MANCHESTER UNITED are once again without a game this weekend, due to being out of the FA Cup.
Ahead of the Red Devils’ return to action next Tuesday, keep up to date with the latest goings-on behind the scenes at Old Trafford with our Man Utd Files.
FRANC DISCUSSIONS
MANCHESTER United will have to dig deep to land Ruben Amorim’s prime summer transfer target.
Amorim is desperate to land former Wolves winger Francisco Trincao as part of a new-look United attacking unit next term.
But Amorim’s former club Sporting Lisbon will play hardball – and are likely to demand a fee in EXCESS of the attacker’s £50m release clause.
Trincao, 25, is under contract to 2027 after signing a four-year deal in 2023 following a £6m move from Barcelona.
Barca, though, retain 50 per cent of his future transfer rights – which is where the going could get tricky for United.
Sporting, braced for the departure of Swedish striker Viktor Gyokeres, are even more determined not to let Trincao go, to the extent of preparing to offer him a new contract.
Even if they can be persuaded to sell, Sporting want to recoup at least £35m.
But they only get that if United – or another suitor – is prepared to pay TWICE as much, allowing Barcelona to get a similar share of the proceeds.
Amorim is convinced Trincao, with the benefit of that season at Molineux in 2021-22, will be able to make a swift adaptation to the Prem.
Yet with the likelihood of no European competition cash – unless United win the Europa League – he may have to consider an even more drastic summer sales policy to free the funds required to land him.
TUCH AND GO
HARRY MAGUIRE might be forgiven for feeling perplexed by Thomas Tuchel’s comments after his first international window as England boss.
Tuchel suggested that he had omitted the United centre-half in favour of Ezri Konsa and Marc Guehi because “they had better rhythm and deserved to be in”.
But Maguire was never in a position to be selected having been out for nearly a month with a hamstring injury.
His inability to train meant Maguire, 32, was in no condition to add to his 64 caps even if he had been named in the squad. Strange.
BANK TRANSFER
SIR JIM RATCLIFFE’S grand plans for the 100,000-capacity “New Trafford” to replace United’s home since 1910 have not been universally welcomed.
Some fans have been critical of the design, while the potential £2bn cost of the proposal has left other supporters wondering about the long-term impact on their pocket.
But Ratcliffe and Ineos may point out that there were not dissimilar questions raised when United announced plans to move from their then-home at Bank Lane in Clayton, five miles across the other side of the city.
Letters printed in local newspapers bewailed the prospect, with one fan moaning: “Bank Street was ours – cramped and muddy, but it felt like home. This new place is a stranger’s house.”
There were also complaints about the impact on ticket pricing and questions over whether United could fill their new home.
At least, unlike 115 years ago, there will be no open, uncovered terraces at Sir Jim’s palace of entertainment. But, doubtless, the same demands – a team that wins and deserves the stadium.
WELL I NEV-ER
IN this most uncertain and stuttering of seasons at Old Trafford, it has been the one constant… Gary Neville will feature somewhere along the way.
Passing judgement on good, bad and ugly as a pundit, of course, on why Erik ten Hag should be sacked/keep his job, for example.
An interview with Sir Jim Ratcliffe? Gary’s your man. Creating a task force to explore regeneration around Old Trafford? Well he’s got to be on that.
What about the voiceover for the magnificent new stadium unveiling? Neville – it’s a no-brainer.
Now Manchester United’s omnipresent ex-full back has been asked to pick up another gauntlet… speaking up for the pensioners facing a 57 per cent hike on their season tickets.
Slashing the 50 per cent OAP concessions, plus a general increase, means some older fans will have to pay nearly £400 extra. A rise many insist they simply cannot afford.
Forums, phone-ins and message board have been flooded with irate supporters who have been Old Trafford regulars for over half a century.
Including one fan posting urging Neville to take up the fight on behalf of United’s most loyal and long-standing followers.
He wrote: “Please Mr Ratcliffe, explain why you think it’s ok to exploit us. We haven’t made the mistakes you have since your investment, but you want us to pay for it.
“How about you cut the price as your employees have not provided good value for money? This is Manchester United Football Club, not JRFC.
“He is just a businessman and a number cruncher. Please, please get Gary to speak up for the pensioners.
“The extra revenue from the pensioners won’t be enough for any player’s wage for a week…stop this exploitation.”
Over to you, Gary
WARRIOR SPIRIT
IT was the pre-season promo visit that has led to the unlikeliest of friendships… and most telling of asides.
In January Harry Maguire, Mason Mount and Andre Onana visited four-trophy, clean sweep winners Wigan Warriors ahead of the new Super League season.
They got a first-hand glimpse of everything… passing, tackling and kicking, with Mount and Maguire joining in with the latter, and were blown away by the spirit and togetherness between the players.
The Manchester United trio were so impressed that an expected 45-minute stay lasted well over two hours – and an ongoing affinity for some.
As someone whose entire career was spent in the south before joining United last season, Mount was hardly a die-hard RL fan… but he is now, and was back at the Brick Stadium when the Super League season began.
For Cameroon keeper Onana it was a totally alien sport, but he struck up an immediate bond with young forward Junior Nsemba, whose parents hail from the same country.
Maguire is a long-time RL admirer.. yet it was an aside to one Wigan star on his left that proved most memorable as he joked: “We could do with a spirit half as good as yours.”
We think it was a joke, anyway…
RUNAWAY LEADERS
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN’S passing ability would be heightened if he had a striker as quick as United fan Usain Bolt to run onto the end of them.
But the Danish midfielder and Jamaican sprint legend were on the same side this week when they visited a special programme to help underprivileged youngsters in Manchester.
Bolt and Eriksen joined in training drills with kids on the Street League scheme, which is on the shortlist for the Sport for Good prize at next month’s Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid.
Win or not, those kids will never forget the time they spent with two genuine sporting icons.
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