Manchester United are just two days away from the Manchester derby – but preparations for the big match have been overshadowed by several big developments behind the scenes at Old Trafford.
Chief executive Richard Arnold is now expected to leave United if Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s £1.4billion proposal for a 25 per cent stake in the club is approved in the coming weeks, with the Ineos chief set to overhaul the structure around Erik ten Hag.
While it’s seemingly goodbye to Arnold, club stalwart David de Gea could be welcomed back with open arms.
The veteran goalkeeper has been sounded out about the possibility of returning to the club who gave him the boot back in July on a short-term basis to cover for Andre Onana, who is expected to be part of Cameroon’s squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
It remains to be seen, though, if De Gea – who is back in Manchester and still without a club – would be open to such a move.
ICYMI: Onana defends Garnacho
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has said the controversy over a social media post from team-mate Alejandro Garnacho “should go no further”.
Garnacho posted on social media hailing Onana after the Cameroon international saved a late penalty against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League. The youngster used gorilla emojis alongside a photo from the 1-0 victory, later deleting the post after racial connotations were pointed out.
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A closer look at Arnold’s prospective replacement…
Manchester United have yet to finalise Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s investment in the club, but speculation over big changes has already begun.
Ratcliffe looks to have won the race to take a stake in the Premier League giants, though it is for less than the 69 percent he had initially eyed up. The billionaire is expected to take a holding of around 25 percent, though he will also enjoy significant sporting control despite current owners the Glazer family remaining in the picture.
Chief executive Richard Arnold is one of those tipped to leave his role, with Jean-Claude Blanc reportedly lined up to step in. Here, Mirror Football takes a closer look at Blanc as he continues to be heavily linked with an Old Trafford switch
De Gea reacts to United return talk
David de Gea has responded to reports claiming he has been offered a sensational return to Manchester United with a cryptic social media post.
De Gea, 32, is still a free agent after leaving the Red Devils in the summer after 12 years of service. The Spaniard clocked up 535 appearances during that time and was a hugely popular figure at Old Trafford prior to his departure.
After months of speculation, it was eventually agreed between United and De Gea that he would leave the club upon the expiration of his contract back in July. His replacement, Andre Onana, has failed to convince so far, though – and it now seems as though De Gea could be offered an unlikely olive branch by the same club who gave him the boot.
David de Gea (
Ash Donelon/Manchester United FC)
Ratcliffe to axe Arnold
In case you missed it last night, Richard Arnold could be first in the firing line once Sir Jim Ratcliffe formalises his investment in Manchester United, it has been claimed.
Arnold succeeded Ed Woodward as the club’s CEO in early 2022, remaining in the post when the Glazer family began exploring takeover options in November of that year.
Following a long and drawn-out process, with bids from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani considered, a minority stake for British billionaire Ratcliffe looks to be on the cards.
Man Utd missing stars for derby
Manchester United could be without as many as four senior defenders for Sunday’s Manchester Derby, the club have confirmed.
Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martinez are definitely out, while Tyrell Malacia and Aaron Wan-Bissaka aren’t expected to feature despite making progress in their respective recoveries from injury.
One man who could return, however, is Casemiro. The midfielder was suspended for Tuesday’s Champions League win but is in contention to play a part.
Premier League rivals thrive in Europe
Brighton and Liverpool are among the sides in Manchester United’s way in the race for Europe, and both claimed Europa League victories tonight.
Brighton claimed a 2-0 win over Erik ten Hag’s former side Ajax, with Joao Pedro and Ansu Fati on target.
Liverpool were even more comfortable, racing to a 5-1 victory over Toulouse despite making multiple changes.
FULL STORY: Onana comes to Garnacho’s defence
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has said the controversy over a social media post from team-mate Alejandro Garnacho “should go no further”.
Garnacho posted on social media hailing Onana after the Cameroon international saved a late penalty against FC Copenhagen in the Champions League. The youngster used gorilla emojis alongside a photo from the 1-0 victory, later deleting the post after racial connotations were pointed out.
Man Utd’s festive fixtures
Manchester United have avoided a Christmas Eve fixture, but will host Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
The full festive programme has been confirmed, with some matches moved for TV.
Other games include a lunchtime trip to West Ham on December 23 and a 5.30 kick-off at Nottingham Forest one week later.
Arnold could leave
Richard Arnold could be first in the firing line once Sir Jim Ratcliffe formalises his investment in Manchester United, it has been claimed.
Arnold succeeded Ed Woodward as the club’s CEO in early 2022, remaining in the post when the Glazer family began exploring takeover options in November of that year.
