CRISTIANO RONALDO is looking very carefully at a potential move to Man Utd, according to reports in Italy.
Juventus are in danger of missing out on the Champions League and will be unable to afford to keep the Man Utd legend if they fail to make the top four.
They currently sit fourth in Serie A, ahead of AC Milan on goal difference alone.
Get all the latest Man Utd news, updates and transfer gossip here…
- Josh Graham
CALL FOR VAR
Raphael Varane has edged closer to the Real Madrid exit door after refusing to commit his future to the club.
Reports claim how Manchester United and Chelsea will battle it out for his signature in the summer.
World Cup winner Varane has just a year left on his contract at the Bernabeu and has yet to agree on new terms.
Varane, 28, was quizzed on his uncertain future ahead of Real Madrid's Champions League encounter with Chelsea.
According to AS, he gave the Premier League duo a transfer boost by only responding: "I am focused on giving everything in this season finale."
The report adds how Varane has been preparing his departure for months and the club have made no special effort to retain his services.
With a market value of around £61million, Los Blancos know his fee will help ease financial woes caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
- Josh Graham
FANDEMONIUM
Manchester United are increasing security at their Carrington training complex and Old Trafford following the European Super League fallout.
Last week a group of furious fans broke into Carrington and blocked the first-team players and manager from entering.
They demanded they spoke with boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer while holding up banners such as 'we decide when you play' and 'Glazers out.'
Their protest ended peacefully with coach Michael Carrick, technical director Darren Fletcher and midfielder Nemanja Matic also addressing the players.
Hundreds of United supporters also protested in mass against their owners outside Old Trafford on Saturday.
A plane was also flown over the 0-0 draw with Leeds with a banner that read '£2BN STOLEN #GLAZERSOUT.'
According to the Athletic, United are increasing security at Carrington following the backlash. The report adds how emails have been sent to staff and players detailing the new protection measures.
- sstreet
RON RETURN?
Cristiano Ronaldo is "looking very carefully" at a return to Man Utd in case Juventus fail to qualify for the Champions League, according to reports in Italy.
TuttoSport claim Ronaldo's future in Turin is a "thorny and uncertain" issue even if Juve finish second, third or fourth.
But if they finish outside the top four the club will certainly not be able to afford the five-time Ballon d'Or winner's wages.
Juventus are currently in fourth position in Serie A, above AC Milan on goal difference alone.
Ronaldo is also said to be looking at PSG as a potential destination.
- Richard Forrester
GOOD MORNING UTD FANS,
Eric Bailly has signed a new deal until 2024 with the option of a further year.
The Ivorian told the club’s media: “I’m very happy. This decision is something I didn’t have to think about, I love this club and I love playing for Manchester United.
“I’m happy and so are my family, everything is good. Now the moment with my injury has passed and I’m fit and feel good, and that’s it. A new contract is like a new challenge and I’m ready for this.
“That’s why I say the new contract shows the group has confidence in me – the coach, the staff and the players and, for me, that is very important.
“And that’s why I made this decision to stay at the club.”
Meanwhile, United have joined Arsenal in the race to sign Abdallah Sima, according to reports.
The Slavia Prague ace has impressed for the Czech side in the Europa League this season.
Impressive forward Sima, 19, has drawn comparisons with Thierry Henry with his livewire performances.
And he fits in to Man United’s current recruitment policy.
According to the MEN, the Red Devils are ‘monitoring’ Sima’s progress ahead of a potential summer move.
And finally, Villarreal star Pau Torres admits he’s ‘proud’ to be linked with the likes of Manchester United.
He told Sport: “It’s a pride to see that your work is reflected in these kind of things that are talked about.
“But I face it with a lot of calm, I’m in a great club like Villarreal, and from the tranquility, I work every day.
“I’m not thinking about (leaving) either, there’s still a long way to go and my short-term objectives are the European semi-final and then to be available for the national team.”
- sstreet
HALL OF FAME
No fewer than ten former Man Utd stars have been nominated for the Premier League Hall of Fame.
They are:
David Beckham
Eric Cantona
Andy Cole
Rio Ferdinand
Roy Keane
Michael Owen
Peter Schmeichel
Paul Scholes
Robin van Persie
Nemanja Vidic - Joe Brophy
RED RUMBLE
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer played down talk of a bust-up between Fred and Harry Maguire.
The Red Devils captain was heard calling his team-mate a “f***ing idiot” in their goalless draw with Leeds.
But Solskjaer, 48, brushed over the incident by claiming it was a result of the demands his players have of one another.
He said: “We have got a group that demands a lot of each other.
