Man Utd - Transfer news, results, fixtures, video and audio (2024)

Scotland manager Steve Clarke has allowed Manchester United midfielder Scott McTominay to "flourish", says former winger Pat Nevin.

The 27-year-old could be a key player for his national side, who face hosts Germany in the opening game of Euro 2024 later on Friday.

He was Scotland's top scorer in qualifying with seven goals in eight games, all of which came from open play. When excluding penalties, McTominay scored more goals than any other player in the qualification stage.

McTominay was also a vital player for the Red Devils in a difficult 2023-24 campaign, scoring 10 goals from midfield having played in a more advanced role.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast, ex-Scotland international Nevin said: "Manchester United have had McTominay in there for a long, long, long time and he seemed to be a water carrier.

"That's what he was used as. Just a bog standard midfielder, sometimes sitting, and then Steve Clark goes, 'no, actually you could be a eight or a 10 - you can move forward for us'.

"Making those sorts of changes has allowed players like McTominay to flourish, which he absolutely has."

Former Everton and Scotland international James McFadden added: "Scott McTominay has played right centre-back, he has played as a defensive midfielder, he has played now as an attacking midfielder.

"Scott McTominay could play anywhere because of his attitude and his attributes."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

So, Manchester United want the first signing of the Sir Jim Ratcliffe era to be Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

The Toffees value the 21-year-old at at least £80m, but why is he in such high demand?

After being included in England's preliminary 33-man squad, and making his debut in the pre-tournament friendly win over Bosnia-Herzegovina, Branthwaite was left out of the final 26 who travelled to Germany for Euro 2024.

When Harry Maguire was ruled out of Southgate's final squad with a calf problem, many believed Branthwaite would not only travel, but have a realistic chance of starting.

When compared with England's best central defenders - Manchester City's John Stones, Lewis Dunk of Brighton, Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi and Maguire - he emerges favourably in several key metrics.

His tackles per match of 1.9, clean sheet average of 0.4 per match and minutes played of 3,117 lead the way against his counterparts.

Branthwaite's top speed of 35.1 km/h is also comfortably ahead of peers and places him eighth out of all Premier League central defenders.

His interceptions of 1.4 and clearances of 4.5 per game are level with Maguire.

In a difficult season for Everton, made all the more challenging by their eventual eight-point deduction for breaching Premier league financial rules, the Carlisle United youth product emerged as a shining light in a defence that only the top three of City, Arsenal and Liverpool conceded less than.

Manchester United have announced a project to refurbish and modernise the men’s first team building at Carrington Training Complex will start next week.

The £50m venture will be led by Foster and Partners - the architectural practice behind the redevelopment of Wembley Stadium and the design of the Lusail Stadium in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup.

United say there will be a " focus on creating a high-performance collaborative environment for players and staff".

New co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said, external: "We want to create a world-class environment for our teams to win.

"When we conducted a thorough review of the Carrington training facilities and met our men's first-team players, it was clear the standards had fallen below some of our peers.

"This project will ensure Manchester United's training ground is once more renovated to the highest standards."

If you could only buy one, sell one, and loan out one player at Manchester United, who would you pick?

That was the question we asked you to answer, with the transfer window having opened on Friday.

Here are some of your thoughts:

Steve: Buy: Lewis Ferguson - he looks like a talent and he is a great second forward option to take the load off Hojlund. Sell: Casemiro - if a big Saudi Pro League offer comes in, it cannot be turned down this summer. Loan: Willy Kambwala - he looks promising but he needs at least a season of first-team action elsewhere.

JD: Buy: Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. Sell: Mason Greenwood - it would be pure profit for us. Loan: Jadon Sancho - considering Erik ten Hag is staying, I would get a loan fee for Sancho because he still has two years left on his contract.

Matt: Buy: Ivan Toney - we need a top striker to help Hojlund out. Sell: Marcus Rashford - he needs a change and we need the money. Loan: Casemiro - for a large loan fee with an obligation to buy.

Allyn: Buy: Jean-Clair Todibo - he will strengthen up the central defence with Varane leaving. Sell: Jadon Sancho - unless there is a change of heart, he won't be in Erik ten Hag's plans. Loan: Ethan Wheatley - send him to a Championship side to gain first-team experience.

Jonathan: Buy: Ronald Araujo - creating a centre-back partnership makes the most difference and Barcelona are in financial turmoil so maybe Araujo can be lured away. Sell: Mason Greenwood - he is no longer a United player in the fans' eyes. Loan: Antony - we lose nothing by moving him on and he is young enough to rebuild.

Everton will look for a fee of at least £80m for Jarrad Branthwaite from Manchester United, who are understood to have already agreed personal terms with the defender's representatives.

Now the transfer window has opened, United intend to speak to Everton about Branthwaite.

The response is likely to be frosty.

