Manchester United fans can expect to see new manager Erik ten Hag make his first moves in the transfer market this summer, and his decisions will be crucial to the club’s chances of arresting their Premier League slide.
The Red Devils suffered a horrid start to the Premier League season, losing their first two matches to Brighton and Brentford, seeing them fall to the basement of the table. The Dutch manager has plenty of work to do as he hopes to bring the club back from seemingly rock bottom.
The three-time champions of Europe are looking towards a Europa League journey after finishing sixth in the English top flight in 2021/22, compounding a season in which they rarely looked like challenging for the Champions League, FA Cup or EFL Cup.
Record signing Paul Pogba has been released, alongside attacking midfielder and academy product Jesse Lingard and veteran Uruguay forward Edinson Cavani.
Ten Hag is likely to have a sizeable budget to work with as he takes over at a club that is still a financial powerhouse despite their struggles to contend for honours in recent seasons.
The Sporting News is rounding up the key updates — all day, every day — below.
JUMP TO MAN UNITED TRANSFER RUMORS: TOP STORIES | OTHER RUMORS
JUMP TO MAN UNITED CONFIRMED DEALS: TRANSFERS IN | TRANFERS OUT | UPDATED SQUAD LIST
MAN UNITED ANALYSIS: Cristiano Ronaldo in the Europa League | Ten Hag’s first press conference | United’s struggles since Sir Alex Ferguson left
Last update: Aug 17, 07:02 ET / 12:02 BST
United wants Pulisic on loan
United’s pursuit of a new attacking player has now seen them turn to United States captain Christian Pulisic.
According to reports in England, first put forward by The Athletic’s Andy Mitten, Pulisic would be interested in joining the Red Devils as he wants regular first-team football before the World Cup in Qatar.
United are exploring the possibility of a loan deal for the 23-year-old, who has struggled for game time under Thomas Tuchel at Stamford Bridge.
Midfielder hunt turns to Casemiro
Widespread reports in England and Spain claim United are now exploring the possibility of signing Casemiro from Real Madrid.
With deals for Frenkie de Jong and Adrien Rabiot effectively impossible, the Red Devils are said to be interested in signing the Brazil international.
The Guardian reports Casemiro, who has a contract until 2025, would command a sizeable transfer fee and there is little guarantee he would be interested in leaving the European champions to join a side in the UEFA Europa League.
Cristiano Ronaldo given green light to leave, Atletico Madrid lurking
A summer-long saga has surrounded Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Portuguese striker rumored to want out of Old Trafford in search of Champions League play.
New boss Erik ten Hag has repeated his desire for Ronaldo to stay, but often the 37-year-old gets what he wants regardless of those around him. There were links to Chelsea for a short time, but that never seemed to truly materialize. Still, nothing concrete has emerged as far as a possible landing spot for Ronaldo outside of Manchester.
UPDATE (Aug 16): According to a host of reports in England, including The Telegraph, Man United have finally relaxed their stance on Ronaldo, saying they will let him depart the club if he can find a new destination.
To this point, United have held firm that Ronaldo is a key figure within the squad, but as the start to the season spirals and the club deals with heat from multiple sides, they are happy to let him leave.
UPDATE: (Aug 14): According to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague, Atletico Madrid remain interested in signing Ronaldo, with coach Diego Simeone convinced he could offer the kind of impact Luis Suarez did when he fired them to the title in 2020-21 after leaving Barcelona.
Ronaldo is said to be keen on the move, despite his strong ties to Real Madrid, a relationship that prompted Atletico fans to protest against his prospective signing in July.
UPDATE: (Aug 14): Sky Sports initially reported that the club could be forced to terminate Ronaldo’s contract if things continue to stay icy between the two parties, but the club quickly moved to debunk that, releasing a statement that said, simply, “There is no change in the club’s position.”
UPDATE (July 18): According to a report by AS in Spain, there has been contact from Atletico Madrid regarding a possible transfer to the La Liga club. The report states that Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes have convinced Diego Simeone to pursue the superstar, but Man United are still holding firm that he is not for sale.
CBS Sports reporter Ben Jacobs has also given his take on the news, saying that while Ronaldo himself has “real interest” in a move to Atletico Madrid, the club views a potential transfer as “problematic and unrealistic currently.”
Man United withdraw Frenkie de Jong offer, start from scratch
25-year-old Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong has been linked to Manchester United all summer long, with the Red Devils working hard to secure a big prize this window.
