extension allowed United to prioritise other areas in the transfer window.

Haaland has already claimed five goals and three assists from four appearances in all competitions this season, taking his total tally in Dortmund colours to 62 goals and 18 assists from 63 games.

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Chelsea to hijack Manchester United move for Atletico Madrid’s Saul Niguez

Chelsea are reportedly planning a last-minute attempt to hijack Saul Niguez‘s proposed move to Manchester United from Atletico Madrid.

The Spaniard has allegedly been told that he is free to leave the Wanda Metropolitano this summer, and a recent report claimed that he was set to join Man United ‘imminently’.

However, with other Premier League clubs being alerted to his availability, it appears that the Red Devils have a fight on their hands to secure Saul’s services in the next week.

According to The Guardian, Chelsea are considering a late loan move for Saul, with Thomas Tuchel keen to bolster his midfield options after sending Billy Gilmour out on loan to Norwich City.

The report adds that Danny Drinkwater, Tiemoue Bakayoko and Ross Barkley may have to be offloaded before a bid for Saul can be lodged, though, and United are still thought to be at the head of the queue.

Despite struggling for starts last term, Saul has played the full 90 minutes in both of Atletico’s La Liga games so far this season, claiming the assist for Angel Correa’s second goal in their opening-day win over Celta Vigo.

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Result: Mason Greenwood earns Manchester United a draw at Southampton

Mason Greenwood sealed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side a hard-fought point at Southampton as Manchester United equalled the top-flight’s longest unbeaten away record.

The first match in front of a full St Mary’s crowd in almost 18 months also saw these sides do battle for the first time since Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men conceded nine without reply at Old Trafford in February.

There was no further humiliation on Sunday as Saints put in a promising performance, taking the lead when Che Adams’ strike deflected in off Fred before Greenwood secured a 1-1 draw and United’s place in the history books

Solskjaer’s side went the whole of last season without losing a league game on the road and this result on the south coast took their unbeaten league away run to 27 matches, putting them level with Arsenal in 2003/04.

Saints threatened to stop that run on Sunday and went into half-time ahead, having stood firm during a strong start by the visitors before Adams ended a fine team move with a strike from the edge of the box that went in off Fred.

Bruno Fernandes was furious that Jack Stephens was not punished for a foul in the build-up, but his mood improved 10 minutes into the second half when Greenwood struck through a crowd.

United tapered off after a strong start to the second period, with summer signing Adam Armstrong having a couple of chances to fire Saints to a first home win against United since 2003.

James Ward-Prowse had the first effort of the game when forcing David De Gea into action with a long-range free-kick, but United settled and somehow failed to score seven minutes in.

Harry Maguire and Paul Pogba strained to reach a Fernandes set piece, with the ball looping onto the bar before Mohammed Salisu blocked Anthony Martial’s headed follow-up and impressive teenager Tino Livramento cleared.

Greenwood dragged wide from distance and Salisu blocked a Pogba strike as the visitors continued strongly, with the France midfielder then heading over a Luke Shaw free-kick.

Southampton were angered by a break in play after Moussa Djenepo accidentally caught Greenwood in the face, but it worked in their favour as it allowed them to regather their thoughts.

Armstrong bent over from the edge of the box following some Djenepo stepovers, with St Mary’s erupting in the 30th minute.

Fernandes was furious having felt he was fouled on the right by Stephens, who left the Portuguese in a heap and continued to fizz across to Djenepo. The winger’s first-time ball was smartly flicked on by Armstrong to Adams, who took a couple of touches and struck home from 20 yards via a deflection off Fred

Fernandes was booked for his remonstrations with the officials after the goal and Saints threatened a second, with Livramento superbly bursting down the right only to just overhit a cross.

Alex McCarthy denied a close-range Nemanja Matic header shortly before half-time, which started with Southampton apologising to supporters and promising refunds after thousands of fans’ entry was delayed.

Jan Bednarek came on for Theo Walcott at the break as Saints went to a three-man backline, which was holding its breath when United appealed for handball after a Pogba effort struck Salisu.

Armstrong sent over a smart cross and Livramento lashed over at the other end, before United levelled in the 55th minute

Pogba poked a Fernandes ball on to Greenwood, whose shot beat McCarthy and found the back of the net in front of the raucous travelling support.

Jadon Sancho replaced Anthony Martial and Pogba was soon leading the Southampton defence a merry dance before hitting a left-footed shot just across the face of goal.

Greenwood headed onto the roof of the net and McCarthy produced an unorthodox save to deny a Fernandes header.

Until that point De Gea had precious little to do but came to the rescue in the 73rd minute. Pressing Ward-Prowse took the ball off Maguire and Adams threaded through Armstrong to get a shot on goal.

The Saints new boy wasted a great chance shortly after when Adams glanced on a corner to him at the far post, but he failed to get a telling touch on it.

De Gea punched a Ward-Prowse free-kick clear as Saints ended the match on top to earn a deserved point.

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Manchester United offer Paul Pogba £400k-a-week contract

Paul Pogba reportedly has a £400k-a-week contract offer on the table as Manchester United seek to tie him down to fresh terms.

