MANCHESTER UNITED could well struggle to get Mauricio Pochettino as their new manager this season after PSG BLOCKED the Red Devils from making an approach.
The French club have been irked by reports the former Spurs manager could head to Old Trafford.
United have now put an approach for Poch, 49, on hold until at least the summer.
The Paris Saint-Germain boss is currently in Manchester where his side face City in the Champions League tonight.
Brendan Rodgers remains in the running, but United will have to stump £8million to prise him away from Leicester City.
In the meantime, former Barcelona, Valencia and Athletic Bilbao manager Ernesto Valverde remains in the running to become United's interim manager.
The Spaniard, 57, has been out of work since leaving the Nou Camp last year, when he was replaced by doomed Ronald Koeman.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho were on target as Michael Carrick led United to Champions League victory over Villarreal.
It put United into the last 16 of the Champions League, with the draw set to take place on December 13.
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET A FREE £10 BONUS WITH 100s OF GAMES TO PLAY AND NO DEPOSIT REQUIRED (Ts&Cs apply)
Follow all the latest Man Utd news, transfer and gossip from Old Trafford below…
- Dylan Terry
RUDE AWAKENING
Manchester United are reported to have interviewed Rudi Garcia as a possible interim manager to lead them through to next summer.
The Red Devils installed Michael Carrick as caretaker after sacking club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last Sunday.
Club officials plan to replace Carrick quickly with an experienced short-term boss until the end of the season.
That will give the Old Trafford hierarchy time to find and appoint a long-term manager for the 2022/23 season.
Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino is the favourite to take over but United may have to wait – despite claims he was ready to join them immediately.
Veteran tactician Garcia is understood to have spoken with United bosses ahead of their Champions League victory over Villarreal – Carrick’s first match in charge.
The 57-year-old Frenchman has never managed in England but has a track record of breathing new life into ailing clubs.
- Dylan Terry
MAUR WORK NEEDED
Manchester United have had an approach for Mauricio Pochettino knocked back by PSG.
The French club have been annoyed by reports that United could poach their manager and that he is desperate to move to Old Trafford.
The Red Devils board have now shelved any plans to get the 49-year-old away from the French capital until at least the summer.
United are searching for a new manager after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last Saturday following the 4-1 defeat to Watford.
Pochettino and Leicester’s Brendan Rodgers are the leading candidates to replace him full-time.
Michael Carrick has been put in temporary charge and had a good start to his caretaker reign with a 2-0 Champions League win away to Villarreal last night.
He will remain at the helm for Sunday’s trip to Stamford Bridge and the 4.30pm kick-off against Premier League leaders Chelsea.
- Dylan Terry
POCH WATCH
Mauricio Pochettino has already decided on his first two signings as Manchester United boss, according to reports.
PSG boss Pochettino, 49, has become the frontrunner to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as Man Utd manager following his sacking on Sunday morning.
But the Argentine has reportedly sought reassurance that he will be able to strengthen the squad, having already identified his two main targets.
Pochettino is said to be keen to add Sevilla centre-back Jules Kounde, 23, to the defensive ranks at Old Trafford to help shore up their leaky backline.
Pochettino is also a huge admirer of Kieran Trippier, having already worked with him for four years at Tottenham.
The former Spurs boss signed Trippier from Burnley for just £3.5m back in 2015, with the full-back going on to make 114 appearances under Poch's reign.
The 31-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Man Utd in the summer, and Trippier was reportedly so confident of a move that was already house hunting.
But the Red Devils were reluctant to meet Atletico Madrid's £34m asking price and after their £18m bid was rejected, they decided to stick with Diogo Dalot.
- Dylan Terry
NUMBER RON
Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player in Champions League history to score three late winners in one season with his goal last night.
The Portuguese superstar bailed Manchester United out once more with his classy finish away at Villarreal.
He broke the deadlock on 78 minutes after Fred’s interception, lofting the ball over goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.
Jadon Sancho blasted in his first Red Devils goal in the 90th minute to make it 2-0.
But it was Ronaldo who grabbed the winner.
United have won three of their five Champions League group stage matches so far – enough to book their place in the knockout stages.