The midfielder has been a key target of new manager Erik Ten Hag since his arrival at the club, whilst the two also worked together to a very successful degree at Ajax from 2017 to 2019. Reports have indicated that de Jong wished to stay at Barcelona, but ten Hag may do well to change his mind.
Money is not a problem for the Old Trafford side, as they try and convince the Barcelona midfielder move to the Premier League.
UPDATE (Aug 16): According to Dutch reporter Marcel van der Kraan via Sky Sports, Man United have withdrawn their offers to both Barcelona and Frenkie de Jong over a potential transfer, hoping to re-negotiate the deals from scratch.
The offers apparently had a deadline, which has passed. The club is still “hopeful” of completing a deal, but they realize that a new offer will need to be negotiated with the player, and therefore the bid to Barcelona will need to be reworked.
UPDATE (July 9): According to Mundo Deportivo in Spain, Frenkie de Jong has “rejected” a deal to Man United. Reports on de Jong’s feelings about a move have fluctuated wildly during this saga, with some earlier reports indicating that he was convinced by Erik ten Hag to join, while now it appears the pendulum may be swinging back towards Barcelona.
UPDATE (June 28): Sky Sports in England reported that United and Barca had come to a “broad agreement” over a fee for De Jong worth €65m (£56m/$69m) plus performance-related bonuses. There are now simply finer details to be sorted out.
BREAKING: Manchester United are close to agreeing a deal with Barcelona for midfielder Frenkie de Jong 🔴 pic.twitter.com/MmtDYabWPf
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) June 28, 2022
UPDATE (June 23): According to Spanish publication Marca, Barcelona have knocked back a second United bid, with a €65 million (£55.4m / $70.8m) straight-up offer rejected. This is the second bid that has been turned away, after the first bid of €60 million plus €20 million of add-ons was also turned down. The report states that Barcelona are holding out for a match of the €75 million they paid to Ajax for de Jong in 2019.
Man United’s tactic appears to be hold out as long as possible knowing Barcelona need the money to sanction other incoming transfers. However, Barcelona did recently receive a cash injection that could hurt Man United’s leverage in that department.
Cunha squashes links to Man United
A plethora of attacking players have been touted for a move to United this summer, from the sublime to the ridiculous (sorry, Marko). You can now add Atletico Madrid’s Matheus Cunha to that list.
ESPN’s Julien Laurens and talkSPORT have both reported that the 23-year-old is a target for Erik ten Hag, with the latter claiming a €50 million deal is “close”.
A versatile forward, Cunha joined Atletico from Hertha Berlin a year ago, on the back of helping Brazil to Olympic gold. He scored six goals and provided as many assists in 29 LaLiga appearances in 2021/22, although 21 of those outings came as a substitute.
UPDATE (Aug 16): Well, that didn’t take long. Just a day after the initial news broke, Mundo Deportivo reports that Cunha has given Manchester United a decisive “no” to any potential transfer. Initially, the report states that his current club Atletico Madrid would hold firm for a bid that exceeds his €70 million transfer clause.
Rabiot move nearly squashed after failed negotiations
As if the idea of signing the famously combustible Arnautovic didn’t seem chaotic enough, The Athletic has reported United are working on a deal to sign enigmatic Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.
The 27-year-old France international is an obviously gifted performer, whose talents would inarguably lift a midfield that was so tepid in Sunday’s 2-1 defeat to Brighton, but his reputation precedes him and he hardly screams “dressing room harmony” at a time of familiar turbulence at Old Trafford.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein said on August 8, “United must decide whether they try to close out this proposed signing irrespective of their ongoing attempts to secure Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong or wait to discover how that pursuit finishes before making a decision on Rabiot.”
UPDATE (Aug 16): According to a report by David Ornstein of The Athletic, a move for Rabiot is now “highly unlikely” due to a gap between wage demands and the club’s offer. What seemed just 24 hours ago to be a move trending upwards is now nearly dead in the water.
UPDATE (Aug 15): Rabiot has appeared to confirm his upcoming move to Man United, taking a video with a fan where he speaks in French, with the fan saying, “I am here with the great player Rabiot, of Juventus, now in England. So I wish you the best brother.” Rabiot gives a greeting before the video ends.
