Man Utd transfer news LIVE: Guehi TWIST, United ‘favourites’ to sign Osimhen, Players ‘believe’ Ten Hag will be sacked

Solskjaer reveals Ronaldo demand

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed Cristiano Ronaldo kicked off when he was benched after arriving at Manchester United - despite asking not to play.

The superstar was signed in 2021 to help boost United's Premier League winning chances after Solskjaer had finished second the year before.

He scored twice on his second debut against Newcastle and again in his second game against West Ham.

The Portuguese then started against Aston Villa for the third consecutive game - just as he had requested. Solksjaer then benched him at his request but Ronaldo still threw his toys out of the pram, according to the Norwegian.

Appearing on the Stick to Football podcast, brought to you by Sky Bet, Solskjaer said: “Part of signing Cristiano Ronaldo was getting that passion from him, but that did have its complications.

“You’ve got Mason Greenwood, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, who can learn from Cristiano as he’s the best, the most disciplined and he’s been the best player in the world, and you think he’s going to help them.

“When he arrived at the club, he told me to start him for three games in a row, and then put me on the bench for the fourth game, but he’s so passionate so when I did that, he didn’t like it.”

Follow our Man Utd WhatsApp channel

Keep up to date on all things Man Utd with our dedicated WhatsApp channel.

Click HERE to join.

Kobbie Mainoo promotion

Manchester United have finally given Kobbie Mainoo a place in the senior dressing room.

According to The Mail, Mainoo moved from United's Under-21 changing room to the seniors' a few weeks ago.

The midfield could also be called up by Gareth Southgate for England's friendlies with Brazil on March 23 and Belgium three days later.

Everton's ex-United youngster James Garner and Fulham anchorman Harrison Reed could also be in contention.

Maxi Oyedele recalled

Manchester United youngster Maxi Oyedele has returned to the club from his loan spell at Forest Green Rovers.

Oyedele joined the League Two strugglers on loan on a deal until the end of the season in January.

The midfielder was signed by Troy Deeney who has since been sacked and he failed to win over his replacement Steve Cotterill.

The 19-year-old has now been unofficially recalled by United, according to The Mail.

The Poland youth international made just four appearances for Forest Green Rovers totalling 63 minutes - the longest of which was a 35-minute display against Crawley.

Oyedele did not make a single start and was left on the bench after playing in three consecutive games after signing.

Larsson reveals Ferguson story

Manchester United hero Henrik Larsson revealed an incredible gesture from Sir Alex Ferguson.

When I joined Manchester United, my brother Kim had a christening for one of his boys.

I asked Sir Alex if it was possible. He arranged a private jet for me to get home after a game. I was only there for 10 weeks but he made me feel so welcome.

I was living at the Lowry [Hotel]. Louis Saha and Patrice Evra would take me to lunch, Wayne Rooney too.

I thought: ‘Oh, they really care'. So you want to do good by them. It was an honour to represent Manchester United.

Henrik LarssonThe Guardian

Man Utd look for head of recruitment

Manchester United are ready to make Crystal Palace chief Dougie Freedman their new head of recruitment.

Freedman has been Palace’s sporting director since 2017 and is credited with amassing some of the Premier League’s top young talents, including Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi and Adam Wharton.

And The Independent report Ratcliffe is eager for the Scot to swap Selhurst Park for Old Trafford.

The Eagles are aware of the Red Devils' interest and will not stop the 49-year-old from leaving.

But Palace will offer him a new contract in the hope that he decides to stay and assist new manager Oliver Glasner.

United are eager for Freedman to join as soon as possible as they prepare for a big summer of change.

Sofyan Amrabat's 'nightmare'

Sofyan Amrabat's time at Manchester United is "becoming a nightmare" after his latest below par performance against Manchester City.

During his late cameo, Amrabat gave the ball away on the edge of his own box for City's third goal.

The Fiorentina loanee's performance has since been slammed by Corriere Fiorentino.

Having hailed his move to United as a "dream come true", it is now "becoming a nightmare" according to the same outlet.

The report claims the Morocco international "managed to be the worst on the pitch" after replacing Kobbie Mainoo at the Etihad.

