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Manchester United are preparing for their season opener against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford on Sunday, August 7. New manager Erik ten Hag has overseen a decent pre-season and will look forward to his first taste of Premier League football.
Meanwhile, former Liverpool manager Graeme Souness believes the Red Devils should do everything in their power to keep Cristiano Ronaldo. Elsewhere, Eric Bailly is very close to joining AS Roma this summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on August 5, 2022:
Graeme Souness advises Manchester United to keep Cristiano Ronaldo at all costs
Graeme Souness believes Manchester United should fight tooth and nail to keep Cristiano Ronaldo at the club. The Portuguese is eager to leave Old Trafford this summer in search of UEFA Champions League football.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Souness said that the Red Devils should have dealt with the situation long back.
"I would have tried to have nipped it in the bud before now. I'd have got in front of him as soon as possible. We all know how the game works, his people and Jorge Mendes would have been speaking to clubs and asking could they afford him,” said Souness.
He continued:
“I don't believe that he's gone out on a limb and said that he wants to leave without having something going on in the background. It seems that there is still somebody out there for him, but they're not willing to show their hand."
Souness went on to add that United have every reason to keep hold of Ronaldo.
"From the United view, you try keep him. There's an argument to say that he's the greatest player ever to kick a football; his stats and his longevity would suggest that. I would keep him. He doesn't get goals against the big teams; the game passes him by a bit, and he plays the width of the box, but he does get goals,” said Souness.
He added:
“We all know how important goals are to the cause as you can be not playing very well, but if you've got a goal-getter then it makes you look like a very different team. Goals are everything, and it's the hardest job in football. I'd go out of my way to keep him."
Eric Bailly edging closer to AS Roma
Eric Bailly is very close to a reunion with former manager Jose Mourinho at AS Roma this summer, according to Calciomercato via The Hard Tackle.
The Ivorian defender has dropped down the pecking order at Manchester United in recent seasons. Raphael Varane’s arrival last summer hurt his chances of breaking into the first team.
Bailly’s situation has worsened since Ten Hag brought in Lisandro Martinez last month. The Ivorian wants to leave in order to play regularly, and Roma are ready to offer him an escape route from Old Trafford. The Serie A side are working on the final details of a loan deal with an €8 million option to buy.
Red Devils will not be happy with Dean Henderson comments, says Alex McLeish
Former Scotland manager Alex McLeish believes Manchester United will be least pleased with Dean Henderson’s recent comments.
The English goalkeeper joined Nottingham Forest on loan this summer. In a recent interview, Henderson publicly criticised the Red Devils for not installing him as the number one ahead of David de Gea. He said that the club promised to install him as the No. 1 but reneged on their promise, as Henderson made just three appearances all season.
Speaking to Football Insider, McLeish said Henderson cannot be compared with David de Gea just yet.
“Well, you don’t want to be doing that; that would be my advice. He obviously has an agent who is guiding him; he has friends and family who will be saying things. He’s clearly frustrated at the situation and wants to make it public. Man United will not be too happy with that,” said McLeish.
He added:
“I think he just wanted to get it off his chest. Obviously, we have a little way to go before we can compare him to De Gea because he hasn’t been playing week in and week out. He has a couple of hurdles to get over before he has that spot at Man United.”
Henderson is all set for his Nottingham Forest debut against Newcastle United on August 6.
