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Manchester United secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Southampton at St. Mary’s on Saturday in the Premier League. Bruno Fernandes scored the only goal of the game in the second half.
Meanwhile, former Red Devils striker Louis Saha believes Anthony Martial cannot replace Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford. Elsewhere, Antony has urged Ajax to allow him to move to Old Trafford.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on August 27, 2022.
Anthony Martial cannot replace Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford, says Louis Saha
Louis Saha believes Anthony Martial won’t be a proper replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United. The Portuguese’s future at Old Trafford is up in the air, with the player starting from the bench in back-to-back games. The 37-year-old is desperate to leave the club this summer, but a move is yet to materialise.
Speaking to talkSPORT, as cited by The Express, Saha said that Martial doesn’t guarantee goals and lacks consistency.
“I think it would be a combination. Antony is a great player, but I don't think that he doesn't give you the guarantee of 25 goals because there are some games where the player that we know needs a bit more aggression to himself. He's got all the qualities, you can see it. He came on (against Liverpool), and he reacted well, recovered balls, and managed to get that great pass to Rashford,” said Saha.
He added:
"He's got the qualities; there is no doubt about it. But it's about consistency, and I think that's why they're maybe looking for another striker if Ronaldo is leaving.”
Saha added that his former club need a clinical striker to replace Ronaldo if he leaves.
“Definitely there is a need of like a 'killer' up front, someone who is actually going to have that kind of anger like a Van Nistelrooy type, where those guys are there for the tap ins, the scrappy goals, the thing that is going to make the team breathe when they really need it because they have one chance in a game. That type of profile is not Martial,” said Saha.
Martial missed the game against Southampton due to injury.
Antony urges Ajax to let him join Manchester United
Antony has urged Ajax to allow him to join Manchester United. The Red Devils are hot on the heels of the Brazilian, but their latest bid was rejected by the Eredivisie giants. The player is desperate to move to Old Trafford this summer.
Speaking to acclaimed transfer exprt Fabrizio Romano, as relayed by Caught Offside, Antony said that he has been planning to leave the club since February.
“Since February of this year, my agents came to Amsterdam to inform Ajax of my desire to leave the club to face new challenge and that some interested clubs would arrive and with them, certainly a great offer. During the window months, meetings continued, and I also received a proposal from Ajax for contract renewal. I made it clear once again: I WANT TO LEAVE,” said Antony.
The player added that he has already informed Ajax of his decision and urged them to accept the offer on the table.
“Today, in a meeting with the club, I expressed my old interest in leaving, only this time with a considerable offer on the table. Others had already arrived! Ajax refused with argument that they only have 5 days to replace me. I’m not asking Ajax to release me. I’m asking Ajax to sell me with the highest bid ever for Eredivisie player. I’ve been insisting on this theme since February so that the club could rebuild the team with peace of mind”
Antony has played some of his best football under Ten Hag at Ajax.
Red Devils ready to battle Chelsea for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Manchester United are ready to battle Chelsea for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, according to Gianluca Di Marzio via Caught Offside.
The Gabon international is in talks to move to Stamford Bridge this summer. Manager Thomas Tuchel is eager to add a world-class No. 9 to his ranks and has his eyes on Aubameyang. While Barcelona are willing to offload the player, the Blues have struggled to get a deal over the line so far.
The Red Devils are plotting to take advantage of the situation. Erik ten Hag is also in the market for attacking reinforcements, and Aubameyang has emerged as an option.