The former Juventus man is yet to commit his future to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side beyond 2022, with Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain ready and waiting to pounce should he become available on a free transfer.

United are thought to be desperate to extend Pogba’s stay at the club, although the World Cup-winning Frenchman is supposedly in no rush to make a decision on his next career move.

according to The Athletic, Pogba has been offered a new deal worth £400k per week until the summer of 2025, which would take him past David de Gea as the club’s highest earner.

However, the report adds that the midfielder is unlikely to sign a new deal before the end of the current transfer window, but he is of the view that United now have a squad capable of competing for the biggest honours.

Pogba assisted four of United’s five goals in last week’s Premier League win against Leeds United and has also found the back of the net 38 times in 207 games for the Red Devils.

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Paul Pogba will not sign new Manchester United deal this month

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba will not sign a new deal with the Red Devils during the current transfer window, according to a report.

The France international is now in the final year of his existing contract with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, who are desperate not to lose him for free in the summer of 2022.

Paris Saint-Germain continue to be credited with an interest in Pogba, although the arrival of Lionel Messi is thought to have scuppered any chances of a move in August.

Solskjaer supposedly remains keen to tie the midfielder down to a new deal, but the Daily Mail claims that Pogba is in no rush to agree fresh terms or decide his future.

The report adds that United chiefs want Pogba to stay on until at least 2025, and he could expect a rise on the £290k a week he currently pockets in Manchester, but there is very little chance of the former Juventus man deciding his future this month.

The 28-year-old set up four of Man United’s five goals in a 5-1 drubbing of Leeds United at the weekend, and PSG are rumoured to be preparing a mammoth £510k-a-week deal for the Frenchman should he run down his United contract

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BRUNO FERNANDES SCORES OPEN DAY HAT-TRICK AS MAN UTD TRASH LEEDS

Manchester United enjoyed a dream start to the season as Bruno Fernandes’ hat-trick rocked rivals Leeds after Raphael Varane was paraded in front of Old Trafford’s first full house in 17 months.

The atmosphere was crackling as the ground welcomed a sell-out crowd for Saturday’s Premier League clash and the din increased several notches when their new signing was introduced before kick-off.

Varane’s arrival from Real Madrid was followed by a breathless Premier League triumph, with Fernandes’ treble complemented by Mason Greenwood and Fred goals as Man United thrashed old foes Leeds 5-1.

The Portuguese put Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men ahead at the break, only for Luke Ayling’s stunner to level things for Marcelo Bielsa’s men early in the second half.

But the Leeds right-back’s first Premier League goal proved a mere footnote as the visitors unravelled spectacularly.

Greenwood scored smartly from an exquisite Pogba pass, before a hopeful Fernandes effort was adjudged to have crossed the line and he then completed his hat-trick with an unerring finish.

Fred added a fifth as Pogba provided his fourth assist of an afternoon when Solskjaer’s name echoed around a buzzing Old Trafford.

The result continued Leeds’ long wait for a league win at Old Trafford, where the hosts translated the intense atmosphere onto the pitch.

Greenwood looked lively from the outset and followed a 25-yard effort with a more fortunate attempt on goal as Pascal Struijk’s clearance hit him and threatened to loop over Illan Meslier.

The 19-year-old was involved again as the hosts had their best chance of the first half, with Pogba following a superb stepover when up against Leeds’ goalkeeper by directing narrowly wide.

That appeared to jolt the visitors, roared on by 3,000 travelling fans, into life, with David De Gea producing an important save to deny Mateusz Klich before Rodrigo powered a header wide from a fine free-kick.

But Man United would break the deadlock on the half-hour mark as Pogba expertly clipped a first-time ball through to Fernandes, who took a touch and squeezed past Meslier.

Luke Shaw struck just wide of the near post and Daniel James went close before the first half came to a close.

Bielsa turned to debutant Junior Firpo at the break and Leeds made a superb start to the second half.

The hosts were caught napping from a throw-in and right-back Ayling capitalised in style, taking aim from 25 yards to thump expertly into the top left-hand corner.

But Man United regularly showed their mental toughness last season and hit back with two goals in quick succession.

First Pogba put Greenwood behind the Leeds backline with an outstanding pass and the teenager hit a low strike off the far post in the 52nd minute.

Solskjaer’s side had the bit between their teeth and pulled further ahead in the 53rd minute as goal-line technology ruled Fernandes hopeful strike had crossed the line before Ayling could clear.

Things swiftly went awry for Leeds, who were picking the ball out of the back of their net again in the 60th minute.

Victor Lindelof sent a fine, direct ball from the back and Fernandes watched it over his shoulder before expertly rifling it beyond Meslier in front of the Stretford End.

A video assistant referee check for offside was cleared and punch drunk Leeds struggled to regain their composure, with fans turning their anger on substitute Jadon Sancho as they chanted ‘you let your country down’.

They were soon silenced by unlikely goalscorer Fred, who turned home a Pogba cross to apply salt to the wounds in the 68th minute.

The majority of 72,732 in attendance were in dreamland and would welcome Sancho for his debut as the match wound down.

Greenwood went close to making it six before Raphinha drilled wide on an afternoon to forget for the visitors as Man United ran amok at Old Trafford.