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Manchester United progressed to the quarterfinals of the EFL Cup with a 2-0 win over Burnley on Wednesday (December 22) in the EFL Cup. Goals from Christian Eriksen and Marcus Rashford helped Erik ten Hag’s side resume their season with a win.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr have offered Cristiano Ronaldo a seven-year deal. Elsewhere, journalist Ben Jacobs has said that the Red Devils are in talks to sign Joao Felix.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on December 22, 2022:
Al-Nassr offer seven-year deal to Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo is set to agree to a seven-year deal with Al-Nassr, according to Marca via Caught Offside.
The Portuguese is yet to sign for his next club since leaving Manchester United last month. The 37-year-old remains eager to stay in Europe and play in the UEFA Champions League but has struggled to generate interest for his services.
Al-Nassr are the only club ready to lap him up. The Saudi Arabian side have offered Ronaldo a colossal deal that would keep him at the club till 2030. He's reportedly expected to arrive in Riyadh soon.
The player would initially join for two and a half seasons with reported wages of €200 million per year. He would then move on to an ambassadorial role till 2030, which will see his wages increase periodically till the end of the deal.
Manchester United in talks to sign Joao Felix
Manchester United are locked in talks to sign Joao Felix, according to Ben Jacobs. The Portuguese forward is reportedly unsettled at Atletico Madrid and is looking to leave the club in search of regular football.
The Red Devils are looking for a replacement for Ronaldo and have their eyes on the 23-year-old.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs also hinted that a move in January might not be financially feasible for the club.
“With Manchester United, who are also in the conversation for Joao Felix, the Glazers talking about potential ownership changes and/or investment,” said Jacobs
He added:
“On top of that, the fact that they spent a lot more money than they planned for in the summer, and then the fact that the fee is so high, all adds up to the Glazers really having to over-invest in Erik ten Hag, and Manchester United in January, with a budget under financial fair play that they simply may not have.”
He continued:
“That’s when you have to start balancing whether one it’s affordable and two if it’s worth it compared to other more cost-effective options in the market that might allow a club like Manchester United or Arsenal to do a two-for-one if they choose to move in January.”
Felix has scored four goals and set up three more in 18 appearances across competitions for Los Rojiblancos this season.
Erik ten Hag pleased with Marcus Rashford
Erik ten Hag is pleased with Marcus Rashford’s performance against Burnley on Wednesday.
The Englishman has looked back to his best this season and was also impressive at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar for England. The 25-year-old scored an amazing solo goal against the Clarets to help United pick up a comfortable win.
Speaking after the game (as quoted by NDTV), Ten Hag was full of praise for his No. 10.
“I think he invested a lot, once again, with a lot of runs in behind the defending line, and then he scored a great goal in a dribble, great finish. I think he's in great form, and, of course, I hope he can keep in this focus and performance," said Ten Hag.
Ten Hag added that Rashford’s all-round contribution makes him an asset to the team.
"I think he is on a very good level; his performances are improving a lot from game to game. He's a continual threat, but also in many other games this season, he's scored already a lot of goals and also does a lot of defending work, don't forget that,” said Ten Hag.
He added:
"I'm really happy with his performances, and I hope and I expect him to keep going in this attitude and this performance level."
Rashford has appeared 20 times across competitions this season for the Red Devils, registering nine goals and three assists.