Following a long and drawn-out process, with bids from Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani considered, a minority stake for British billionaire Ratcliffe looks to be on the cards.
Redknapps defend Maguire
Harry Redknapp has hit back at critics of Harry Maguire after his son Jamie said the Manchester United defender has been “treated disgracefully by football fans”.
Maguire has started United’s last three games in all competitions due to an injury crisis in defence, helping to three successive victories over Brentford, Sheffield United and Copenhagen. And former Premier League manager Harry Redknapp says he is hopeful Maguire can build on his recent performances, branding some of the criticism he has received in recent years “rubbish”.
Redknapp told BetVictor : “Harry has had so much stick over the last couple of years and a lot of it has been completely rubbish. He’s been out of favour, but he’s knuckled down and waited for his opportunity.
“He was superb at Bramall Lane and hopefully the lad can build on that performance moving forward.” And Redknapp’s son Jamie has also defended Maguire in recent weeks, stating that he “doesn’t deserve the amount of hate he gets”.
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Man Utd chief ‘to leave after takeover’ as Sir Jim Ratcliffe identifies replacement
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De Gea breaks silence
David de Gea has responded to reports claiming he has been offered a sensational return to Manchester United with a cryptic social media post.
De Gea, 32, is still a free agent after leaving the Red Devils in the summer after 12 years of service. The Spaniard clocked up 535 appearances during that time and was a hugely popular figure at Old Trafford prior to his departure.
After months of speculation, it was eventually agreed between United and De Gea that he would leave the club upon the expiration of his contract back in July. His replacement, Andre Onana, has failed to convince so far, though – and it now seems as though De Gea could be offered an unlikely olive branch by the same club who gave him the boot.
According to The Sun, United are hopeful that De Gea will agree to return on a short-term basis to provide cover in the New Year, where it’s expected Onana will head off to the Africa Cup of Nations with Cameroon. That would lead Erik ten Hag with just Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton as goalkeeping options.
While it remains to be seen if De Gea would be open to a return, the veteran shot-stopper fuelled speculation amongst fans on social media by posting a thinking emoji on Thursday afternoon.
How Sancho enraged Ten Hag in training
Jadon Sancho and Erik ten Hag ‘had words’ after the Dutchman criticised the Manchester United forward’s commitment to a training drill.
Sancho, 23, has been exiled from the first-team squad at Old Trafford after publicly hitting out at his manager on social media. The former Borussia Dortmund star reacted angrily after Ten Hag claimed his absence from the matchday squad against Arsenal back in September was due to his performances in training – a statement Sancho insisted was “completely untrue”.
And now, a new report from The Athletic has provided fresh insight on how the feud between Sancho and Ten Hag has exploded behind the scenes in recent weeks. The pair spoke face-to-face after Sancho’s social media outburst with Ten Hag explaining that, in his eyes, the forward ‘failed to commit’ to a training drill prior to the match against Arsenal after recognising he would not be starting said game.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 05: Manager Erik ten Hag of Manchester United talks to Jadon Sancho during the pre-season friendly match between Manchester United and RC Lens at Old Trafford on August 05, 2023 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images) (
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Onana defends Garnacho
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana has defended teammate Alejandro Garnacho after it emerged the winger could face disciplinary action because of a social media post.
In the post, Garnacho used gorilla emojis in relation to Onana. In response, the goalkeeper wrote on his Instagram story: “People cannot choose what I should be offended by. I know exactly what @garnacho7 meant: power and strength. This matter should go no further.”
Wright-Phillips makes Manchester derby prediction
Former Manchester City winger Shaun Wright-Phillips believes Pep Guardiola’s side should “steamroll” Manchester United on Sunday.
However, he also warned that “derbies are completely different” and that he expects to see a much better version of United when they host City at Old Trafford.
“If you go off performances, I would imagine that City would steamroll them, especially after watching United against Sheffield United,” Wright-Phillips told Betway. “But that’s never the case – it’s a derby. Derbies are completely different.
“I remember playing when Man Utd were dominating the Premier League, and City were just ambling through mid-table, but that game changes everything. Both sets of players know the culture of Manchester, they know how much it means to the fans and the club. It’s almost bragging rights, isn’t it?
“Even if your team is doing worse than the other team, the fans will brag about that for the rest of the season, and kids will go to school bragging about it to other kids. It will be completely different. We’ll see a completely different Man Utd to what we’ve seen so far this season, I’d imagine.”
Shaun Wright-Phillips spent most of his playing career at Manchester City (
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Garnacho faces FA probe
Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho could face disciplinary action because of a social media post in which he used gorilla emojis in relation to a picture of Andre Onana’s penalty save.
