Manchester United

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It was hard not to feel some sympathy for Ruben Amorim as he trudged across the pitch at half-time of Manchester United's second post-season tour match against Hong Kong.

United were losing to an international side gearing up for a match against Nepal and who their manager, former Sheffield Wednesday defender Ashley Westwood, said afterwards had a really big game against Singapore later in the year.

After a ridiculously bad introduction to the Premier League, a Europa League final loss to Tottenham and an embarrassing defeat by a South-East Asia select XI in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, Amorim must have been wondering if anything would go right for him at United.

As it turned out, there was a glimpse of the future.

Chido Obi and Ayden Heaven were both signed from Arsenal this season as part of a recruitment drive focused more towards developing players than established stars.

This is the way United feel they will get out of the mess they are in.

Chido is 17 years old. He is raw and a bit inconsistent. He is still to properly fill out. But, he does know where the goal is - and too many have failed at that basic task for Amorim's liking this season.

Heaven is 18 years old. He made such an impression following his ascent into the first team, Amorim kept him there and was genuinely disappointed when he got injured at Leicester in March.

It is far too early to think either player will get to the level United require, but the signs are good.

This has not been an easy trip. But it ended with some genuine hope for the future.

Image source, Getty Images

Questions around the future of Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes continued on Friday after it emerged he is giving serious consideration to leaving the club to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

Head coach Ruben Amorim has previously said he wants Fernandes - who earlier this month was crowned the club's player of the year for a t-record fourth time - to stay at Old Trafford, he also knows a rumoured £80m transfer fee might be the best way of being able to reshape his squad.

Speaking after the Portugal international helped United come from behind to beat Hong Kong 3-1 in the final match of their tour, Amorim said "nobody knows" for sure what will happen.

"He is saying no to a lot of things," added the United boss. "He needs to be in the best league in the world.

"Of course I talk to him, I explain things and I just have that feeling. When you talk to someone you have that feeling if he wants to stay.

"The feeling I get every time I speak with him is that he wants to continue for sure with Manchester United. You never know."

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim says he has a "clear idea" of what he wants the squad to look like when they regroup for pre-season.

Before then, the transfer window will open and some players will depart Old Trafford to make way for Amorim's first gs.

"As you know, we are bit limited and we can't do it all in one summer," Amorim said. "But there is a clear picture for what we want.

"They know we underperformed badly this season. The important thing is that we have to be ready.

"We have to use every minute in every week of pre-season. We need to arrive in shape. We had meetings about that. That is the only way to take action.

"Everybody knows next season will be massive for everybody. I have been sending messages every week. They know next year - it is clear - we need to be so much better."

One player who is expected to be brought into the fold is academy youngster Chido Obi.

The 17-year-old forward scored twice in Friday's 3-1 friendly win over Hong Kong and is a promising prospect for Amorim.

"He proved already in the U18s he can score goals," added Amorim. "The Premier League is a completely different world, but he has made a good start. He is working really well.

"I was really pleased with all the kids. Comparing this game to the last one and the way we faced the game, we were losing in first half but that was completely different from the last game. That was a good thing."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard still has love for his boyhood club, despite now playing over 5,000 miles away in South Korea.

The attacker last played for the Red Devils in 2022, spending a year with Nottingham Forest and now plying his trade for FC Seoul.

"I had to watch the [Europa League] final," Lingard told BBC Sport. "It was on 4am my time - so I went to bed at 9pm and set my alarm.

"My love and will always be with United. I still watch their games or catch highlights.

"They will always be one of the biggest clubs in the world and ers will them through thick and thin.

"It might be a long-term project with [Ruben] Amorim. He knows what he wants to do.

"It's tough when you're not in the Champions League to attract players, so he was relying on winning the Europa League.

"It's harder to recruit when you're not in the Champions League. It's 100% a factor."

Want to know more about Lingard's career since leaving Old Trafford? Read the full story here

Alex Fletcher
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

The perfect mix of ability, athleticism and an occasional ill temper. Manchester United have been here before.

Just like the days of Eric Cantona at Old Trafford, where quality and chaos were often close by, Matheus Cunha has had both good and bad days in the Premier League this season.

But as his transfer to Manchester United looks set to be confirmed, the qualities that have put him on Ruben Amorim's radar are there in plain sight.

And while a move to Manchester would mean swapping one side in the bottom six for another, the Brazilian seems ready to challenge himself to put United back on course.

An ability to score and create

Image source, Opta

Much has been made of United's attacking struggles, but whether it be through creativity or his devastating finishing, Cunha has had an extraordinary season with Wolves.

Despite missing six games through suspension, the 26-year-old scored 17 goals and got six assists.

His 15 Premier League goals would put him way ahead of anyone in the United squad from last season - with Bruno Fernandes' eight the closest competitor.

But what's even more remarkable is his outperformance of his xG.

According to Opta, Cunha attempted 120 shots in the league, with an xG of 9.3. Meaning he scored almost double the amount of goals he was expected to.

This demonstrates his maverick-like ability to create something out of nothing.

