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Manchester United, currently third in the Premier League standings with a game to play, will be keen on securing a place in the group stages of the Champions League to attract the best talent in the upcoming transfer window. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will also be trying to offload a few players as he continues to rebuild the team.
Here are the news and rumours from the back pages on 24th July 2020:
Manchester United negotiating swap deal for Ivan Perisic and Alexis Sanchez
Manchester United are willing to swap Alexis Sanchez for Ivan Perisic in the summer, according to Fichajes.com. Inter Milan are keen on keeping the 31-year-old at the San Siro and are ready to offer Perisic in exchange for the Chilean.
Perisic, who has been on loan at Bayern Munich this season, has scored 6 goals and contributed 10 assists as the Bavarian giants won the Bundesliga for the eighth consecutive season. The Croatian was reportedly close to signing for the Red Devils during Jose Mourinho's tenure but the deal narrowly fell through.
Manchester United to sign wonder-kid Charlie McNeill
Manchester United are in talks to sign youth sensation Charlie McNeill from Manchester City. The centre-forward has scored more than 600 goals in the past 6 years after coming through the ranks of City's youth setup.
McNeill, who was on Manchester United's books before joining Manchester City, is a Red Devils fan and the Old Trafford giants are confident that they can lure the 16-year-old across the city. The youngster has rejected the opportunity to sign a professional contract at the Etihad due to the lack of opportunities at the U-18s level.
Sergio Romero to join arch-rivals Leeds United
Sergio Romero could be one of the many players to depart Manchester United this summer, with the Argentine said to be frustrated by the lack of opportunities in goal despite David de Gea's patchy form since the restart (according to the Metro).
Arch-rivals Leeds United are touted to be a possible destination for Romero, with manager Marcelo Bielsa keen on the former Sampdoria man.
Leeds Number 1 Kiko Casilla has not performed well since his move to Elland Road and is also susceptible to disciplinary issues. The former Real Madrid goalkeeper was handed an eight-match ban this season for racially abusing Jonathan Leko of Charlton Athletic.
Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has preferred playing David de Gea in crunch Cup games, with the Spaniard getting the nod over Romero for the League Cup semi-final and FA Cup semi-final. With Dean Henderson also impressing on loan, the writing might be on the wall for Romero at Old Trafford.
Defender Ben Hockenhull joins Championship side Brentford
Promising U-18s centre-back Ben Hockenhull has joined Championship side Brentford, according to Manchester United's official website. A third-year scholar at Old Trafford, Hockenhull has featured for the Red Devils alongside Teden Mengi, the U18s captain.
Mengi has been training with the first team since the resumption of football, with the 18-year-old touted to make his first-team appearance sooner than later. The Bees, who are in the Championship playoffs this season, might even end up in the Premier League next season.