Adrien Rabiot appears to confirm his move to Manchester United. (🎥 TK: crazycouplesardaigne) pic.twitter.com/0FddEhdmG2
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) August 15, 2022
UPDATE (Aug 12): United’s pursuit of an alternative to Frenkie de Jong appears to have hit a stumbling block. According to Sky Sport Italia, via Sport Mediaset, United officials are expected to meet with Rabiot’s agent — his mother — in the next 24 hours to discuss terms.
The report says that, while Veronique Rabiot is prepared to get the deal done despite United not being able to offer Champions League football, she is asking for a salary of more than the €7 million (£5.9 million/$7.2 million) that the midfielder earns at Juventus. The suggestion is the Red Devils would be unwilling to meet those demands.
The two clubs have already agreed a fee of around £15m ($18m) for the player.
United put Garner up for sale to generate transfer funds
United have decided to sell midfielder James Garner before the transfer window closes in a bid to bolster their transfer budget.
Widespread reports in England on August 15 claimed the Red Devils are looking for between £15m and £20m ($18m and $24m) for the 21-year-old, who has attracted interest from Everton, Leeds United, Southampton and Nottingham Forest, where he impressed on loan last season. Tottenham Hotspur are also said to have been monitoring the player.
Garner is considered a bright prospect at United but he has been unable to force his way into Erik ten Hag’s plans at the start of this season, despite their desperately limited options in central midfield. United are still pushing to sign Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona and a fee has been agreed with Juventus for Adrien Rabiot, which would be covered should they recoup their asking price for Garner.
Man United in talks to sign Sergino Dest
According to Ekrem Konur, Barcelona and Manchester United are in discussions over Sergino Dest.
The right-back is an option when it comes to outgoings for Barca, who still need to raise funds in order to register all their new signings.
United are said to be happy to listen to offers for Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Brandon Williams and, if the two players are sold, it would leave Diogo Dalot as the only senior right-back option.
Rashford being chased by PSG
Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has been approaced by PSG about a possible move to the club.
Both L’Equipe and ESPN are reporting contact has been made between the two with PSG eager to bring Rashford to Paris this summer.
PSG are yet to table an offer to the Red Devils, but it’s claimed Rashford is open to the possible switch.
The 24-year-old is contracted until the end of the season at Old Trafford, though Man United have an option to extend his stay for another year.
UPDATE (August 12): Speaking ahead of his side’s clash with Brentford, United manager Erik ten Hag made it clear Rashford was not for sale. “He is really important,” he said. “You have seen from the first day I am in. I’m really happy with him, and definitely don’t want to lose him. He is in our plans. He will stay at Manchester United.”
Telles, Bailly set to depart in clearout
According to reports in early August, Manchester United are looking to trim the roster with players who may not see minutes this coming sesaon.
Top of that list are defenders Alex Telles and Eric Bailly, who are closing in on moves. Telles is heading to Spanish side Sevilla, according to the Manchester Evening News, with a loan deal reportedly likely but not yet completed.
Sevilla also have interest in Bailly, according to ESPN, but there’s competition from Italian side Roma. Jose Mourinho was at Man United from 2016 to 2018, and brought Bailly to Old Trafford early in his tenure. Bailly has been solid when on the field for the Red Devils, but has been beset by constant injuries over his career.
The ESPN report also states Axel Tuanzebe, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Phil Jones and Brandon Williams are all available for transfer if a suitable offer arrives.
