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Manchester United succumbed to a 1-0 defeat against Atletico Madrid in a pre-season friendly at the Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo on Saturday. Joao Felix scored the only goal of the game in the 86th minute.
Meanwhile, former Chelsea striker Tony Cascarino has advised Cristiano Ronaldo to put the Red Devils ahead of his personal glory. Elsewhere, new manager Erik ten Hag wants four more signings before the end of the summer.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on July 30, 2022:
Tony Cascarino advises Cristiano Ronaldo to put Manchester United ahead of personal glory
Tony Cascarino is least impressed with Cristiano Ronaldo’s recent attempts to force a way out of Manchester United. The Portuguese is desperate to leave Old Trafford this summer and has already offered his services to top clubs around Europe but to no avail.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Cascarino urged Ronaldo to look beyond himself for the first time in his career.
“Ronaldo’s role is not just about getting more goals in the Champions League. Yeah great, brilliant. Now the disappointment for Ronaldo from my perspective is that he signed a two-year deal. If you wanted to come to Man United, you sign a one-year deal, and you go after one year. You don't need to go and rock the boat. What I’d say to Ronaldo is, for the first time in your life, think about your club, your team.
He added:
“The club and fanbase has been unbelievable to you, and you’ve played brilliantly for them. You’ve done so well that they’ve loved you from the minute you arrived and every breath you took on that football pitch, and when you came back, they adored you and still do."
Cascarino concluded:
"But he’s whittling away at that now, though, because there must be an element of Manchester United fans who have been peed off with his non-commitment to the football club.”
Ronaldo is the all-time top scorer in the UEFA Champions League with 140 goals. If he remains at United next season, he won't feature in the competition for the first time in two decades. That would also mean Ronaldo unable to add to his tally for another year, which partly explains his desire to leave the club.
Erik ten Hag wants four more signings this summer
Erik ten Hag wants four more new faces in his squad before the end of the summer, according to Four Four Two. The Dutch manager has already roped in Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez this summer. However, Manchester United are expected to continue their efforts to bolster the squad.
A midfielder and a new forward remain the priority at the moment, with the Red Devils locked in talks with Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong. Ajax frontman Antony is also on the club’s wishlist, although his steep price tag (€80 million) makes a deal close to impossible. A new right-back and a backup goalkeeper are also in the Old Trafford outfit’s plans, although they're secondary needs.
Noel Whelan backs Eric Bailly to leave shortly
Former Leeds United striker Noel Whelan believes Eric Bailly will leave Manchester United in the coming days. The Ivorian defender has dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford since the arrival of Lisandro Martinez from Ajax on a £56.7 million deal this summer.
Speaking to Football Insider, Whelan said that Bailly is surplus to requirements at the club.
“I think Martinez coming in will just allow that deal to go through and get Bailly out the door. He’s probably surplus to requirements right now, and now they’ve got the main man in from Ajax, it gives them the opportunity to start listening to offers. It makes perfect sense,” said Whelan.
He added:
"They need to cover their backs until a deal is confirmed, and now it is, I’m sure it won’t take long for the right offer to come in. You can see him going within the next week or two.”
Bailly, beset by injuries, has only played 113 times for United since arriving from Villarreal six years ago. Martinez's arrival could hasten his departure despite the Ivorian having two years left in his contract with the club. That's because Bailly is expected to be behind Martinez, Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelof and Raphael Varane in the pecking order.