And in all three, Ronaldo has settled it inside the last 15 minutes.
- Dylan Terry
CARRICK IMPRESSED WITH MAN UTD PRESS
Manchester United interim boss Michael Carrick has praised his side's pressing during their 2-0 win over Villarreal last night.
"Yeah of course it did impress me, the pressing one," he told the club website when talking about the first goal.
"If you look back over time, we have pressed as a team, especially on goal kicks and when the goalkeeper got the ball, we do try to press.
"Sometimes, it hasn’t worked and we haven’t been good enough to do it, but certainly the intention is to do that. When we have changed our approach and, certainly over the last few years, we have tried to implement that the best we can.
"Fred is one of the best around at doing it and I thought he played a massive part in the first goal. Cristiano finishes it off but Fred has done terrific."
- Dylan Terry
TAXI FOR KEANE
Manchester United legend Roy Keane looked like he enjoyed himself at the ITV Palooza as he left with Arsenal hero Ian Wright.
The straight-talking pundit climbed into a cab with his on-screen pal as the pair headed home from the after party in London.
The unshaven Keane took a back seat as he loosened his collar after the broadcaster’s annual Christmas party – a notoriously boozy bonanza.
Wright went up front in an all-navy number, complete with flat cap and his trademark thick black glasses.
- Dylan Terry
PEP TALK
Pep Guardiola endorsed the credentials of Mauricio Pochettino by insisting titles are not necessary to be a top manager.
The PSG boss is in the frame to become Manchester United’s next manager following the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer on Sunday.
On Wednesday night he goes head-to-head with Pep, who has a glittering CV from his time with Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
And speaking about the Argentine, Guardiola said: “Yes you can be a top manager without titles, of course. The managers who have the chance to win titles are at top top clubs with good investments and exceptional players.
“Otherwise it’s impossible to win. That doesn’t mean the managers in the Championship or in the PL but outside the top six at the top cannot be excellent managers.
“They can be in tactics, and communication, leading the team, as human beings. it’s not necessary to win titles to be a top manager.
“I’m pretty sure the managers get better every year. Every season we go through you have a lot of learning every season, I’m pretty sure he’s an excellent manager.”
- Dylan Terry
AND HE’S OFF
Jadon Sancho scored his first goal for Man Utd with a well placed finish.
The big money summer signing finished United’s game against Villarreal to book the club’s place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
- Dylan Terry
CARR HA HA
Jamie Carragher brutally mocked Rio Ferdinand with a 'Carrick's at the wheel' tweet after Manchester United beat Villarreal on Tuesday night.
Interim boss Michael Carrick took charge United's 2-0 win at Villarreal as the Old Trafford outfit booked their spot in the Champions League last 16 with a game to spare.
And ex-Liverpool star Carragher has poked fun at former England team-mate Ferdinand as the interim boss got off to a winning start.
Carragher cheekily tweeted: "Man Utd might not thank me, but get the contract out put it on the table & let him sign it.
"Let him write whatever numbers he wants, let him sign the contract.
"Carrick’s at the wheel, man!"
The tweet is almost word-for-word the excitable rant of Ferdinand after the Red Devils sensationally beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at the Parc des Princes to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals in 2019.
- Dylan Terry
‘HAPPY IN PARIS’
Mauricio Pochettino has insisted he is ‘very happy at Paris Saint-Germain’ amid Manchester United rumours – but refused to rule out a move to Old Trafford, writes SunSport's DAVE FRASER.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked on Sunday morning just hours after the 4-1 humiliation at Watford.
On the rumours linking him with United, Pochettino said: “I’m very focused on football.
“I’m, not a child, I’ve spent my whole life playing football and spent 12 years as a coach – I know rumours will always be there.
“Sometimes positive and negative. But they cannot distract you. That’s football.
“We are focused 100 per cent to get the best result we can. So we can’t talk about that.
“I respect my club, PSG. What other clubs are doing is not my problem. I need to focus on PSG.
“I was a player here and love the club and fans. It’s a fantastic time to be at the club.