The 27-year-old'a performance is described as the "fateful straw that broke the camel's back" for United fans.

Victor Osimhen boost

Manchester United are emerging as one of the favourites to sign Napoli star Victor Osimhen this summer.

Osimhen is set to be on the market with his contract including a release clause worth in the range of £94million.

United are eager to become more “forward thinking” with their transfer strategy under Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

According to The Independent, the centre-forward will be seen as an ideal signing due to his age and adaptability.

Should the Red Devils bring the Nigeria international to Old Trafford, he will provide a different option to Rasmus Hojlund up top, where Erik ten Hag’s team currently lack depth.

And Anthony Martial is set to leave on a free transfer, while Marcus Rashford feels more at home on the left wing.

Predicted Premier League table

Manchester United will miss out on Champions League qualification, according to the stats experts.

Bettingexpert have crunched the numbers to produce BETSiE, a supercomputer tasked with predicting sporting outcomes.

And the findings show United will finish in sixth place behind Tottenham and Aston Villa.

More below:

Gascoigne vs Savage

Premier League cult hero Robbie Savage was another left frustrated by Paul Gascoigne's taunts.

I remember playing against Robbie Savage, he was having a go at us.

I just started talking to him and ruined him. He played midfield.

The second half when we came out, Robbie moved to right-back, I looked at him and said 'come on, mark us', he went 'no, you talk too much'.

Paul GascoigneHigh Performance Podcast

Gascoigne vs Keane

England legend Paul Gascoigne brutally taunted Manchester United great Roy Keane with comments about his "wife" when the pair faced each other.

Gascoigne and Keane played against each other in the early 1990s when the former was at Tottenham and the latter with Nottingham Forest.

Whoever was marking us I'd talk, talk them to bits.

Roy Keane was the best, when they said he was going to be the new kid on the block. I said ‘new kid?' and I just talked to him all through the game.

He said ‘Gazza, please shut up'. I'd say 'I'm taking your wife out tonight'. [He said] 'I'm not married'.

"I said 'you are, she's in the stands, look', he'd look up, he’d say 'Gazza, stop it!'.

Paul Gascoigne High Performance Podcast

Sofyan Amrabat struggles

Fiorentina are preparing themselves for Sofyan Amrabat's summer return after spending this season on loan at Manchester United.

SunSport revealed that United were not planning to sign Amrabat on a permanent deal following Kobbie Mainoo's emergence.

According to Football Italia, the midfielder's latest gaffe against Manchester City which led to Rodri setting Erling Haaland up for the third goal could make the Red Devils even less likely to trigger the option to buy.

The Morocco international has started just seven out of United's 27 Premier League matches so far this term, coming off the bench in a further six.

More on Guehi

Manchester United's bid for Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi will largely depend on whether proposed sporting director Dan Ashworth is appointed in time for the summer transfer window.

Ashworth's Newcastle contract doesn't allow him to start working for another club until his deal runs out in 2026.

Therefore, the transfer expert faces an extended gardening leave unless United fork out a whopping £20m as compensation to the Magpies.

Nevertheless, the ex-Brighton chief is a huge admirer of Guehi and thus much will depend on his status this summer.

Graham Potter Exclusive

Manchester United's next potential sporting director Dan Ashworth has met with Graham Potter as pressure grows on under-fire manager Erik ten Hag.

Potter is the favourite of new United investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his assistant Sir David Brailsford to replace Ten Hag if the INEOS group fires the Dutchman.

Ashworth and the ex-Chelsea manager worked closely at Brighton and it is understood the pair got together last weekend.

SunSport revealed in December that Potter was lined up to replace Ten Hag after Sir Jim met with the 48-year-old tactician.

Marc Guehi transfer boost

Crystal Palace are preparing for Marc Guehi's potential exit in the summer with Manchester United and other Premier League giants keeping tabs.

According to The Telegraph, Palace have compiled a list of potential candidates to replace Guehi in a sign that chances of a potential departure have grown significantly.

The centre-back has only two years left on his contract, which means this summer may be his club's final chance to sell him for a significant fee.

The England international is reportedly worth more than the club-record £50million United splashed for Aaron Wan-Bissaka in 2019.

