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Tag: Manchester United

  • Man Utd extend Ighalo loan until 2021

    Man Utd extend Ighalo loan until 2021

    Manchester United have extended striker Odion Ighalo’s loan from Shanghai Shenhua until the end of January 2021, the Premier League club said on Monday.

    The 30-year-old made an impressive start to life at United, scoring four times in eight games after signing an initial loan deal until May 31 from the Chinese Super League club.

    Ighalo’s current deal with Shanghai runs out in December 2022 and he is expected to sign a new contract until the end of 2024, Sky reported.

    The Nigerian, who has scored two goals apiece for Man United in the Europa League and FA Cup, will hope to open his account in the Premier League when the season, suspended since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resumes on June 17.

  • Monaco striker emerges as Man Utd target

    AS Monaco striker Pietro Pellegri has emerged as a target for Manchester United.

    The 19-year-old has severely struggled with injuries since making his move to Monaco from Genoa in January 2018, where he became the one of the most expensive 16-year-olds in the world after the Ligue 1 side shelled out £18million for him.

    Sky Italia says while his injury record may put off other clubs, it appears Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is ready to take a gamble on him and bring the Italian to Old Trafford.

    United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sees Pellegri as one for the future, who would fill in the void left by Odion Ighalo once he returns to China for Shanghai Shenhua.

  • Solskjaer gives update on Ighalo’s future

    Solskjaer gives update on Ighalo’s future

    Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes Odion Ighalo can extend his loan stay at Old Trafford but has confirmed an agreement has yet to be reached with Shanghai Shenhua, with the striker’s deal set to expire in a matter of days.

    United would like to extend his loan stay, as new Premier League rules permit, but his parent club Shanghai Shenhua are keen to have him back for the start of the Chinese Super League season.

    Solskjaer has confirmed the two clubs are still in talks but they have yet to reach a resolution and the end of his deal is getting closer.

    “The loan deal went until the end of May now, so obviously he’s supposed to be going back,” Solskjaer told MUTV. “We’re in dialogue. They’ve been great towards us, his club, and allowed him to play for his dream club.

    ”It’s been a dream for him and hopefully he can finish off what he started, hopefully with a trophy for us. At the moment, nothing has been agreed. Their league is going to get started soon so we’re just waiting to see.”

  • EPL: Man Utd, Ighalo split due in days

    EPL: Man Utd, Ighalo split due in days

    Manchester United management are resigned to losing Odion Ighalo to parent club Shanghai Shenhua in the coming days.

    Due to the coronavirus pandemic forcing the Premier League to take an enforced break, Ighalo’s deal which was until the end of the season is now due to expire next week.

    The Daily Mail attempts by United to extend the deal by another three months have been rebuffed by Shanghai, who want the striker back for the start of their season.

    And it’s now emerging Ighalo could be packing his bags in the coming hours to hope on a flight for Shanghai before the weekend.

    United have been paying £130,000 of Ighalo’s £400,000-a-week salary.

    For their part, United are content with the issue if Ighalo does have to return because Marcus Rashford is fit again.

  • COVID-19 lockdown: Manchester United declares £28m loss

    As many clubs continue to count their losses on the back of the coronavirus pandemic, English Premier League heavyweight, Manchester United, has announced a £28 million loss so far with the figure expected to rise.

    This was disclosed in a statement on the club’s website on Thursday as it announced its third-quarter results for the period ending March 31, 2020.

    According to Chief Financial Officer, Mr Cliff Baty, the club will return £20 million in television revenue even though the league is concluded.

    According to Mr Baty, United also lost £8 million in the last three weeks of March when three of their games were postponed.

    He explained that television broadcasters are getting the money due to the change of dates and time for the fixtures.

    The 20-time winners of the league had 11 of their games moved due to the COVID-19 pandemic and last played against LASK in a last 16 Europa League tie.

    Speaking further, Mr Baty said with the calling off of games, the club’s sponsorship revenue dropped, retail sales got hit and matchday revenue fell also.

    The team’s Vice President, Mr Ed Woodward, admitted that football will not be business as usual for the foreseeable future.

    “Our third-quarter results published today reflect a partial impact that the pandemic has had on the club, while the greater impact will be in the current quarter and likely beyond.

    “There are still profound challenges ahead, and for football as a whole, and it is safe to say it will not be business as usual for some time,” he said.

    Premier League teams returned to training this week as matches are expected to restart in June.

  • Solskjaer reveals his first chat with Mourinho

    Solskjaer reveals his first chat with Mourinho

    Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has lifted the lid on his first exchange with predecessor Jose Mourinho.

    The Norwegian has recalled how they held their first proper chat ahead of Tottenham ‘s clash with the Red Devils at Old Trafford this season.

    Solskjaer’s side ran out 2-1 winners after Marcus Rashford scored twice as Mourinho left empty handed on his return.

    He told the United We Stand fanzine: “We had a chat before the game [vs Tottenham].

    “I’d not really met him before, only briefly when he was at Chelsea and they played Cardiff.

    “We had a nice chat. He was complaining about the away dressing room, the one that he’d changed!”

