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Manchester United are close to qualifying for the UEFA Champions League. Erik ten Hag’s men edged closer to a top-four finish by securing a 1-0 Premier League win over Bournemouth on Saturday (May 20).
Meanwhile, the Red Devils have been backed to offload Jadon Sancho this summer. Elsewhere, the Old Trafford outfit have had their eyes on Kim Min-jae since last year.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on May 22, 2023:
Manchester United backed to offload Jadon Sancho
Journalist Ryan Taylor reckons Manchester United could listen to offers for Jadon Sancho this summer.
The English forward has failed to live up to expectations since joining the Red Devils from Borussia Dortmund in 2021. The 23-year-old has dropped down the pecking order under Ten Hag this season and is no longer first-choice.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Taylor said that Manchester United have enough cover in the wide forward position to allow Sancho to leave.
"I know they have Rashford who can play out wide, Garnacho and Antony as well. You do question whether anyone would make an offer for Sancho. Personally, I think it would be one that would maybe be considered if it were to arrive because Sancho just hasn't lived up to expectations, and it's clear ten Hag is struggling to get the best from him,” said Taylor.
He continued:
“I still think he's a great player, and he needs a little bit more time to have a full pre-season under his belt, but at the moment, he's not showing signs of what we know he's capable of. If you look at the England setup, he seems to be so far away from that now when you know he was a mainstay for about an 18-month period.”
Alejandro Garnacho has been a revelation at Old Trafford this season and could move ahead of Sancho in the pecking order soon.
Red Devils long-term admirers of Kim Min-jae
Manchester United have had their eyes on Kim Min-jae since last October, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The Napoli defender is reportedly a target for the Red Devils, who are pushing to secure his services this summer.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Romano said that Manchester United have scouted the South Korean all season.
“For Kim, we have to say that Manchester United started to work on this deal at the end of October and the beginning of November. They have been sending their scouts, and they have always been in attendance to follow Kim Min-jae with Napoli,” said Romano.
He added:
"He has been putting in excellent performances, and he has been the best centre-back of the season, for sure, in Serie A. He is doing very, very well."
Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof remain linked with moves away from Old Trafford this summer, so Kim’s arrival could help mitigate the duo’s potential departure.
Casemiro heaps praise on Erik ten Hag
Casemiro has spoken highly of Erik ten Hag. The Dutch manager has helped Manchester United win their first silverware in six years and is now close to taking the club back to the Champions League. Ten Hag has shown results in a very short time, and the team is expected to further improve next season.
After scoring the winner against Bournemouth, Casemiro said (as per MEN) that he was surprised by the Dutch manager’s ambition.
“He has surprised me a lot with his ambition. We have been talking among us, and we have been saying that he is a little bit heavy because he always likes to win. He is asking for more because for him 100 per cent is not enough. We have to give more than 100 per cent. He works a lot and is very ambitious. He has the ambition to change the whole club,” said Casemiro.
He continued:
“He is a manager who has the respect from all the players and the fans as well. But I think we need to give him time because despite the fact we have already won one title and are quite close to the Champions League, we need more time to grow up. We can see he is changing a lot of things within the club. He is always showing ambition to win.”
Ten Hag has also taken Manchester United to the FA Cup final where they face arch rivals Manchester City on June 3.
