Manchester United - News

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Nice's French defender Jean-Clair Todibo, 24, is not ruling out a summer switch to the Premier League amid interest from Chelsea and Manchester United.

Frenkie de Jong does not want to leave Barcelona this summer despite other reports suggesting the Spanish club are keen to sell the 26-year-old Netherlands midfielder, who continues to be linked with Manchester United.

Barcelona'sfinancial restrictions mean they will only enter the race for Everton'sAmadou Onana if the Toffees drop their £51m asking price for the 22-year-old Belgium midfielder, who is also attracting interest from Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

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We asked you for your thoughts on Sunday's Premier League match between Aston Villa and Manchester United.

Here are some of your comments:

Manchester United fans

John: We started well but were affected by losing Shaw. Maguire was immense at the back. We love Villa Park. Villa played well. United showed resilience and have belief, confidence and strong characters. Onana easily had his best game. We need left-back cover and Harry Amass, the young 16-year-old, will come in soon. Martinez is a big loss.

Pete: Result was brilliant, the performance was not so good. We looked really sloppy. Mainoo looked out of his depth for the first time, he was ran past too easily and it was like he was running through mud. Casemiro concerns me, the lack of commitment in 50-50 challenges was ridiculous. I thought Villa were the better team by a fair distance.

Roger: Very adventurous and dangerous in the attack at the start of play, but poor marking allowed Villa back into the game and they let chance after chance go begging. Their constant pressure in the second half proved fruitless and United stole a valuable goal towards the end of the match.

Gary: I cannot believe the consistent slow build-up from our goalkeeper. We won 13 titles by playing positive, attacking and good to watch football. If this type of play is coming from the manager, then he has to go. We were lucky and West Ham could've scored five last week.

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Manchester United expect to reach an agreement with Newcastle to appoint Dan Ashworth as director of football early next week.

Newcastle would be due more than £6m in compensation if Ashworth moves to the Red Devils.

Manchester United also want to sign Brazil defender Gleison Bremer, 26, from Juventus in the summer.

Barcelona have placed an £85m price tag on 26-year-old Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong, who continues to be linked with Manchester United and Chelsea.

Manchester United are eyeing a move for Crystal Palace's 22-year-old French winger Michael Olise, 22.

Wolves might sell Pedro Neto this summer to ensure they do not breach profit and sustainability rules (PSR) and give manager Gary O'Neil funds to spend elsewhere, with Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United admirers of the 23-year-old Portugal winger.

Premier League approves Jim Ratcliffe's purchase of 25% stake

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe's deal to buy a 25% stake in Manchester United has been approved by the Football Association and Premier League.

The British billionaire's purchase is worth about $1.3bn (£1.03bn).

Owners the Glazer family will retain a majority stake in the club but Ratcliffe's Ineos Group will take control of football operations.

The sale cannot be completed until after the share offer is closed, which is Friday night in the United States.

Premier League approval is contingent on the deal being completed.

"The Premier League now awaits confirmation of the transaction's completion," the league said in a statement, while confirming Ratcliffe, 71, has also signed its owners' charter.

The deal is the first to be agreed under the Premier League's updated owners' and directors' test, which was approved by member clubs in March 2023 and includes a review by an independent oversight panel.

"The FA can confirm that the Barclays Women's Super League and Barclays Women's Championship Board have approved the acquisition by Sir Jim Ratcliffe of Manchester United Football Club in relation to its Manchester United Women's entity," the FA said in a statement.

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SUNDAY 18th FEBRUARY 2024 - PREMIER LEAGUE

Luton Town 1 (Morris 14) Manchester United 2 (Hojlund 1, 7)

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GOAL - Luton 0-1 Man Utd - Rasmus Hojlund (1 min)
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Rasmus Hojlund, aged 21 years and 14 days, is the youngest player in Premier League history to score in six consecutive games

GOAL - Luton 0-2 Man Utd - Rasmus Hojlund (7 mins)
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GOAL - Luton 1-2 Man Utd - Carlton Morris (14 mins)

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FULL-TIME - Luton 1-2 Man Utd