BBC Sport has been told Everton do not want to sell the 21-year-old, who many believe was unlucky to miss out on selection for England's European Championship squad.

The club believe it is just a matter of time before Branthwaite becomes an England regular and rate him in the same bracket as Harry Maguire and Josko Gvardiol.

Maguire cost United £80m when he joined from Leicester City in 2019. Gvardiol cost Manchester City 90m euros - at the time equating to £77m - when he moved from RB Leipzig last summer.

Manchester United are closely monitoring 24-year-old Bayern Munich and Netherlands centre-back Matthijs de Ligt. (Sky Sports Germany), external

The Red Devils also have 24-year-old Frenchman Jean-Clair Todibo of Nice, another club owned by Ineos, as an option as they look to recruit a centre-back. (Mail), external

Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee is also a Manchester United summer target, but the club could face competition from AC Milan and Juventus. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Brentford's 28-year-old England forward Ivan Toney and Lille's Canada international Jonathan David, 24, are also being monitored. (Independent), external

United and Liverpool are both pursuing 18-year-old Lille and France centre-back Leny Yoro, but Real Madrid are also interested. (Athletic - subscription required), external

Premier League clubs are watching 25-year-old Lens and Austria centre-back Kevin Danso, who has been backed for a move to Manchester United by former player Rio Ferdinand. (i Sport), external

Want more transfer news? Read Friday's full gossip column

The knowledge other managers were spoken to about Erik ten Hag's job and the backdrop against which talks will begin over a contract extension is not entirely favourable for the Dutchman.

And that is without clarity over the post-Euros status of England boss Gareth Southgate, whose contract runs to the end of December and has a positive pre-existing relationship with United director Sir Dave Brailsford.

Indeed, some wonder why there is a need to talk about contracts at all. In addition to next year, Ten Hag's present deal also includes an option to take it to 2026.

After last season's eighth-placed finish, it is argued, why not see how results unfold because a repeat of that league form will cost the Dutchman his job anyway.

That is for the future.

Remarkably, in winning the FA Cup, Ten Hag became only the fourth manager in United's history to win a major trophy in successive seasons. Only Sir Alex Ferguson has managed three in a row.

Ten Hag has been given the chance to set out on the journey to match him. No-one can know whether he will get to the end.

Read more on what happens next for Man Utd boss

Manchester United great Wayne Rooney says he used to "wind up" former team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo "by telling him he was ugly" when they played together at Old Trafford.

Reflecting on his relationship with five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo, Rooney told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast: "We had a really good relationship, but we were the complete opposites. It was funny.

"Ronaldo was such a good character. Some of the stuff he used to do, with laughing and messing around, was similar to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

"He would look into the mirror telling himself he is beautiful. Then there is me, who is the complete opposite - I did not have his looks! I was always telling him he was ugly. I used to say, 'no you’re not' - messing around - but it used to wind him up.

"The two of us would always play pranks on the manager and I would pick him up at times to take him to training or to the hotel."

Listen to more tales from Rooney on BBC Sounds

In football, results change narratives.

The abysmal period between 30 March and 6 May changed perceptions about Erik ten Hag and his team. During that time, Manchester United played eight matches, dropping a number of points from leading positions and struggling against poor teams in the relegation zone.

But worse than all this was how close United came to humiliation in the FA Cup semi-finals when they threw away a 3-0 lead in the final 20 minutes against Championship side Coventry City, eventually going through on penalties after a marginal VAR call in the last minute of extra time denied the underdogs one of the competition's most amazing victories.

United’s humbled celebrations at Wembley told their own story.

A fortnight later, United lost 4-0 at Crystal Palace.

While Ten Hag, to wider incredulity, defended the FA Cup performance, he accepted the Selhurst Park debacle was not good enough and apologised to supporters.

It was against this backdrop it began to emerge that Ineos had been speaking to prospective replacements and stories were published stating Ten Hag would be sacked no matter what the FA Cup final result.

History shows those stories were wrong.

The result qualified United for the Europa League and also increased the compensation Ten Hag was entitled to in the event of dismissal.

But it was the manner of United's victory over Manchester City that turned the dial back to the March position, as Ineos began their end-of-season review and Ten Hag headed to Ibiza on holiday.

It is impossible to know exactly what proved decisive in the outcome favouring Ten Hag, but some aspects are known.

Dedication, dignity and professionalism were three words used from within Old Trafford to sum up Ten Hag's approach to the job.

An acknowledgement of United's dreadful injury list was a factor, although it has been argued the manager could have predicted some of last season's absences.

The development of teenage pair Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho was hugely important. And so, too, were United's fans.

Read more here

The transfer window opens on Friday, and we want to know what matters to you most this summer.

If you could only buy one, sell one, and loan out one player at Manchester United, who would you pick?

