Devils' Advocate panel unconvinced by Seskopublished at 10:14
10:14
Image source, Getty Images
As we reported on Tuesday morning, Manchester United have put RB Leipzig forward Benjamin Sesko at the top of their wishlist.
The 22-year-old scored 21 goals in 45 appearances last season and has 16 in 41 for the Slovenia national side.
This week's BBC Radio Manchester's The Devils' Advocate podcast has pondered whether he would be a good fit at Old Trafford.
"He is absolutely better than what we have got, but whether he can transfer what he has done before into the Premier League is a totally different question," said presenter Gaz Drinkwater.
"He is young as well - maybe we need a bit more experience up front. I'm not talking about someone like Jamie Vardy, but someone with a bit more experience I would like."
Manchester United have joined the race to sign RB Leipzig and Slovenia forward Benjamin Sesko, 22, who is also in talks with Newcastle. (Sun, external)
United have also made a bid of 40m euros (£35m) for Sporting midfielder Morten Hjulmand, 26, but the Portuguese club want at least 50m euros (£43.4) for the Denmark international, who is also a target for Juventus. (Calciomercato - in Italian, external)
Meanwhile, if Nottingham Forest beat Napoli to Dan Ndoye's signature, the Italian club could step up their interest Manchester United's 21-year-old Argentina forward Alejandro Garnacho. (Sun, external)
Ugarte confident of better second season at Man Utdpublished at 17:04 28 July
17:04 28 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter in Chicago
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte is confident he will give a better account of himself in his second season in the Premier League.
United paid £50.8m to sign Ugarte from Paris St-Germain last August.
However, the Uruguay international struggled badly, even after the November arrival of Ruben Amorim, who he played under at Portuguese club Sporting.
While he made 45 appearances in his debut United campaign, Ugarte failed to halt the club's slide to a disastrous 15th-placed finish.
He did not merit a starting spot for the Europa League final defeat by Tottenham and was not called upon as United desperately searched for an equaliser in the final stages.
It was a damning indictment of a player who was supposed to be the midfield anchor to allow others to express themselves and at odds with his outstanding performances at last year's Copa America, when he was selected in the team of the tournament.
Ugarte impressed at the MetLife Stadium on Saturday, when he started the friendly win against West Ham in midfield alongside Kobbie Mainoo.
"Last year we made some changes," said the 24-year-old. "We changed our coach, we changed our formation. We got to know the Premier League.
"This year I am good. I am very excited.
"I know the league, I know our rivals, I know my team-mates. All of this is important. Sometimes the connections take time.
"You have to have responsibilities when you play for United. It is important to perform well at this club."
Man Utd's Collyer set for loan movepublished at 17:04 28 July
17:04 28 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter in Chicago
Image source, Getty Images
Midfielder Toby Collyer looks set for a loan move away from Manchester United this season.
The 21-year-old is part of United's pre-season trip to the United States and featured for the final 25 minutes of Saturday's 2-1 win over West Ham at MetLife Stadium.
With Bruno Fernandes set to drop into a deeper midfield role once new signing Bryan Mbeumo is fit enough to start, added competition from Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo, plus no European football on the fixture list, Collyer is likely to have limited opportunities if he remains at Old Trafford.
United have no intention of selling Collyer, who snubbed interest from Chelsea and Brentford, both much closer to his home in Sussex, to join the club from Brighton in 2022. He has a contract that runs to 2027, with the option of an additional year.
But furthering his experience away from the club is on the agenda.
"The end goal for me is to play as many minutes as possible here, hopefully starting every week," he said.
"I'll sit down with the manager and higher-ups and see what's the best solution for that and the best way for me to develop, whether it's stay here or go on loan."
Collyer has made 13 first-team appearances for United but his progress was hampered last season by a niggling hamstring injury he feels he is now getting to the bottom of.
"I was annoyed about the injuries," he said. "It was just a hamstring injury but you always want to give your best.
"It's also about knowing your body and doing the right things on and off the pitch, that you can't go 100% every day. You need to understand when your body needs to rest."
Man Utd's Mather looks for loan move abroadpublished at 08:10 28 July
08:10 28 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester United youngster Sam Mather is likely to look abroad for a loan move this season.