The Argentina international uploaded an image of both Garnacho and Onana, alongside other United team-mates but the teenage winger added two gorilla emojis on to the picture. The picture was of the Red Devils players celebrating the Cameroon international’s last-minute spot-kick save against Copenhagen on Tuesday night.
Garnacho soon deleted the post from his profile once he was made aware of the potential racial connotations involved, but the FA have since requested his observations on it via United. There is a chance the governing body could still charge the wide-forward with a breach of their guidelines around racially sensitive social media posts.
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Beckham has already shown Sancho how to resurrect Man Utd career
A month on from unleashing a verbal volley at Erik ten Hag on social media, Jadon Sancho’sManchester United career is at a crossroads.
The 23-year-old forward has not only failed to make a single matchday squad since disputing claims from his manager over his performances in training but Sancho has also been banished from all first-team facilities at the club’s Carrington training base – even the canteen.
With Sancho reluctant to apologise and Ten Hag unlikely to soften his stance either, it’s hard to see a way back for the former Borussia Dortmund man, who only arrived at Old Trafford back in the summer of 2021. However, a former United icon has already proven nothing is ever certain in football.
While Sancho’s application in training was questioned after recognising he wouldn’t be featuring against Arsenal back in September, David Beckham had a completely different approach, albeit after his exit from Manchester United.
During his time at Real Madrid, Beckham was also told he’d never play for the club again and was effectively exiled by Fabio Capello, who effectively made him train alone. But Beckham responded by excelling in training and, eventually, forced Capello into a U-turn.
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City ban two fans over Bobby Charlton chant
Manchester City have banned two young supporters who were filmed chanting a sick song about the death of Sir Bobby Charlton.
The Manchester United and England legend passed away aged 86 in the early hours of Saturday morning. The sad news was announced at half-time of City’s game against Brighton in the Premier League.
It was followed by some vile chanting from a small group of supporters, with video footage then shared on social media. City were quick to condemn the actions of the minority and have since studied CCTV footage from the concourse at the Etihad Stadium to identify those responsible. They have now issued those young fans with bans and handed over their details to the police. Their identities have not been made public due to their age.
A club statement said: “Manchester City can confirm that two minors have been identified in connection with the vile chanting heard at the Etihad Stadium. The individuals in question have subsequently been suspended from attending all home or away fixtures and their details have been shared with Greater Manchester Police, who are investigating the matter.”
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Man Utd financial records
Manchester United have announced a Premier League record revenue of £648.4million for the year ending June 30.
It is an increase of 11 per cent from the previous year. However, despite this record-breaking income, the club still reported a loss of £42.1million.
The impressive earnings were achieved despite the team played in the Europa League, not the more profitable Champions League, last season. The club predicts that revenue for the 2023-24 period will be between £650m and £680m.
United’s wage bill was reduced by £52.8m to £331.4m, which the club says is due to “squad turnover” and their absence from last season’s Champions League.
Man Utd fans question transfer policy
Manchester United fans have questioned the club’s transfer policy after taking note of Marcel Sabitzer’s performance for Borussia Dortmund against Newcastle.
Sabitzer was one of the stand-out performers in Dortmund’s 1-0 win over the Magpies in the Champions League on Wednesday night. The midfielder caught the eye for Edin Terzic’s side, who took all three points from St James’ Park thanks to Felix Nmecha’s tidy finish on the counter-attack.
The 29-year-old scored twice on international duty for Austria and has brought his form back to his club side, who paid around €20million (£17m) to sign him on a four-year contract from Bayern Munich in the summer. Sabitzer had spent the second half of last season on loan with United, but Erik ten Hag decided not to make the move permanent.
Marcel Sabitzer starred for Borussia Dortmund vs Newcastle (
Hendrik Deckers/Getty Images)
Dunne’s Manchester derby prediction
Ex-Manchester City defender Richard Dunne has backed his former side to come out on top and beat Manchester United on Sunday afternoon.
Speaking to BoyleSports, who offer the latest Premier League odds, Dunne said: “I think there’s a difference between City and United over a league campaign and you’d bet that City will finish above them. The derbies, however, teach you that anything can happen. Teams can have one-off performances.
“United were the best team in the world in my day, and City used to beat them occasionally. I would say City are the favorites on a normal day and I think they’ll win 2-0. You never know, though…”
Neville on United’s biggest problem
Gary Neville believes all of Manchester United’s recent managers have been “very good” – insisting the Glazer family are to blame for their lack of trophies.