  • Man Utd teammates didn’t like me – Nani

    Man Utd teammates didn’t like me – Nani

    Nani admits he felt he wasn’t liked by his Manchester United team-mates during his early years at Old Trafford.

    The talented winger arrived at United as a fresh-faced youngster from Sporting Lisbon in 2007.

    But the Portugal international realised the club’s veterans were only pushing him to realise his potential.

    “It was so important for me to have Giggs, Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, because they were there every time, pushing me and saying things to me. I was not understanding what they were doing. I thought they didn’t like me,” Nani said on the UTD Podcast.

    “They would just, every time, go mad at me because things didn’t go well but they saw a lot of potential in me in training and were believing a lot in me. After two or three years, I started realising a lot. It’s one thing to listen but you try to do what they say.”

    He added: “Like I said, we fought, we disagreed on the field but it was the strongest team I’ve been in.

    “We knew the times to play together, to respect each other. When we had to enjoy it together as well.

    “We used to do celebrations because we never had a day off, our boss was a very hard person. At Christmas or someone’s birthday, or Manchester United Foundation galas, they were our opportunities to be together, drink a beer and sing.

    “I remember a great moment at a Christmas party where I remember Scholes singing, drinking his beer. Then I had to sing as well and improvise something.

    “I think sometimes I can rap a little bit and Rio was pushing me a lot to do that. I was doing it in English, so imagine that. My English is horrible! They were laughing a lot, so it was a great moment.”

  • Ex-Super Eagles stars Adepoju, Shorunmu counsel Ighalo on Man U, Shanghai Shenhua choice

    Ex-Super Eagles stars Adepoju, Shorunmu counsel Ighalo on Man U, Shanghai Shenhua choice

    Former Nigerian Internationals, Mutiu Adepoju and Ike Shorunmu believe Odion Ighalo needs a clear head to decide his future with Manchester United.

    While the Nigerian striker l has stated that he would love to make his six month loan move from Shanghai Shenhua to Man United permanent but the old Trafford outfit are still dilly-dallying over a fresh deal amidst reports that they are willing to bring on board younger strikers.

    Meanwhile, Shanghai Shenhua has offered Ighalo a mouth-watering £400, 000 per week (N190million) wage as an incentive to return to the Chinese side as against the £300, 000 he was receiving before his loan move to Manchester United in January where he currently earns £100,000 per week.

    But Shorunmu said it could be very difficult for players to take an informed decision in such circumstance, advising Ighalo to consider the level he wants to take his career to before making a decision.

    “He(Ighalo) must think of what he wants to do after football before making a decision,” stated the former national team goalkeeper.

    “ Some people might consider the offer from China too good to ignore but money is not all that matters even at the peak of one’s career.”

    Yet Adepoju described the decision as a big one as the Nigerian striker is torn between staying at glamorous club where he would get less pay and moving back to China where mega bucks awaits him.

    He said: “Well, I think it is a big decision for him to make based on the offer from China which is mouth-watering.

    “If Man United is offering him pension in his contract he can take it. The offer from his parent club is very juicy but you never can tell what will happen when he moves back there.

    “Manchester United is a big club with huge pedigree. If they offer Ighalo more than what he is earning presently when the contract is made permanent, he should accept it.

    ” Playing for Man United will be more dignifying and dependable than going to China,” noted Adepoju.

  • Man Utd don’t need to spend £20m on Ighalo – Neville

    Man Utd don’t need to spend £20m on Ighalo – Neville

    Manchester United legend Gary Neville feels the Red Devils “don’t need to spend” £20 million ($25m) on Odion Ighalo this summer.

    Neville who has questioned the Shanghai Shenhua loanee’s value in the current market.

    Ighalo has been an unexpected hit for the Red Devils since completing a short term loan move to Old Trafford in January on transfer deadline day.

    United were criticised for turning to the 30-year-old forward who had spent the previous three years of his career in China, but he quickly proved that he was up to the task of playing for one of the world’s biggest clubs.

    The former United right-back said on Instagram Live: “Is Ighalo worth £20m? Probably not in this market. He may have been if he continued before scoring goals but you probably don’t need now to spend £20m.”

     

  • Barca player to join Man Utd after rejecting three-year contract

    Barca player to join Man Utd after rejecting three-year contract

    Barcelona defender, Marc Jurado, is set to join Manchester United in the summer transfer window.

    According to Sport, Jurado is expected to be named among Man United’s academy intake for next season after he rejected a three-year professional contract at Barcelona.

    The Spanish newspaper reports that the 16-year-old’s transfer was decided earlier this week after “several weeks” of negotiations between Man United and Jurado’s representatives with an agreement now in place.

    Jurado has been considered as one of the brightest prospects in the La Masia academy.

    The right-back has spent nine years with Barca’s youth team.

    Man United are now expected to pay Barcelona a small compensation fee to lure Jurado to England.

    Meanwhile, the Red Devils have already fought off competition from Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal to agree a £300,000 deal with Sunderland for the 16-year-old striker, Joe Hugill.