Manchester United will turn their focus to the UEFA Europa League after a recent upturn in fortunes in the Premier League. New manager Erin ten Hag has guided his team to four straight wins and will be eager to take that good form to Europe.
Meanwhile, acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that Cristiano Ronaldo has been on exemplary behaviour at Old Trafford all summer. Elsewhere, the Red Devils will continue to monitor a Barcelona midfielder, according to Romano.
On that note, here’s a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories on September 6, 2022:
Cristiano Ronaldo displaying exemplary behaviour at Old Trafford, says Fabrizio Romano
Fabrizio Romano has rubbished claims that Cristiano Ronaldo has been a bad influence at Old Trafford of late.
The Portuguese has been eager to leave Manchester United this summer in search of UEFA Champions League football. While a move failed to materialise, there were rumours of the 37-year-old sulking at the club.
However, speaking recently, Romano said that Ronaldo has caused no problems behind the scenes at Old Trafford.
“I saw many fake stories, honestly, on Cristiano Ronaldo’s behaviour in training, on his professionalism, how he was working with Man United while his agent was trying to find a solution. Because I think we can say everything about Cristiano, we can maybe doubt Cristiano’s last performance, but not on how he’s working with the squad, how he’s training and how he’s professional,” said Romano.
The Italian added that Ronaldo has kept his head despite being relegated to the bench in the last four games.
“I’m told from really good sources that Cristiano spent the whole summer training at the best level and never creating one single problem to the squad. And it’s not easy for Cristiano Ronaldo to stay on the bench,” said Romano.
He continued:
“You see important games like Liverpool or Arsenal, and you sit on the bench, it’s not easy for Cristiano Ronaldo. It’s still surprising to see Cristiano Ronaldo not in the starting XI, but in every single training session, he’s been perfect, I’m told.”
Ronaldo could return to the starting lineup for Manchester United in their midweek UEFA Europa League opener against Real Sociedad.
Manchester United will continue to monitor Frenkie de Jong, says Fabrizio Romano
Fabrizio Romano says Manchester United will continue to monitor Frenkie de Jong’s situation at Barcelona. The Dutch midfielder was linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer but opted not to leave the Camp Nou.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that Chelsea also have their eyes on De Jong.
“So far, the situation is totally quiet. Frenkie wanted to stay at Barca, and therefore, there are no immediate updates. Certainly Man United and Chelsea will monitor the situation, but they know that De Jong only wanted Barca with great clarity all summer. It will take months before we understand the next developments,” said Romano.
Romano added that the Red Devils turned to Casemiro after growing tired of waiting for the Dutchman.
“He’s happy with life in Barcelona; his girlfriend is happy there. He made it clear he wanted to stay. United were just hoping that Frenkie would change his mind. Sometimes to sign top players you need to be patient, to wait and see if Frenkie was going to change his mind. But it never happened, and this is why they decided to invest big money on Casemiro,” said Romano.
De Jong has struggled to break into Xavi’s midfield this season.
Eric Bailly aims dig at Harry Maguire
Eric Bailly has accused Manchester United of favouring English players in a thinly veiled dig at Harry Maguire. The Ivorian defender moved to Marseille this summer after dropping down the pecking order at Old Trafford.
Speaking to talkSPORT, as relayed by Sports Mole, Bailly tipped Ten Hag to get the club back on track.
“The club should avoid favouring English players and give everyone a chance. (The club should) encourage competition in the dressing room, not just look out for some. I’ve always had the feeling that the national player was prioritised,” said Bailly.
He added:
“That doesn’t happen at Chelsea or other big Premier League clubs. Some people take it for granted that they are going to start, and that weakens the team. Luckily, (Erik) ten Hag has a lot of character, and I hope he can change that dynamic.”
Bailly has registered one start since joining the Ligue 1 giants.