Manchester United earned a vital win in their fight for European qualification thanks to Rasmus Hojlund's double in a fast start at Luton Town.
Hojlund steered the visitors ahead after only 37 seconds, doubling the lead six minutes later when he deflected in Alejandro Garnacho's shot.
Luton quickly improved and pulled a goal back through Carlton Morris' close-range header before dominating.
Ross Barkley's header hit the bar but United won to consolidate sixth place.
Erik ten Hag's side had chances to score a third goal as space opened up behind the Luton defence, but Garnacho wasted their best opportunity while Hatters keeper Thomas Kaminski produced a string of fine saves.
Luton remain fourth from bottom, one point above the relegation zone, after their second consecutive defeat.


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Sir Jim Ratcliffe's deal to buy a 27.7% stake in Manchester United has been completed.

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The British billionaire's investment is worth about $1.6bn (£1.25bn).

The Glazer family, who have owned the 20-time English champions since 2005, will retain a majority stake in the club but Ratcliffe's Ineos Group will take control of football operations.

"To become co-owner of Manchester United is a great honour and comes with great responsibility," said Ratcliffe.

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Paris St-Germain are planning to target Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford this summer. 

Rashford has long been admired by PSG and the club's president Nasser Al-Khelaifi. (MEN), external

United and Liverpool are among a host of Premier League sides interested in Atalanta defensive midfielder Ederson. Arsenal, Newcastle United and Tottenham also monitoring the 24-year-old Brazilian.

Manchester United are also interested in 26-year-old Juventus and Brazil defender Gleison Bremer, who is valued at 70m euros (£59.8m).

The Red Devils are considering reigniting their interest in 30-year-old Bayern Munich and England striker Harry Kane, and 26-year-old Barcelona and Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong, this summer.

However, De Jong has rejected reports that he could be leaving Barcelona at the end of the season and says he is "angry" about the rumours.

Aston Villa are preparing to open the bidding for Red Bull Salzburg midfielder Oscar Gloukh with an offer of 20m euros (£17m). The 19-year-old Israeli has also caught the eye of Manchester United.

Old Trafford through the years: How the iconic stadium has changed during 112 years of history as Manchester United consider huge rebuilding project that will take its capacity above 80,000..

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Having rescued the fledgling Manchester United from bankruptcy in 1909, chairman John Henry Davies funded the construction of a new stadium and chose a patch of land adjacent to the Bridgewater Canal in Old Trafford. The renowned Scottish stadium architect Archibald Leitch was commissioned to draw up designs for an enormous ground that could accommodate 100,000 spectators. But original estimates of £60,000 swelled to nearer £100,000 and so capacity was reduced to 80,000. The stadium was completed late in 1909 and Old Trafford hosted its inaugural game (pictured) on February 19, 1910, a 4-3 victory for Liverpool. One journalist present wrote Old Trafford was 'the most handsomest [sic], the most spacious and the most remarkable arena I have ever seen... As a football ground it is unrivalled in the world.'

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Prior to the opening of Wembley in 1923, the FA Cup final was played at different venues around the country. Old Trafford was handed the honour twice - the 1911 replay that saw Bradford City beat Newcastle United 1-0 (pictured) and the 1915 final that saw Sheffield United beat Chelsea 3-0. The latter is known as the Khaki Cup Final because of the large number of spectators in the uniforms of the armed forces, the First World War well underway.

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An aerial shot of Old Trafford, taken in 1930, shows its location in what was really an industrial hinterland of Manchester. Railway lines snake around the ground with factories and chimneys visible. There has been a railway station behind the South Stand since August 1935 when it was constructed by the Cheshire Lines Committee. Originally named United Football Ground, it was quickly renamed Old Trafford Football Ground in 1936 and is now known as Manchester United Football Ground. Services were suspended in 2018 on health and safety grounds.

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In 1936, United spent £35,000 refurbishing Old Trafford with an 80-yard long roof added to the United Road Stand (now the Sir Alex Ferguson Stand) and further improvements were made in 1938 to maintain its status as a top-class venue. Indeed, the record attendance for a football match at Old Trafford remains the 76,962 who crammed in to watch the 1939 FA Cup semi-final between Wolves and Grimsby Town. But the stadium was extensively destroyed by Luftwaffe bombs during the Second World War. The ground was requisitioned by the military to be used as a depot and its proximity to railway lines made it a target. It was first raided just before Christmas in 1940 and again in March 1941, the second attack flattening the main stand.