Mather, 20, signed a new contract with United last summer after being part of their pre-season tour to the United States.
However, he was overlooked for this summer's trip by head coach Ruben Amorim and, given the position he is most suited to is as a number 10, Mather knows his path to the first team is blocked.
That means the Salford-born player will almost certainly go out on another loan this season.
However, he wants to avoid a repeat of last season, when he went to Tranmere in January but only made two brief substitute appearances the following month.
It is felt, at his age, Mather's technical abilities make him more suited to playing abroad than in the EFL, with the potential for a permanent deal likely to be part of any arrangement.
Gossip: Man Utd weigh up striker optionspublished at 07:33 28 July
07:33 28 July
Manchester United have entered the race for Paris St-Germain and France forward Randal Kolo Muani, 26, who is a top target for Juventus. (Gazzetta dello Sport - in Italian), external
Man Utd's Hojlund conundrumpublished at 17:05 27 July
17:05 27 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter at the MetLife Stadium
Image source, Getty Images
There were a couple of moments in the first-half of last night's game against West Ham which summed up Rasmus Hojlund.
In the first, he showed strength, speed and aggression to get himself into a shooting position and smashed a shot against the outside of the post.
The second was far easier but he ballooned the effort over the bar, much to the frustration of head coach Ruben Amorim.
With rumours around Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins in particular refusing to die down, United face a stark choice.
Do they risk heading into the meat of the season with Hojlund as their number one striker, knowing Joshua Zirkzee and 18-year-old Chido Obi are the back ups if Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha are used as number 10s?
Or, do they head back into the transfer market and try to prise Watkins out of Villa – or Jean Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace, although the chatter around him is nowhere near as strong - or abandon their policy of recruiting from the Premier League to get someone else?
There is certainly something about Hojlund – probably not £72m-worth, which is what United paid for him – but it is easy to see him scoring goals on a regular basis if he was fully confident.
'Normal to have to build your confidence' - De Ligtpublished at 17:01 27 July
17:01 27 July
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Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt says pre-season wins can "build confidence" for upcoming campaign.
The Red Devils came out 2-1 winners over West Ham United in their opening game of the Premier League Summer Series in the United States on Saturday, with captain Bruno Fernandes netting twice.
This preparation for the new campaign is the first time boss Ruben Amorim has had the chance to have a pre-season with the team after arriving in November.
Speaking after the game at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, De Ligt said: "It's been good [having pre-season with Amorim]. We train a lot, we train hard. Today you saw also what kind of intensity we can bring.
"I think we're still at the beginning. We have a lot more potential to show in that aspect, but I think for today it was good intensity and a good performance.
"Last season was not good enough, we know that, and now we have to find a way to improve. I think we've made some good signings already. You saw already Matheus [Cunha], he can bring a lot to the team.
"I like the mentality of us today, high pressing, a lot of intensity."
After just 11 league wins and a 15th-place finish, 2024-25 was regarded as the club's worst campaign since the 1973-74 relegation season and Amorim and his players will know they need to do better this time around.
"After a season like that, it's normal to have to build your confidence," De Ligt added. "That's why I think a win like today is really important. I think with winning, you become more confident. You start to believe more in what you're doing.
"[This win] was a good example of what we can show, and hopefully with this the group becomes even better."
Pitch for double-header used for one night onlypublished at 14:02 27 July
14:02 27 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter at the MetLife Stadium
Image source, Getty Images
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola and Everton counterpart David Moyes had a bit of a grumble about the state of the pitch at the MetLife Stadium on Saturday night.
This follows on from complaints during the recent Club World Cup.
It is not ideal given the venue will host the World Cup final in 12 months' time.
The good news is, it won't be the same pitch. In fact, the surface used last night for the double-header which also saw Manchester United beat West Ham was a different one to the Club World Cup.
This pitch was laid at the beginning of the week after three shows by country music star Zach Bryan and will be taken up this week in time for WWE's Summer Slam on Saturday and Sunday.
The pitch will be taken to a local farm where it will be used to make compost soil.