Tell us here, external

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is set to sign a two-year contract extension at Old Trafford. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Want more gossip and transfer news? Read Thursday's full column

So, 17 days after Manchester United ended their season with victory over Manchester City, it has finally emerged Erik ten Hag will stay as boss.

The Dutchman is understood to be delighted, although it is thought he was becoming irritated with how long the board's season review was taking.

Supporters remain behind him, not particularly convinced names linked with the job - Mauricio Pochettino, Gareth Southgate and Graham Potter - would have been an upgrade.

Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel did meet United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, but he opted to drop out of the running, making it more straightforward to retain Ten Hag.

Indeed, all eventualities were considered, and the board's clear preference was for the 54-year-old to remain in post.

So unlike his compatriot Louis van Gaal, sacked after his United side lifted the FA Cup, Ten Hag has survived, despite their worst Premier League season.

He is not the first United manager to save his job by winning the FA Cup and parallels with Sir Alex Ferguson in 1990 are clear.

Back then, Ferguson's job was on the line after finishing 13th with a minus goal difference, but after winning the cup, he did not look back. The rest, as they say, is history.

It took a while, though. The next season Ferguson's United improved slightly, but still only won 16 of their 38 league games in finishing sixth. However, they did lift the European Cup Winners' Cup by beating Barcelona in Rotterdam.

If Ten Hag can mastermind glory in the Europa League next season, it would surely endear him even more to supporters - but to survive long term at Old Trafford, he will need their league form to improve considerably too.

The FA Cup final demonstrated what United can achieve when their players are fit and available, and how the manager's tactics can be effective.

The futures of Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford will now be of primary concern, along with defensive reinforcements to ensure they do not suffer the kind of injury crisis again that blighted this campaign.

You "can't ignore" what Erik ten Hag has delivered for Manchester United, according to Stretford Paddock YouTuber Jay Motty.

Speaking to BBC North West Tonight, Motty said: "I'm glad he's staying, I've always wanted him to stay.

"He is the right man for the job. I know last season in terms of the league position and some of the results it wasn't good enough but you can see what he is capable of when he has got a fully fit squad.

"He has delivered two trophies in two season, been to three cup finals and beaten Manchester City in an FA Cup final this year. I don't think you can ignore that.

"United need to get out of this habit of just sacking managers. It is time to stick, time to stick with this guy and get him under the new structure with Ineos.

"You've got football people coming in that understand how to run a football club and that's the first time we have had that here since before Sir Alex left."

Manchester United cannot be accused of rushing their end-of-season review. They have assessed their options and concluded that Erik ten Hag is the best fit to manage the team.

The matchgoing fanbase stuck by Ten Hag throughout and the backlash would have been fierce had United’s new co-owners parted ways with the manager.

These fans are not naive in thinking there will not be bumps along the way. Ten Hag’s side went from overachieving in his first season to finishing eighth in the Premier League with a depleted squad last term.

However, the Dutchman has two pieces of silverware to show for it, becoming the first manager ever at Old Trafford to win back-to-back trophies in his first two seasons. This is significant when you consider the ability to deliver trophies has challenged previous United managers.

Ten Hag’s work with young players gives more reason to be optimistic. The emergence of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo should encourage academy prospects since they have a manager keen on youth development.

It should also help that Ineos have control over football operations, allowing for a football-focused support network to be built around the manager.

United have done their due diligence and come to the right conclusion.

Fasten your seatbelts.

We had an overwhelmingly positive response when we asked you how you felt about Manchester United keeping Erik ten Hag, so we simply had to serve up some more of your views:

Frank: Stability (hopefully) breeds consistency. A pragmatic decision to give Erik ten Hag a third season. Clear out the under-performers, strengthen the squad and improve our tactical resilience/consistency.

Paul: It's the correct decision. Last season's list of injuries was astonishing and we saw what a difference the return of just one player in Lisandro Martinez made in the cup final. Addressing the reasons behind so many injuries has to be the key now.

Amish: Ineos have done this their way. They made an informed assessment of the past two years by reviewing the evidence available. Ten Hag wasn’t the problem as the track record of previous four managers has proven. Success will depend on how the new leadership creates an enabling environment for the manager to flourish in a collaborative manner

Peter: Jim Ratcliffe didn't get where he is today by making 'off-the-cuff' decisions. He and his team have acted totally professionally in reviewing the whole structure at the club before making their decision on its future management. Ten Hag is, reportedly, frustrated at the time taken for this review, but he must be impressed by the professionalism.

Wayne: Best decision. Why Pochettino? Failure after small success with Spurs. Southgate has done nothing when he supposedly has the choice of England's best and Tuchel is another Chelsea failure. Give Ten Hag a chance. Now the board has also changed there is hope they will assist in getting the players they want.