“Football is today, not tomorrow. Football is about results… two years ago, we left Tottenham and a few weeks before there were a lot of rumours about us and look what happened.
“It’s about winning. It’s about the results.
“My contract is until 2023 – this season and one more. I don’t say anything different.
“I’m happy in Paris – that’s a fact. I’m happy in Paris.”
- Dylan Terry
HAAD BARGAIN
Borussia Dortmund hope doubling Erling Haaland’s wages and delaying his cheap release clause will convince him to stay at the club, according to reports.
The Norwegian striker, 21, is one of the hottest properties in world football with his brutal goalscoring rate.
Manchester United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Real Madrid are among the European elite fighting over his signature.
But according to Sky in Germany, Dortmund are preparing to table a new contract for Haaland.
That offer would see his wages leap from around £145,000 per week to £290,000 per week.
The report also adds that the release clause in Haaland’s current deal – £63million which becomes active next summer – would be postponed by another 12 months.
That could see Dortmund hold on to the player for an extra year or get a more reasonable transfer fee if they sold him at the end of this season.
- Dylan Terry
HEART & SOL
Michael Carrick dedicated Manchester United's win at Villarreal to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the club legend was sacked at the weekend.
After the game, Carrick told BT Sport: "We came here to win the game, I believed we would.
"We were ready and it was a tough game. The boys dug in and showed a little bit of everything.
"Let’s be honest, I don’t think anyone would have expected to come out here and play pretty football from the word go.
"When you have suffered results-wise and you’re not in a great vein of form, it’s not easy to come out and let everything click.
"We had to dig in and we had to fight and it didn’t go our way at times and the game looked like it was drifting away then the subs made a massive impact. The boys gave everything."
- Alex Terrell
MORE FROM CARRICK
The caretaker boss said: "It was about getting through.
"It's been an emotional few days.
"The first person I spoke to when Ed Woodward asked me to do the role was Ole, to see what he thought about it.
"I have a responsibility to be here and manage the team and I take great pride in that.
"You can't hide from the run we've been on. To get that feeling of winning a match for the players is huge, to get a clean sheet was important."
- Alex Terrell
HOLD THE BACK PAGE
Michael Carrick masterminded underfire United's march into the Champions League knockout stages and declared: That was for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, writes NEIL CUSTIS.
Jadon Sancho fired his first goal for the club since his £73million summer move from Borussia Dortmund and Cristiano Ronaldo bagged the 799th of his career to clinch victory in Spain.
Caretaker boss Carrick said: "It has not been an easy couple of days for everyone at the club.
"I can enjoy it but that result is for Ole and I can't get away from that."
Carrick had endured a tough couple of days after Solskjaer was sacked as boss on Sunday.
He said: "We had a job to do and, thankfully, it all went to plan.
"But tonight isn't about me, it's not an important result for me, it's for the club and the players."
- Joshua Jones
GOOD MORNING RED DEVILS FANS
Man Utd won their first game since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking on Sunday.
The Red Devils beat Villarreal 2-0 away from home to book their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Interim manager Michael Carrick dedicated the win to sacked Solskjaer.
He told BT Sport: "We came here to win the game, I believed we would.
"We were ready and it was a tough game. The boys dug in and showed a little bit of everything.
"Let’s be honest, I don’t think anyone would have expected to come out here and play pretty football from the word go.
"When you have suffered results-wise and you’re not in a great vein of form, it’s not easy to come out and let everything click.
"We had to dig in and we had to fight and it didn’t go our way at times and the game looked like it was drifting away then the subs made a massive impact. The boys gave everything."
Meanwhile transfer target Declan Rice is attracting interest from a host of European clubs now.
The 22-year-old West Ham captain is being seen as the 'real deal' across Europe, according to Eurosport's Dean Jones.
United managerial target Mauricio Pochettino has declared he is 'happy in Paris'.
Speaking ahead of Paris Saint-Germain's crunch UCL clash against Manchester City, he said: "My contract is until 2023 – this season and one more. I don’t say anything different.
“I’m happy in Paris – that’s a fact. I’m happy in Paris.”
- Joshua Mbu
IN THE RON-NING
Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski is the top scorer in the Champions League this season.