Fernandes 'will have more help this season' - Amorimpublished at 10:36 27 July
10:36 27 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter at the MetLife Stadium
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is confident skipper Bruno Fernandes will get the help he needs at Old Trafford this season.
Far too often last campaign, Fernandes - who was deservedly named the club's player of the year - was alone in carrying United's attacking threat.
At the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday, it was tempting to think nothing had changed as he scored both goals in his side's 2-1 win over West Ham in their first Premier League Summer Series outing.
But there was a subtle change.
Matheus Cunha was also demanding the ball and trying to threaten the Hammers goal. When he is fully fit and ready to join his new team-mates during a game, Amorim believes £65m new-boy Bryan Mbeumo will do the same.
"He will have more help this season," said Amorim.
"It's impossible to play all the positions. Last year I felt sometimes I pushed him back to have more possession in the build-up and then we missed Bruno near the box.
"Cunha and Bryan have different characteristics."
It was Amorim's predecessor Erik ten Hag who launched a fierce defence of Fernandes when his role as captain was questioned after his emotional response during the infamous 7-0 hammering at Liverpool in March 2023.
The 30-year-old's critics believe the flaws in his character remain.
However, Amorim shares the same view as Ten Hag - that Fernandes is a true leader.
"He's our leader, not just on the field, but also off it," United boss said.
"He leads by example. He works really hard and is always available. Sometimes he plays with pain.
"The problem is sometimes he gets frustrated and loses the focus on his job a little bit.
"Sometimes he wants to help his team-mates so much but it's not the best thing to do.
"They have to learn and they have to do their job. Bruno has to wait for the ball."
Fernandes doubles secures pre-season winpublished at 09:29 27 July
09:29 27 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Bruno Fernandes underlined his importance to Manchester United by scoring twice as they opened their US pre-season tour with a 2-1 victory over West Ham at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
United have spent more than £120m on attacking players this summer in Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo but it was their captain who proved the difference, punishing two errors by Hammers goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.
Fernandes scored a fifth-minute penalty and added his second just after half-time from outside the box.
Jarrod Bowen pulled one back in the 63rd minute and United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir then made an excellent save to deny the West Ham captain in injury time but Ruben Amorim's side secured victory in their opening match of the four-team Premier League Summer Series.
'Shaw is a world-class player' - Amorimpublished at 20:11 26 July
20:11 26 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter in Chicago
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has labelled left-back Luke Shaw "world-class".
After two injury-plagued seasons, Shaw looks fit heading into the 2025-26 campaign. That could be crucial over the next few weeks, as the 30-year-old is expected to fill the left central defensive berth while World Cup winner Lisandro Martinez continues his recovery from major knee surgery.
Many United fans found it hugely frustrating that Shaw's only start in over 14 months - between February 2024 and April 2025 - came in the Euro 2024 final, when he completed the full 90 minutes in the defeat by Spain.
However, Amorim feels that - and the fact Shaw also featured for the whole game in the Euro 2021 final, when England lost on penalties to Italy and he scored the early opener - says everything about his qualities.
"Luke Shaw is a world-class player," said Amorim. "That is my feeling. You can feel it in the small things; when he touches the ball, the ability to play one against one.
"England had two finals. He had issues during the season, but in the final he is always there. That means something.
"But he needs to be fit. He needs to train at the limit, which is what he is doing at the moment.
"He is a great player and I am really pleased with him."
Man Utd players trialling cooling jacketspublished at 16:57 25 July
16:57 25 July
Simon Stone Chief football news reporter in Chicago
Image source, Getty Images
Manchester United are using their United States tour to trial new cooling jackets kit manufacturers Adidas feel will be in widespread use at next summer's World Cup.
Extreme weather was a significant factor at the recent Club World Cup and with more early kick-offs likely at a 48-team World Cup, ways are being found to try to keep players cool.
Lead physical performance coach Charlie Owen and head of physical performance Ed Leng wore the jackets and explained the benefits to United's players at the start of their scheduled training session at Chicago's Soldier Field stadium on Friday.
The jackets have already been trialled in cycling and Formula 1. The United players will wear them after the warm-up and at half-time in all three games at the Premier League Summer Series, starting against West Ham at MetLife Stadium on Saturday.
Image source, Getty Images