| Date | Player | Publication | News |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17 | Yann Sommer | Blick | The 33-year-old Gladbach goalkeeper has been discussed internally as possible competition for David de Gea |
| Aug 9 | Ismaila Sarr | Graeme Bailey | The Watford striker is “under consideration” by Man United, but there is “lots of PL interest” in him |
| Aug 9 | Marko Arnautovic | The Athletic | Shocking links connected the two in early August, but reports state the club pulled out of a deal after a flood of fan backlash. |
| June 20 | Antony | The Sun | United have been linked with the Ajax winger all summer, but after talks peaked in late June, no significant movement has been made. |
| July 21 | Memphis Depay | Sports Mole | Barcelona are looking to sell the Dutch striker, and a return to Man United could be on the cards as he searches for “top clubs” with interest |
| June 11 | Robert Lewandowski | — | The Polish striker was rumored by The Sun in June to be linked with Man United, but he has completed a transfer to Barcelona. |
| July 10 | Fikayo Tomori | Corriere della Sera | Man United are interested in bringing the former Chelsea man back to the Premier League, but convincing the player will take some effort. |
| June 16 | Dean Henderson | Man Evening News, Daily Mail |
The Red Devils goalkeeper is in talks to leave Old Trafford on loan, with Nottingham Forest and Newcastle interested |
| June 15 | Vitinha | Record, A Bola |
Arsenal and Man United are battling for the winger, with Porto confirming they rejected a bid from an unnamed club, wanting his release clause met. |
| June 14 | Denzel Dumfries | Corriere Dello Sport, Daily Mail |
Man United are interested by the Inter full-back, and he could be had for £26m, preferring a move to United over Bayern Munich. |
| June 14 | Malcolm Ebiowei | Daily Mail | The youngster is a free agent after his Derby contract expired, with Tottenham, Newcastle, and Crystal Palace also interested |
| June 13 | Tammy Abraham | The Sun | The Roma striker has emerged as a potential target for United after a great season in Italy. |
| June 9 | Ibrahim Sangare | Sky Sports | The PSV midfielder is convinced he will be a Premier League player next season, with United reportedly “interested” |
| June 10 | Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain | talkSPORT | The Liverpool midfielder is on United’s shortlist, and they want him for £10m. |
| June 10 | Marco Asensio | Angelo Mangiante | Talks between United and Asensio’s representatives are “ongoing.” |
| June 9 | Marcus Rashford | The Times | Tottenham reportedly reached out to Man United to sign Rashford but were rebuffed. |
| June 9 | Alejandro Garnacho | Man Evening News | Man United are set to engage in contract talks with the 17-year-old winger to ward off outside transfer interest. |
| June 8 | Wesley Fofana | RMC Sport | United are reportedly “closely interested” in the Leicester City man, who would cost upwards of £68m despite recent injury trouble. |
| June 7 | Alessandro Bastoni | Daily Mail | Man United have inquired about the Inter defender and given a £50m valuation, with Tottenham also interested. |
| June 6 | N’Golo Kante | Metro | Chelsea will reportedly listen to offers for the French midfielder, with Man United interested |
| June 4 | Adrien Rabiot | Man Evening News, CalcioMercato |
Man United is “intensifying dialogue” around Rabiot, who could be had for €15m. |
| June 3 | Andreas Pereira | Rob Dawson (ESPN) |
Pereira may move to Palmeiras, but if it falls through, ten Hag wants to give him another chance in preseason. |
| May 31 | Jurrien Timber | The Guardian | One of the first links connecting ten Hag with an Ajax player, reports anticipate a £25 million bid for the defender. |
| May 31 | Declan Rice | Daily Express | United will open talks with West Ham when Rice returns for pre-season |
| June 23 | Christopher Nkunku | — | RB Leipzig announced a new contract with Nkunku, valid through 2026. The contract includes a €60m release clause that becomes active next summer. |
Man United Transfers: Summer 2022 transfer window
Players In:
| Date | Player | Position | Age | Club | Transfer/Loan Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 5 | Tyrell Malacia | LB | 22 | Feyenoord | €15.7m ($16.5m / £13.6m) |
| July 15 | Christian Eriksen | MF | 30 | Brentford | Free Transfer |
| July 17 | Lisandro Martinez | CB | 24 | Ajax | €57.37m (£48.8m/$57.9m) |
Tyrell Malacia: The Dutch international arrives as Erik ten Hag’s first official signing, having just earned his first Netherlands cap back last September. You can read all about the Dutch international here.
Christian Eriksen: The Dane has completed a free transfer move to United following his release from Brentford. The former Tottenham and Intern Milan star has signed a three-year contract at Old Trafford, after rejecting an offer to stay with The Bees, wanting to play European football again this season.
Lisandro Martinez: Having been a target of Arsenal, Martinez was tempted to join his old Ajax boss’ revolution at Old Trafford. The defender offers a potential upgrade on United’s options at the heart of their side and makes it likely that at least one of Phil Jones, Eric Bailly and Axel Tuanzebe will be moved on. The Red Devils will pay an initial fee of €57.37 million (£48.8m / $57.9m) for the 24-year-old, with a further €10m (£8.5m / $10.1m) potentially due in add-ons.
“It’s an honour to join this great football club. I’ve worked so hard to get to this moment and, now that I’m here, I’m going to push myself even further,” he said. “I’ve been lucky enough to be part of successful teams in my career and that’s what I want to continue at Manchester United. There will be a lot of work to get to that moment, but I firmly believe that, under this manager and coaches, and together with my new team-mates, we can do it.