Ajax's Seb Haller has grabbed seven…. not bad for a man who struggled at West Ham.
And Man Utd's Cristiano Ronaldo has bagged SIX crucial goals for the Red Devils.
- Joshua Mbu
MAG-NIFICENT
Club captain Harry Maguire turned in a dominant performance at the back.
- Joshua Mbu
AND HE'S OFF
Jadon Sancho scored his first goal for Man Utd with a well placed finish.
The big money summer signing finished United's game against Villarreal to book the club's place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
- Joshua Mbu
TOP FORM
David de Gea pulled off some outstanding saves against Villarreal tonight.
He also kept a clean sheet, helping confirm United's place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
- Joshua Mbu
FEEL THE FERN
Heading into tomorrow’s UCL fixtures, Man Utd’s Bruno Fernandes tops the assists charts.
- Joshua Mbu
UNITED WIN FOR SOLSKJAER
Man Utd interim manager Michael Carrick dedicated tonight's 2-0 win over Villarreal to sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho netted to book United's place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
He told BT Sport: "We came here to win the game, I believed we would.
"We were ready and it was a tough game. The boys dug in and showed a little bit of everything.
"Let’s be honest, I don’t think anyone would have expected to come out here and play pretty football from the word go.
"When you have suffered results-wise and you’re not in a great vein of form, it’s not easy to come out and let everything click.
"We had to dig in and we had to fight and it didn’t go our way at times and the game looked like it was drifting away then the subs made a massive impact. The boys gave everything."
- Joshua Mbu
CARR HA HA
Jamie Carragher brutally mocked Rio Ferdinand with a 'Carrick's at the wheel' tweet after Manchester United beat Villarreal on Tuesday night.
- Joshua Mbu
'HAPPY IN PARIS'
Mauricio Pochettino has insisted he is 'very happy at Paris Saint-Germain' amid Manchester United rumours – but refused to rule out a move to Old Trafford, writes DAVE FRASER.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked on Sunday morning just hours after the 4-1 humiliation at Watford.
On the rumours linking him with United, Pochettino said: "I'm very focused on football.
"I'm, not a child, I've spent my whole life playing football and spent 12 years as a coach – I know rumours will always be there.
"Sometimes positive and negative. But they cannot distract you. That’s football.
"We are focused 100 per cent to get the best result we can. So we can't talk about that.
"I respect my club, PSG. What other clubs are doing is not my problem. I need to focus on PSG.
"I was a player here and love the club and fans. It’s a fantastic time to be at the club.
"Football is today, not tomorrow. Football is about results… two years ago, we left Tottenham and a few weeks before there were a lot of rumours about us and look what happened.
"It’s about winning. It’s about the results.
"My contract is until 2023 – this season and one more. I don’t say anything different.
"I’m happy in Paris – that’s a fact. I’m happy in Paris."
- Joshua Mbu
FT: VILLARREAL 0-2 MAN UTD
A battling if unspectacular Manchester United victory ensures their place in the Last 16 of the Champions League.
Late goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho earn the Premier League side three points in Spain, and get Michael Carrick off to a winning start in his caretaker role.
Villarreal were the better side for long periods, but created little – and when they did, they couldn't find a way past David de Gea.
- Joshua Mbu
VILLARREAL 0-2 MAN UTD
89. It's lift-off for Jadon Sancho's Manchester United career!
At the 15th time of asking, the former Borussia Dortmund forward scores his first goal for his new club, and it's a strike that seals United's place in the Last 16.
Sancho's first United goal is a brilliant one too, finishing off a flowing counter-attack that again stemmed from Fred's endeavour in winning back possession.
Cristiano Ronaldo then starts the move, freeing Marcus Rashford down the left, from where the England man looks up and finds fellow substitute Bruno Fernandes.
For once, Fernandes is sloppy with his control, allowing the ball to run under his boot, but that meant play arrived at Sancho's feet. The forward took a touch to steady himself, and then rocketed an effort in at the near post off the underside of the bar.
It could kickstart Sancho's season! It could kickstart Manchester United's season!
Source: Read Full Article