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This picture was taken in 1945 with reconstruction only taking place following victory over Germany. While the ground was rebuilt, United played their home matches at City's Maine Road at a cost of £5,000 per year plus a share of the gate receipts. United finally returned home at the start of the 1949-1950 campaign.

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The 1950s saw triumph and disaster for United. Matt Busby's team won the league three times and were pioneers in entering the European Cup, the first English team to do so. In their first season in Europe, United had to play their first three matches at Maine Road because Old Trafford didn't have floodlights. They moved back in time for the second leg of their semi-final against Real Madrid (pictured above). We can see Real's Raymond Kopa scoring past keeper Ray Wood as a packed crowd watch on. The game ended 2-2 with Real winning 5-3 on aggregate.

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Old Trafford as seen on a quieter day in 1957 with a central portion of seating surrounded by terracing. The first match played under floodlights there was a league fixture with Bolton Wanderers on March 25th.

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The black and grey shadows in this evocative image really reflect the moment. This is United struggling on following the air disaster at Munich in February 1958 that wiped out eight of their players. Swept along by emotion, they reached the semi-finals of the European Cup once again but went out to AC Milan despite winning the first leg at Old Trafford 2-1. Pictured is goalkeeper Harry Gregg, who dragged three team-mates from the blazing wreckage at Munich, punching the ball clear.

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United fans cheer wildly after Colin Webster scored an 89th-minute winner to take them into the FA Cup semi-finals in 1958. Their squad decimated following Munich, United did brilliantly to reach the final at Wembley, only to lose 2-0 to Bolton.

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This aerial image shows how Old Trafford looked on the eve of the 1966 World Cup, when it hosted three group stage games. In the immediate post-war years, the club invested tens of thousands of pounds in redeveloping the stadium, adding roofing and floodlights. Ahead of the 1966 tournament, the club's directors decided to remove the old pillars that obstructed so many views in the United Road (north) Stand and install a cantilever roof. The stand was expanded to hold 10,000 in seated accommodation at the back and 10,000 on a terrace at the front. United were also the British club to install private boxes.

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Part of the upgrades ahead of the 1966 World Cup included construction of a new passenger bridge over the railway line

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George Best, suitcase in hand, isn't short of attention as he makes his way across the Old Trafford car park after a match in the 1968/1969 season. The prominent signage on the top of the Stretford End welcomed spectators from far and wide to the home of the European champions at the time. Note the huge floodlight pylons, too, and a tall chimney in the background

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Those private boxes are clearly visible in this photograph of a game against Manchester City in 1970. A similar redevelopment of the East Stand was completed in 1973 but this outlay coincided with declining fortunes for the club on the field in the 1970s after Matt Busby stepped aside. Indeed, they were relegated into the second division in 1974, returning at the first attempt.

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The Scoreboard End, one of the final parts of the stadium to get a roof, is seen on what appears to be a clement day in 1971. As well as a scoreboard and clock showing the United scoreline at the top, the letters would correspond to a list of the day's fixtures printed in the match programme. The score from each game would be shown at half-time to keep fans updated.

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The legendary George Best on the ball during a league match against Wolves in 1971. Most of Old Trafford remained terracing at this point and would do for a long time yet but every part would be covered within two more years. Unfortunately, the rise of hooliganism led to United becoming the first club in the country to install a perimeter fence to keep supporters off the pitch

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The exterior of the Stretford End circa 1983, showing the club's souvenir shop and ticket office. One effect of the regular redevelopment work was a reduction in capacity - in the 1983-84 campaign, for example, the highest attendance was 58,547 for a match against Barcelona but averaged 42,215 in the league. This was a big drop from the crowds of 80,000 initially seen when the stadium was first built. The Munich Clock, which marks the 1958 crash, is visible above the ticket office