Players Out:
| Date | Player | Position | Age | Club | Transfer/Loan Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 1 | Edinson Cavani | FW | 35 | Unknown | Free Transfer |
| July 1 | Nemanja Matic | MF | 33 | AS Roma | Free Transfer |
| July 1 | Lee Grant | GK | 39 | Unknown | Free Transfer |
| July 1 | Paul Pogba | MF | 29 | Juventus | Free Transfer |
| July 1 | Juan Mata | CM | 34 | Unknown | Free Transfer |
| July 2 | Dean Henderson | GK | 25 | Nottingham Forest | Loan (undisclosed fee) |
| July 11 | Andreas Pereira | CM | 26 | Fulham | €9.8m (£8.5m / $10.3m) |
| July 26 | Alvaro Fernandez | DF | 19 | Preston North End | Loan (undisclosed fee) |
Andreas Pereira: Despite joining the Man United youth system from PSV in 2012 and spending seven years with the Man United first team, Pereira made just 75 appearances for the Red Devils. He spent last season on loan with Brazilian side Flamengo, and joins Fulham on a permanent deal for a nominal fee.
Paul Pogba: Pogba was not offered what he considered a suitable extension to his expiring contract at Old Trafford and the former £89m (€104.5/$112m) man moved on. Pogba hit out at Man United’s negotiating in his Amazon documentary The Pogmentary, saying, “How can you tell a player you absolutely want him and then offer him nothing?” as quoted by The Athletic
Once a Red, always a Red 🔴
Thank you for your service, @PaulPogba 👏#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) June 1, 2022
Juan Mata: Following the confirmations of Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard’s exits, Manchester United then announced that Juan Mata will also be leaving Old Trafford when his contract expires at the end of June. Mata joined United from Chelsea in January 2014 and made 285 appearances, scoring 51 goals. The Spaniard won the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League during his time at United.
Thank you for everything, @JuanMata8 — you’ll be missed 🔴#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) June 2, 2022
Alvaro Fernandez: Considered a highly promising prospect, young full-back Fernandez will spend the season with Championship side Preston North End after signing a new two-year contract with United.
Below is the updated Man United first-team squad. New additions during the summer 2022 window are noted in bold:
Goalkeepers (3): David de Gea, Tom Heaton, Dean Henderson, Lee Grant.
Defenders (10): Eric Bailly (CB), Diogo Dalot (RB), Phil Jones (CB), Victor Lindelof (CB), Harry Maguire (CB), Luke Shaw (LB), Alex Telles (LB), Raphael Varane (CB), Aaron Wan-Bissaka (RB), Tyrell Malacia (LB).
Midfielders (7): Bruno Fernandes (CAM), Jesse Lingard (CAM), Fred (CM), Scott McTominay (CM), Christian Eriksen (AM) Paul Pogba (CM), Nemanja Matic (CM), Juan Mata (CAM), Andreas Pereira (CAM).
Forwards (6): Anthony Elanga (LW), Mason Greenwood (CF)*, Marcus Rashford (LW), Cristiano Ronaldo (CF), Jadon Sancho (LW), Edinson Cavani (CF).
* = Mason Greenwood is indefinitely suspended after his arrest on suspicion of rape and assault, but remains on the Man United squad list
CB = centre back; LB = left back; RB = right back; CM = central midfielder; CAM = attacking midfielder; CF = centre forward; LW = left wing; RW = right wing
The current Man United projected first-choice starting lineup, when completely healthy, currently looks like:
Man United projected starting XI (4-2-3-1): de Gea (GK) — Shaw, Varane, Maguire, Dalot — McTominay, Fred — Sancho, Fernandes, Elanga — Ronaldo.
Man United in Premier League 2022/23: TV channels, live streams
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| TV channel | Sky Sports, BT Sport | USA Network, Telemundo, Universo | — | — |
| Streaming | NOW TV, Sky Go, Amazon Prime | fuboTV, Peacock | fuboTV | Optus Sport |
UK: Matches are carried across Sky Sports and BT Sport streaming and TV platforms, with select matches on Amazon Prime.
USA: Select matches are televised on USA Network (English) and Telemundo or Universo (Spanish), and all three channels can be streamed on fuboTV. The rest of the matches are streamed on NBC platform Peacock for subscribers.
Canada: Every Premier League game streams live and on demand exclusively via fuboTV.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream matches live and on demand on Optus Sport.