United themselves were on the receiving end of that in December, when Cunha scored directly from a corner in a 2-0 win for Wolves at Molineux.

Image source, Getty Images

Ideal for the system

Image source, Opta

If his goals weren't enough, is no secret that Cunha fits perfectly in to Amorim's system.

During his time in the West Midlands, Cunha has consistently played as the left-sided number 10 in a 3-4-2-1 formation - an approach favoured by his potential new head coach.

Both Gary O'Neil and then Vitor Pereira used this set-up at Wolves and it has allowed the Brazilian to flourish in the past two seasons.

Cunha's football intelligence, combined with his 6ft frame, often helps to drive his team forward in to attacking positions.

Add that to the fact that he can also play in any of the positions in the front four and you create quite the threat.

According to Opta, Cunha had 25 chance-creating carries in the Premier League this campaign, with four of them converted by his team-mates, and no other player at Wolves created more opportunities.

Image source, Getty Images

The transfer window opens on Sunday - albeit for 10 days initially, mainly so sides competing in the Club World Cup can get early business done - before reopening for the rest of the summer on 16 June.

Manchester United are prioritising the g of a new out-and-out centre-forward this summer, but appear to have lost the race to sign Ipswich's Liam Delap to Chelsea.

Meanwhile, the Old Trafford future of captain Bruno Fernandes is in doubt with interest from the Saudi Pro League.

Are there certain players you are desperate for United to sign, or an area of the squad that needs improving? Or maybe holding on to a key player is your biggest priority.

And what about sales - who needs to go?

So over to you... what names need bringing in and shipping out?

Let us know here

We asked for your views on Bruno Fernandes, who is considering leaving Manchester United to sign for Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.

Here are some of your comments:

Ian: Massive respect for Bruno. He has had a difficult five years at Old Trafford with all the negativity surrounding the club but has shown his quality time after time. If he wants to move on who can blame him? Blame the people who run the club. United could sign three players with the money who fit into the manager's system. If they are sticking with the manager, that would be a positive way to go.

Daniel: For what he's given to the club over the past five years I think we owe him the choice to either stay or leave. He has literally carried the club since he was signed. I wish him all the best if he does leave.

Steve: If Fernandes goes, we will surely be relegated next season.

Russ: £80-£100m for a player who will be 31 in a few months is a no-brainer for a club needing to rebuild and with limited finances due to PSR.

Tayta: Thumbs up for the deal. First, Bruno gets to reset his career away from physical and mental stress of the Premier League while earning loads of money. Secondly Manchester United get money to reinvest. The rumoured money would be a godsend to help rebuild the team with players fit for the rigours of the Premier League. United are never going to get this kind of money for any player of this age profile in the next 20 years.

David: The Mainoo goal v Manchester City in the FA Cup final was assisted by Bruno. The move started with a beautiful from Rashford to Garnacho, then on to Bruno and finally Mainoo. Rashford is all but gone,. Garnacho is all but gone. Now we're talking about Bruno going, and possibly Mainoo. That move should have been the start of something special. Just what has gone wrong at Old Trafford?

Image source, Getty Images

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Chelsea are in contract talks to sign winger Jadon Sancho on permanent basis from Manchester United.

The 25-year-old is keen to stay at Stamford Bridge but it will require him to take a pay-cut from his deal at Old Trafford.

The Blues had already agreed an obligation to buy worth between £20m-£25m, as long as Chelsea finished above 15th place, which they easily achieved when finishing fourth and qualifying for next season's Champions League.

However, there is a way out of the deal through a £5m penalty clause payable to United should a failure to agree personal cause the move to collapse.

United are keen to let Sancho leave after g him for £73m from Dortmund in 2021.

Sancho scored in the 4-1 win over Real Betis on Wednesday to help Chelsea win the Conference League, ending the season with five goals and 10 assists in 42 games.

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

A Premier League season can sometimes be a tale of two halves.

Some come flying out of the blocks, while others are more sluggish starters.

The busy Christmas period can be a turning point with the arrival of the January transfer window feeling like a fresh start.

So what might have happened if the league season only start on 1 January?

Well, Pep Guardiola's title-winning machines would have picked up their fifth Premier League trophy in a row.

Playing one game fewer than actual champions Liverpool - who secured the title with four games remaining - they would have finished one point clear of the Reds, not withstanding Arne Slot's side slowdown in form after sealing the title.

City always seem to come good after January, but this time it was not enough to outweigh the torrid time they had from late autumn.

The rest of the top six is not too dissimilar to the final placings, although in this case, Aston Villa would have secured Champions League football and Brighton a Europa League spot in the absence of Chelsea - whose form nose-dived at the very beginning of the year.

And while the new year is a new start for some, it is less so for others.

That was the case for many of those down the bottom of the league.

The relegated trio would still have been relegated and Manchester United and Tottenham would still have ended up in the bottom six. West Ham find themselves one place lower after Wolves picked up form under Vitor Pereira.

So what does this tell us? If you wan to achieve your Premier League ambitions, it is about making sure you are there for nine months and not just from January.

