Manchester United Transfer News Roundup: Raphael Varane backs Erik ten Hag's Cristiano Ronaldo decision; Red Devils will be handed £70 million January war chest, and more - September 15, 2022

Manchester United won 2-0 at Sheriff in their second game of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday (September 15). The Premier League giants picked up their first European win of the campaign, thanks to first-half strikes from Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Meanwhile, Raphael Varane has backed new manager Erik ten Hag’s decision to ease Cristiano Ronaldo into action this season. Elsewhere, the Red Devils will have a £70 million budget in the winter transfer window.

On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on September 15, 2022:

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Raphael Varane backs Erik ten Hag's Cristiano Ronaldo decision

Cristiano Ronaldo has found game time difficult to come by at Old Trafford.

Raphael Varane has backed Ten Hag’s decision to start Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench in recent games. The Portuguese’s desperate attempts to leave Manchester United this summer failed to yield results. He has since struggled to cement a place in the starting XI at Old Trafford too.

Ten Hag opted to use the 37-year-old from the bench in United's last four league games, and the Red Devils won all of them. Ronaldo returned to the starting XI against Real Sociedad in the Europa League last week. However, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner was an isolated figure on the pitch as his side lost the game.

Speaking to TCL Global, Varane said that Ronaldo’s lack of pre-season is the reason behind Ten Hag’s decision to bench him.

“As we said, Ronaldo is here. And, as we all know, he didn’t have a pre-season. You cannot miss pre-season. It’s a base. Especially with the game we play, the way we want to play. We don’t play in the same way we did last year; there is no comparison. This demands cooperation, and it demands certain positioning in – and out – of possession. The other thing is his fitness,” said Varane.

Ronaldo finally got off the mark this season for Manchester United after eight games across competitions.

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Manchester United will be handed £70 million January war chest

Manchester United will be handed a £70 million war chest this winter, according to The Sun.

The Premier League giants enjoyed an eventful summer this year, spending over £215 million to strengthen various areas of the pitch. Ten Hag splashed £85 million on Antony, while Casemiro and Lisandro Martinez were also brought in for hefty fees.

However, the Dutch manager is far from finished and is expected to indulge in the market in January. The Red Devils will back their manager once again, although their winter budget could rise to £100 million if Cristiano Ronaldo leaves. Ten Hag reportedly wants three more first-team players, with Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong still a priority target.

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Gareth Southgate explains Marcus Rashford omission from England squad

Marcus Rashford failed to make the cut for the England squad.

England manager Gareth Southgate has revealed that Marcus Rashford could still make it to the national squad if he performs admirably in the coming weeks. The Manchester United forward is a glaring miss in the recently announced Three Lions squad, despite enjoying a decent start to the season.

Speaking to the press, Southgate said that Rashford has shown encouraging signs in recent weeks.

“There were certain players we wanted to keep involved this time, but that said, it doesn’t mean that this is the end for some of the others who aren’t involved. Marcus Rashford, for example, has shown some encouraging signs recently. He is a player we know well, so if he can perform at a high level in the next few weeks, he, of course, will be under consideration,” said Southgate.

The England manager also justified the inclusion of Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire in the squad.

“Clearly, we have a number of players including Ben Chilwell, Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Kalvin Phillips who are not playing a lot of minutes with their club. It is not ideal, but we feel they have been, and can be, important players for us. It is not a perfect situation, but there is still a lot of football to be played before Qatar,” said Southgate.

Rashford has three goals and as many assists in six games across competitions in the season so far.