Steve: The one shining light from last season was Ten Hag. While all around him faltered - from the owners (old and new) to the medical staff and the players - Erik stood strong and delivered a trophy for the history books and European football for a club that belongs there. Sign him up for another three years and give the man what he needs to get the job done.

BBC Radio Manchester's Joe McGrath on Manchester United's decision to keep Erik ten Hag: "I think the fans have always been on the fence about Ten Hag. I don't think there was any strong candidate that could have stolen their hearts, and the way Ten Hag also came out fighting in his speech after the final game at Old Trafford, there was that little inkling of desire.

"We can talk about how bad this season was but he was suffering a lot with injuries that we've never seen before. If he's got another year, we hopefully turn to bigger and better things. Hopefully the players he brought in can stay fit for the season.

"It's not like there were not any reasons for him to go. The first time having a minus goal difference was not great. Finishing eighth isn't great either. No other manager can survive that but then having two trophies in two years has kept him hanging on.

"Also, the candidates weren't really out there. We were talking about Thomas Tuchel who didn't win anything at Bayern Munich this year and got sacked by Chelsea. Gareth Southgate is with England until mid-July, but I don't think I'd like him as the manager.

"One more year so let's see."

Manchester United will say rigorous - supporters will say tedious. However, two and a half weeks after Erik ten Hag lifted the FA Cup at Wembley, the club has reached the correct decision.

In the wake of Tuesday's news, the devil on my right shoulder is reminding me of the depths to which last season sunk.

A record-low eighth-place Premier League finish with a minus one goal difference? Abysmal.

A Champions League group-stage exit after just one win from six games against Bayern Munich, Copenhagen and Galatasaray? Embarrassing.

And don't get me started on the injuries. But were they down to an over-intense training schedule overseen by Ten Hag? Ineos' decision after a review of operations at Carrington suggests not.

On my left is an angel reminding me that Ten Hag is the first United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson in 2011 to win major trophies in back-to-back seasons.

I am not ashamed to admit United's FA Cup final performance against Manchester City drew tears of pride and shock. I was not the only one.

That is impactful, as is Ten Hag's proven ability to establish academy hopefuls into first-team stars. Exhibit A) Alejandro Garnacho. Exhibit B) Kobbie Mainoo. And it feels like Exhibit C is right around the corner.

Do not get it twisted - United must improve next season. Progression is compulsory, even if the Dutchman signs a new contract. And Ineos need a back-up plan if things looks ominous by Christmas.

However, I am now sure the Red Devils will start the 2024-25 campaign with the right coach in the Old Trafford dugout.

It is time to get behind him.

Following Manchester United's post-season review, manager Erik ten Hag will get to keep his place in the Old Trafford dugout for another season and is set to be offered a contract extension.

Despite the Red Devils' difficult 2023-24 campaign in the Premier League and Europe, they still qualified for Europe with an impressive FA Cup triumph over rivals Manchester City.

That followed his fine first season his charge with United finishing third in the table and a Carabao Cup in the trophy cabinet.

It was always going to be challenging for managers to follow Sir Alex Ferguson and some have fared better than others.

With points per game, Ten Hag stacks up well against the six appointments since Ferguson's retirement (excluding short-term caretaker managers Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick).

His record of 1.92 points per game is second only to Jose Mourinho who averaged nearly two points per game.

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick and the first man to follow Ferguson's footsteps David Moyes, had the most difficult reigns with 1.45 and 1.73 respectively.

We asked for your views on Manchester United's decision to keep Erik ten Hag in the dugout next season.

Here are some of your answers:

Gezz: I think that it's a great outcome for the club. We need stability and structure as the foundations to success. Even with all the external and internal chaos he has still managed to win back-to-back trophies. I believe that, with less injuries, he could be the catalyst for a very successful period at the club.

Paul: Unfortunately, I think it’ll still only be a matter of time before Ten Hag is sacked. I believe he is staying more because of the club's finances and lack of an obvious replacement, rather than Ineos wanting him to remain. Once there are some more uninspired performances, the trigger will eventually be pulled. Hope I’m wrong.

Ben: Thankfully, they have come to their senses - Ten Hag has done as well as possible with a frankly terrible lot. Bad players, bad infrastructure, bad club - some great people have suffered because of it, with a few great players and some great staff too. He’s one of the only bright lights at the club.

Gerard: He is not the right person for me - the cup final was the only game all season that United had any noticeable tactics. You can't keep him because of the result of one game. Most of the season, United appeared totally clueless

Jack: In my view, correct decision. This season was a nightmare with drama and injuries. Trying to get stability was never going to be an easy thing. Sir Alex showed us giving a manager time is a must.

Tim: Bad decision. The FA Cup win was a flash in the pan. United will continue to underperform under Ten Hag. They will become a mediocre mid-table club, while Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal and even Newcastle stride ahead. No Champions League at Old Trafford for the foreseeable future I fear - and I'm a United fan through and through.