Ten Hag losing confidence

Manchester United stars believe manager Erik ten Hag will be sacked in the summer.

United are sixth in the Premier League table with a staggering 11 points separating them from the top four while they were also eliminated in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup as well as the Champions League group stage.

The Red Devils also face Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals, which is their last shot at silverware this campaign.

And according to The Mail, there is a belief within the squad Ten Hag will be sacked at the end of the season.

However, the Dutch tactician still reportedly has support from the dressing room and he insisted he is "on the same page" as new investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

The pair met and held talks at the beginning of the year and the ex-Ajax boss has kept in close contact with Ineos chief Sir Dave Brailsford, who is Ratcliffe's right-hand man.

Mathys Tel recalls scoring against Man Utd at start of this season

Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel has recalled what scoring his first Champions League goal against Man Utd was like.

Tel, 18 came off the bench to smash home a goal against Man Utd in the opening match of the group stage.

Speaking on FedEx's Outside the Box, he said: “The coach called me over, 'Mathys, it's time for you to go on.'

"I'm in my own bubble, I focus on getting out onto the pitch. I get ready to make a difference for my team.

“The game against Manchester United, it was quite a different atmosphere, because it's the biggest competition, the best players in the world, the biggest teams in the world.

“The mental preparation was really important for me. I came on as a left winger and then the game started. Everything went so fast. That's when my head exploded.

“The stadium went wild. Everybody went wild. It was an incredible and unforgettable moment.”

Amrabat lost in Manchester fog after Manchester derby, say Italian paper

Sofyan Amrabat's loan transfer to Man Utd has far from gone to plan.

His disastrous cameo against Man City when he had the ball pinched away by Rodri who then set up Erling Haaland for the third goal saw Italian outlet Corriere Fiorentino slam him.

They now say Amrabat has become "lost in the Manchester fog".

Exclusive: Mary Earps to be first woman footballer to be given waxwork at Madame Tussauds

England football hero Mary Earps is to be immortalised with her very own waxwork at Madame Tussauds.

The Sun can reveal the Lioness has won a public vote to be remade as a lifelike statue at the world-famous Madame Tussauds.

It will make goalkeeper Mary — who famously took on shirt sponsor Nike after they initially declined to print one with her name — the first female footballer to get a wax figure.

The news comes six months after the London attraction announced it would honour the Lionesses’ achievements — reaching the 2023 World Cup final and winning the 2022 Euros — by selecting a waxwork chosen by fans.

The decision will be formally announced in the coming weeks, but a museum source said: “The public vote was pretty comprehensive. Mary cleaned up.

“She’s a national icon and an inspiration, especially to young girls and aspiring footballers who admire her courage, pluck and sheer athletic talent.

“Her waxwork unveiling will be another big step for women’s football after decades of only men getting the privilege."

Prem sides can take massive leap to earning fifth UCL spot this week

England’s Euro adventurers can take a massive step towards securing the Prem a fifth Champions League spot for next season this week.

Uefa’s competitions revamp will see the Champions League extended to 36 teams and a “Swiss model” league system from next season.

Two of the extra places go to the top two performing nations across the three Uefa competitions in the preceding campaign.

England go into the completion of the last 16 stage of the Champions League – and the full equivalent in the Europa League and Conference League – in third position in the table, behind Italy and Germany.

But unlike the first stage of post-Christmas knock-out action, when only Manchester City and Arsenal were involved, all six of the Prem’s remaining teams will play this month.

And by the time the quarter-final survivors are known, it will be far clearer if England is on course for an extra place – or if the race for the top four will become even more vital.

Man Utd want Freedman for transfer chief role

Man Utd want to land Crystal Palace's Dougie Freedman as their new head of recruitment, according to The Independent.

Following Sir Jim Ratcliffe's and Ineos' 27.7 per cent takeover, Man Utd have moved to appoint Omar Berrada as their CEO and Dan Ashworth as their technical director - with both on gardening leave from Man City and Newcastle respectively.

Ineos want to appoint Freedman due to his broad knowledge of the game and know he should be available quickly with Palace's general stance being that they do not stand in people's way if they want to further their career.