“The standard is high, both in training and in a game — it is not just about being a nice guy. We demand maximum effort.”
He added: “I was really proud of how strong we looked. I never thought they threatened our goal in the second half but we missed a little bit of spark to win the game.”
- Joe Brophy
FANDEMONIUM
Five Premier League clubs are included in the top ten teams that boast the biggest social media following in world football.
Nine of the sides also feature in the top ten most valuable clubs, where Barcelona pipped their Spanish rivals Real Madrid to first spot.
- Joe Brophy
UNITED WE STAND
Roy Keane and Andy Cole are among the Manchester United legends that have the chance to enter the Premier League Hall of Fame.
- Joe Brophy
SHEAR DELIGHT
Alan Shearer claims snubbing Manchester United for boyhood club Newcastle was ‘the best decision I ever made’.
He said: “The No9 shirt in Newcastle is very important, very special.
“I watched No9s when I was a youngster in Newcastle growing up, it was always my dream to play for them and have that shirt.
“I was aware of the interest, and also the interest of Manchester United.
“I spoke to both managers at the time, Alex Ferguson and Kevin Keegan, and I was very close to going to United.
“In fact I’d chosen a house I was going to buy and then I thought ‘you know what, I’m going to go back home’.
“I left home in 1985 to go to Southampton to start my career.
“It had been 10 or 11 years and I thought ‘you know what, I’m going to go back home’.
“It meant that much to me and I wanted to have some great years at Newcastle where I could still play and not go back in my thirties and not see the best of me.
“It was the best decision I ever made, I know I would have won more trophies at United but the ten years I had there were unbelievably special, it was everything I hoped and wanted and more.”
- Joe Brophy
VA VA VOOM
Manchester United have joined Arsenal in the race to sign Abdallah Sima, according to reports.
The Slavia Prague ace has impressed for the Czech side in the Europa League this season.
Impressive forward Sima, 19, has drawn comparisons with Thierry Henry with his livewire performances.
And he fits in to Man United's current recruitment policy.
According to the MEN, the Red Devils are 'monitoring' Sima's progress ahead of a potential summer move.
- Joe Brophy
BOY OH BOY
Two social media giants are ignoring the planned boycott of their sites by football – and refusing to change their policies on trolls and racists.
Prem players, managers, clubs and officials will join with the FA, EFL and the women’s game in a three-day social media blackout from Friday afternoon.
The game is uniting to urge the social media companies to act against online hate.
But Facebook, which owns Instagram, said it was sticking with its existing rules rather than acting to introduce new safeguards.
- Joe Brophy
EDS TURNED
Manchester United are reportedly ‘losing the battle’ to keep Edinson Cavani this summer.
The Uruguayan is believed to be keen on returning to South America.
And The Mirror claims the Red Devils are ‘losing the battle’ to persuade him to stay with the hitman ‘wanting to sign for Argentine club Boca Juniors’ in June.
- Joe Brophy
ZLAT FEAR
Former Manchester United star Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been put under investigation by Uefa – and it could cost him his place at Euro 2020.
Uefa disciplinary chiefs announced the former inquiry into the Swedish superstar’s links with a betting company.
Ibrahimovic is part-owner of Malta-based Bethard, seemingly in direct contravention of both Uefa and Fifa regulations.
It leaves the AC Milan and Sweden star facing a massive fine and potential ban – which may spell the end of his chances of appearing at this summer’s Euro.
Fifa’s ethics code, which is shared by Uefa, prevents players or others in football from having “any interests, either directly or indirectly” in companies that “promote, arrange or conduct betting”.
The maximum penalty is a three YEAR ban and fine of £85,000.
- Joe Brophy
RUUD AWAKENING
A rare collector's item is Ruud van Nistelrooy's goal from outside the area against Charlton.
- Joe Brophy
DEVILS CURSE
Manchester United will have a lot of problems next season unless they spend big, according to Paul Ince.
He told Sky Sports: "They are not as far off as we thought two years ago. They are progressing gradually.
"But on that Leeds performance they are a long way off, they have been so inconsistent this season it is hard to judge.
"They need money, they need a striker. It looks like Cavani is going to Boca Juniors. They are going have a lot of issues next season."
- Joe Brophy
EURO HAAL
Erling Haaland will most likely leave Dortmund this summer if they miss out on Champions League football, reports say.
Chelsea and Manchester United are among the European giants trailing his signature this summer.
Haaland has a £65m release clause next summer if he stays put for another campaign.
But Bild report that Haaland will definitely be on the move this year if his club miss out on the Champions League.