Neville was asked during a Q&A on Twitter who United’s best post-Ferguson manager is. The club’s former captain replied: “All very good managers but hampered by the ownership, (there’s a) lack of good leadership below the owners and poor recruitment.”
United have been accused of adopting a scattergun approach to transfers since Ferguson’s exit, as the Glazers didn’t appoint a football director until March 2021. John Murtough was given that job, with Darren Fletcher taking on the role of technical director.
Ferdinand’s De Gea prediction
Manchester United are reportedly considering bringing back David de Gea amid concerns over Andre Onana – and their U-turn may please Rio Ferdinand.
Onana received a confidence boost by saving a last-minute penalty from Jordan Larsson in the 1-0 win over Copenhagen on Tuesday. But according to The Sun, the wheels are already in motion to bring De Gea back, with experienced cover during the Africa Cup of Nations needed.
United have Tom Heaton and Altay Bayindir as back-ups to Onana, but neither have played yet this season. De Gea remains without a club since leaving United and could be brought back on a short-term contract. The 32-year-old has different attributes to Onana and Ferdinand thinks he might have been under-appreciated.
“I think they’ll miss him,” he told TNT Sports in August. “He’s arguably the best shot-stopper around, won the Golden Glove last year. So, I don’t think in any other era would the keeper that won the Golden Glove be relieved of his duties at a football club.”
Neville on Onana
Gary Neville has admitted that he is still unsure on Andre Onana despite the Manchester United goalkeeper’s midweek heroics in the Champions League.
When he was asked for his thoughts on Onana during a social media Q&A, Neville made his feelings clear by responding with a shrugging emoji and “for now,” indicating that the jury is still out on United’s new No.1.
Neville was one of the many who felt his former club needed to move on from De Gea, who made plenty of errors himself last season. And while United had seemingly done just that, it now appears that a remarkable return could be on the cards for the Spaniard.
According to a new report from The Sun, De Gea has been approached by United about a short-term return to provide goalkeeping cover. Onana is set to take part in the Africa Cup of Nations in the New Year, meaning United would be without their current No.1.
Neville’s six-point plan
Gary Neville has told Sir Jim Ratcliffe he must appease six ‘hungry beasts’ if he’s to make Manchester United successful again.
INEOS chief Ratcliffe is on the verge of buying a 25 percent stake in the Red Devils after beating competition from Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani. The Glazers put United up for sale nearly a year ago, with a conclusion to the saga finally in sight.
Although the Glazers are staying at Old Trafford for now, Neville hopes that Ratcliffe can turn United’s fortunes around. The former Red Devils captain outlined six main priorities for the incoming shareholder during a Q&A on Twitter on Thursday morning.
Man Utd/Villa combined XI
Manchester United have fallen so far under Erik ten Hag that just two of their players would get into Aston Villa’s starting XI.
That is the opinion of former Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor, who has savaged United with a damning assessment of their squad. United have made a slow start to the campaign and sit eighth in the Premier League with 15 points from nine games.
“My team now, I have taken some Manchester United players out,” Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT. “So I have got [Emiliano] Martinez in goal, I have got Matty Cash at right-back. [Esri] Konsa, has been outstanding at centre-half with [Pau] Torres. Left-back I have got [Lucas] Digne – [he’s] not even my first-choice left-back, [Alex] Moreno is injured!
“In midfield, I have gone for Douglas Luiz, John McGinn and [Boubacar] Kamara. On the left I have gone for Rashford and cutting in from the right is Bruno Fernandes, and [Ollie] Watkins up front.”
Gary Neville Q&A
Manchester United legend Gary Neville is currently doing a Q&A on X.
We’ll let you know what he says…
Hojlund opens up on start
Rasmus Hojlund is adamant that there is plenty more to come from him in the wake of his indifferent start to life at Old Trafford.
The Denmark international has plundered three goals in as many games in the Champions League but is still yet to get off the mark domestically ahead of this weekend’s mouthwatering Manchester derby.
And while Hojlund has branded his United career so far as “alright”, he stressed that he is capable of achieving much more in the coming months and years.
Rasmus Hojlund (
James Gill/Danehouse)
Ratcliffe sent message over Ten Hag
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes believes Erik ten Hag has done a good job and hopes that the Dutchman will be backed by Ineos chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe if his offer for a minority stake in the club is ratified in the coming weeks.
Ratcliffe has tabled a proposal worth £1.4 billion for 25 per cent of United and is expected to be granted control of sporting matters by the Glazers once the formalities of a deal are concluded.
There has been speculation that Ineos could embark on an overhaul behind the scenes in the coming weeks, although it is anticipated Ten Hag will remain in his post – something that Scholes hopes will be the case.