*Table data from Football365

Alex Fletcher
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Just 44 league goals were scored by Manchester United last season as they drifted to their lowest ever Premier League finish.

And while the g of Matheus Cunha from Wolves looks set to be confirmed, there are plenty of forward players at the club with their futures in question.

Antony, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho all left the club on loan in the past nine months - seeking to revitalise their careers.

But with the season now over and the transfer window set to open, will they spend the summer looking for the Old Trafford exit door?

All three players have had their fair share of success since leaving Manchester.

Sancho scored as Chelsea were crowned Conference League winners on Wednesday, Antony has become a hero at Real Betis and Rashford helped Aston Villa to a Champions League quarter-final and a sixth placed finish in the Premier League.

Whilst Rashford's season ended prematurely with injury, he still managed 11 goals in all competitions, with Antony on 10 and Sancho five - after his strike against Real Betis.

According to Opta stats from before the Conference League final, Rashford (0.41) and Antony (0.37) have a better goals-per-90 minutes average than any other forward players in the United squad.

In 26 matches since the latter ed Betis, the La Liga side have won 13 games and drawn eight, losing only five. In that time they have scored 52 goals, with Antony contributing to 14 of them, supplying nine goals and five assists.

Sancho and Rashford both have eight assists this season, with only Bruno Fernandes (18) and Alejandro Garnacho (10) of their United team-mates getting more.

Both Rashford and Antony ended the season tied with Garnacho and Amad Diallo on three goal-ending carries each - the t highest in the entire United squad.

Image source, Getty Images

While Sancho was let go by previous boss Erik ten Hag, it was Ruben Amorim who allowed both Antony and Rashford to leave on loan in January.

The former played just 252 minutes in 15 games under the new boss before departing for Spain.

As for Rashford, a disciplinary issue in December saw him dropped from the squad, before his own loan move in January.

Amorim said at the time: "I couldn't get Marcus to see the way you're supposed to play football and to train the way I see it."

"It's something that you feel as a coach and as a player. It's quite normal. It happened with a lot of coaches," he added.

All three still remain contracted to United, but have not gone on the club's post-season trip of Asia.

It has not been ruled out that they could be moved on to help ease financial pressure, ahead of a big summer for Amorim and the clubs owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

What do you think?

Use our poll below to decide who you want to keep.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter in Hong Kong

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United wide-man Amad was put in a difficult position in today's pre-match news conference in Hong Kong.

The Ivorian is not the loudest or most expansive talker in the United squad.

Nevertheless, he was asked to speak at a time when a social media post has been ed showing him reacting to a fan as he left the team hotel on Thursday morning.

United officials told media before the conference Amad had reacted after his mother was called names – but not racially abused.

Amad was clearly uncomfortable dealing with the issue and avoided the specifics, preferring instead to say he wanted to bring 'joy' to ers.

Prior to that, he was asked about his good friend Alejandro Garnacho amid an expectation the Argentina forward will leave this summer after being told by Ruben Amorim he can find another club.

Amad was barely audible as he offered the opinion Garnacho is a good player and Manchester United need good players.

I suspect Amad was quite pleased to get out of there.

Image source, Getty Images

Ruben Amorim "understands" fan frustration and said his players "cannot hide" after they were booed off in their post-season tour of Asia.

United's poor season saw them finish 15th in the Premier League, but they sunk to a new low on Wednesday with a 1-0 defeat to a Southeast Asian XI in Kuala Lumpur.

Those within the Bukit Jalil Stadium then booed off Amorim's side as they left the field of play, but Amorim doesn't blame them.

"Everybody can feel it. But I understand the fans [booing]," he said.

"It's clear that we cannot hide... if there is one thing that is really important in this club, it's that we need to face our fans in this moment and give something to our fans around the world."

Amorim, who took over from Erik ten Hag during the season but failed to spark an improvement in performances, added that his side was "not really focused" in the defeat.

The 40-year-old Portuguese said he had learned that being Manchester United manager meant being "more than a coach".

"You have to improve as a person, you have to improve as a leader. Sometimes after the games you see I am frustrated, I am trying to control that.

"When you have results, you can manage everything so much easier," he added.

United will now face a Hong Kong's representative team in another friendly on Friday.

Image source, Getty Images

The BBC's Ask Me Anything team have done all of the research ahead of the announcement detailing next season's Premier League matches.

The fixtures for the 2025-26 season will be released at 09:00 BST on Wednesday, 18 June 2025 and the release will include the weekly schedule of all 380 matches.

The season will begin with a single fixture played on Friday, 15 August 2025 and conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all matches will be played at 16:00 BST. There will be 33 weekend rounds of fixtures, plus five midweek rounds.

The exact date and time at which individual matches are played during each weekend will be determined at regular intervals throughout the season, based on TV selections made by broadcasters.

Read the full article here

The agent of Manchester United's out-of-favour striker Marcus Rashford met with Barcelona sporting director Deco, with the 27-year-old England international desperate to the La Liga champions. (Sport - in Spanish), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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