Dortmund are fifth in the Bundesliga, a point behind Frankfurt with three games to play.
- Joe Brophy
TORR BLIMEY
Villarreal star Pau Torres admits he’s ‘proud’ to be linked with the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal.
He told Sport: “It’s a pride to see that your work is reflected in these kind of things that are talked about.
“But I face it with a lot of calm, I’m in a great club like Villarreal, and from the tranquility, I work every day.
“I’m not thinking about (leaving) either, there’s still a long way to go and my short-term objectives are the European semi-final and then to be available for the national team.”
- Joe Brophy
FINAL PUSH
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has a chance to banish his semi-final hoodoo when Utd face Roma in the Europa League last-four on Thursday.
- Joe Brophy
COAST IS CLEAR
Premier League Covid testers have recorded their first clear week this season.
And League bosses believe they are proving the game is close to winning the battle against the virus.
Over the past week, two rounds of testing, comprising 2,787 samples of players and staff across the 20 clubs, found no positives.
Just over half of those – 1,472 – took place between Monday and Thursday, with a further 1,315 samples taken between Friday and Sunday.
- Josh Graham
BAILLY CONTRACT CONFIRMED
Eric Bailly has signed a new deal at Manchester United until 2024 with the option of a further year.
The Ivorian told the club's media: "I’m very happy. This decision is something I didn’t have to think about, I love this club and I love playing for Manchester United.
"I’m happy and so are my family, everything is good. Now the moment with my injury has passed and I’m fit and feel good, and that’s it. A new contract is like a new challenge and I’m ready for this.
"
That’s why I say the new contract shows the group has confidence in me – the coach, the staff and the players and, for me, that is very important.
“And that’s why I made this decision to stay at the club
." - Josh Graham
BEL TOLLS
Manchester United are reportedly in competition with Liverpool and Tottenham in the race to sign Torino striker Andrea Belotti.
The 27-year-old has no shortage of admirers, with the player to potentially be sold in the summer with his contract to expire in 2022.
Belotti has once again impressed for the Turin outfit this term – chipping in with 12 goals and six assists in 29 Serie A games.
Since joining the Maroons from Palermo in 2015, the Italy international has banged in a staggering 104 goals in 222 outings.
And with the player unlikely to sign a new deal with Torino, Tuttosport have claimed a number of teams are vying to secure his services.
They state that the Red Devils are keen on the centre-forward as a possible replacement for Edinson Cavani.
However the Italian news outlet also adds that both Liverpool and Spurs are weighing up an offer.
- Josh Graham
FANDEMONIUM
Five Premier League clubs are included in the top ten teams that boast the biggest social media following in world football.
Nine of the sides also feature in the top ten most valuable clubs, where Barcelona pipped their Spanish rivals Real Madrid to first spot.
And once again it is the two LaLiga giants that have the most followers in figures obtained by Goal.
The news outlet calculated the data by combining the club's Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok followers.
And Real and Barca are in a league of their own with no other side coming close to the pair.
Los Blancos boast over a whopping 252million followers across the major platforms, with the Blaugrana having just under two million fewer.
Manchester United are third on the list with over 142million followers – over 100million less than Ronald Koeman's men.
- Josh Graham
CAN'T AFFORD JU
Juventus face having to sell Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United or Paris Saint-Germain if they miss out on the Champions League.
That is according to reports in Italy which doubt the Bianconeri's ability to support the superstar's huge wages from the Europa League.
The weekend's draw with Fiorentina left fourth-placed Juve hanging onto Serie A's final Champions League spot and three points clear of Napoli.
Gennaro Gattuso's side boast a game in hand, against Torino on Monday evening, and a more favourable run-in.
Juventus were already struggling financially amid the coronavirus pandemic, reportedly hastening their push for a European Super League.
But missing out on a top-four finish would hit the club's coffers hard at the worst possible time.
According to Tuttosport, Ronaldo costs the Old Lady a gross £1million-a-week in wages.
Credit: Getty - Josh Graham
GOOD AFTERNOON UNITED FANS!
Eric Bailly is reportedly set to extend his time at Old Trafford by signing a new deal.
The Manchester Evening News reports the centre-back has been convinced to sign on the dotted line by the promise of more game time next season.
Leeds midfielder Kalvin Phillips revealed the key to keeping Bruno Fernandes in the 0-0 draw at Elland Road.
The England star lifted the lid on his stringent man-marking of the Portuguese talisman.
And Diogo Dalot's agent insisted he will be playing for a European giant next season even if it's not the Red Devils.
Dalot has spent this campaign on loan with Serie A side AC Milan.
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