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A closer look at some of the merchandise on offer in the United club shop, which was certainly a far more modest effort in the 1970s and 1980s to the cavernous megastore at Old Trafford today

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Fans clamber on the pitchside fencing to get a better view during a match in 1980 but it wouldn't be long before the complexion of Old Trafford changed once more. The 1989 Hillsborough disaster and the Taylor Report that followed it led to the phasing out of terracing and the arrival of all-seater stadiums. This conversion led to the capacity going down to 44,000

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A look inside the United trophy cabinet in September 1980. At that point in time, the club had won the First Division title seven times, the FA Cup four times, one European Cup and the Charity Shield (now Community Shield) eight times

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An image of fans socialising inside a bar at Old Trafford in 1980. The walls are adorned with pictures of the players in action

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United chairman Martin Edwards is seen high above the pitch during reconstruction work on the North Stand in 1995. With the ground set to host five games at Euro 96, upgrade work was carried out to boost capacity as well as continue the conversion to an all-seater venue.

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Many matches at Old Trafford during the 1990s were played out against the backdrop of building work, including this 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in January 1993. Only 35,648 were inside the ground with the capacity restricted

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The success of Sir Alex Ferguson's teams during the 1990s and 2000s led to an unprecedented demand for United tickets and resulted in extensive redevelopment to Old Trafford. The North Stand was turned into a three-tiered monster ahead of the 1996 European Championship, with similar cantilever rooves added to the West and East Stands in the subsequent years. The corners were filled in at the north end, raising the capacity to around the 75,000 mark.

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In May 2008, to mark the 40th anniversary of United's first European Cup triumph, 'The United Trinity' statue of George Best, Denis Law and Bobby Charlton was unveiled on the Old Trafford forecourt. Looking back at them is their manager Matt Busby, while there is also a statue of Sir Alex Ferguson outside the stand named in his honour.

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The interior of the stadium taken from above the tunnel ahead of a match against Everton. Various refurbishment work has seen the capacity drop slightly on some recent seasons with just over 74,000 fans accommodated.

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As United look to the future, the South Stand (to the right in this picture) is the next to be earmarked for development. The Old Trafford capacity could go full circle and back to the 80,000 mark if this work is completed in the years ahead.

Manchester United 1-2 Fulham: Erik ten Hag looks to 'bigger picture' despite defeat..By Simon Stone, BBC Sport at Old Trafford.

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag insists the future is positive despite losing at home to Fulham for only the second time in 61 years.

The 2-1 defeat was United's 10th loss in the Premier League this season.

To put that into context, Sir Alex Ferguson never experienced the ignominy of 10 league losses in 21 Premier League campaigns. It has now happened to United five times in the past 11 seasons.

They are now eight points adrift of fourth-placed Aston Villa, even though they have done the double over Unai Emery's men.

Although the home side had more possession, corners, shots and shots on target at Old Trafford on Saturday, most observers would have agreed with Fulham boss Marco Silva's concise summary: "It is clear in my opinion, the better team won the game."

But, in the week when Sir Jim Ratcliffe had his co-ownership of United confirmed, talked of knocking Manchester City and Liverpool off their perch and the importance of Champions League qualification, Ten Hag came up with an alternative narrative.

"After one defeat you have to see the bigger picture - and the bigger picture looks very good," said the Dutchman.

Ten Hag's reasoning is threefold.

Firstly, he needs his injured players back. The United boss bemoaned the loss of influential midfielder Casemiro, who suffered a hefty bang on the head when the game was still goalless. With Rasmus Hojlund, Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez already out, it was a blow United could ill-afford.

Ten Hag can also see the promise of Alejandro Garnacho, Kobbie Mainoo and Omari Forson, who was defended by his manager after failing to spark on his full debut: "I thought it was a reasonable performance."

And then there is the transfer window, even though Ratcliffe mentioned earlier in the week that without Champions League qualification, finances in the summer will be tight.

"When we get the injuries back we will be more in balance in the team," said Ten Hag. "We also need to strengthen the squad in the transfer windows and then there are many good players, with high potential coming up.

"Definitely we are going in the right direction. So when everyone is available we have a very good team."

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