Manchester United

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BBC Radio Manchester's Gaz Drinkwater believes Marcus Rashford will stay at Manchester United, saying Ruben Amorim's criticism after the club's win at Fulham was to challenge the 27-year-old to get back in the team.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Devil's Advocate, Drinkwater argued the boss' tough choice of words was a message to the England striker.

"It tells me Ruben Amorim doesn't necessarily want to sell Marcus Rashford," Drinkwater said. "It seems he's putting a challenge on Rashford - 'train properly and you will be in my team'.

"There is a door open.

"It's the way Rashford takes this. What worries me is that as soon as the comments were said, he put on his Instagram story: 'Great game, boys'. Is this him just trying to paint himself in a good light because he knows he's getting criticised by the manager?

"If United were settled on selling Rashford and everyone wanted him gone including Amorim, he would have just said: 'I've just not selected him'.

"Here's a prediction - Rashford doesn't go anywhere and is back in Ruben Amorim's team in the next two weeks and he's scoring goals."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim says Casemiro's lack of Premier League minutes is "just a selection choice" but reiterated that his team "needs players with high intensity".

The Brazil midfielder has been an unused substitute for eight of United's past ten league matches, with his one start in this period coming in the disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle in December.

After signing from Real Madrid in a deal worth up to £70m in August 2022, the five-time Champions League winner played a key role in United winning the Carabao Cup and finishing third in his first season.

However, his form dipped alongside that of his team last season - leading to former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher saying "the football has left him."

"Sometimes it's a system fit - sometimes it's the player's [form]," Amorim told TNT Sports Mexico before United's final Europa League game with FCSB in Romania on Thursday.

"We know that Casemiro nowadays has other qualities. He's intelligent, understands the game and knows where the ball is going to be.

"But, we are in a league where there is a big intensity difference. Therefore I feel our team needs players with high intensity and sometimes we don't have them.

"We all know Casemiro's qualities and everything he has won, so I have nothing to add to that. It's just a selection choice."

Roma want to sign Manchester United's Brazil midfielder Casemiro, 32, on loan until the end of the season, but a move is dependent on the Italian club selling Argentina international Leandro Paredes, 30. (Mail, external)

Napoli and Juventus are monitoring United striker Rasmus Hojlund, 21, with the Denmark forward yet to impress new boss Ruben Amorim. (Talksport, external)

The Red Devils are close to signing Lecce and Denmark wing-back Patrick Dorgu, 20, for a fee in the region of £30m. (Sky Sports, external)

Meanwhile, United forward Marcus Rashford, 27, has hired the brother of Brighton forward Danny Welbeck as his new agent to help him find a move away from Old Trafford. (Star, external)

As it stands, Rashford's only option to leave United this month would be a loan move to Juventus. (Independent, external)

United will enter the race for Bayern Munich and France Under-21 attacker Mathys Tel, 19, but only if Rashford or Argentina winger Alejandro Garnacho, 20, are sold. (Florian Plettenberg, external)

Finally, both United and Bayern Munich are interested in Chelsea and France attacker Christopher Nkunku, 27, who is valued at about £70m. (Mail, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Sunday's victory over Fulham made it four wins in five matches for Manchester United, but Ruben Amorim's men remain four points off the top half of the table.

In the Europa League, beating FCSB on Thursday would guarantee the Red Devils a place in the next round of the Europa League, and a draw may also be enough.

And the future of Marcus Rashford has dominated headlines.

But what else is happening at Old Trafford?

You know the club best, so tell us the one thing - good or bad - that nobody is talking about at United but really should be.

Let us know here

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Manchester United are close to completing a deal for another promising Arsenal youngster in Ayden Heaven.

United signed striker Chido Obi-Martin from the Gunners in October and the 17-year-old has already impressed in the club's FA Youth Cup campaign.

Now the Old Trafford outfit are expecting to successfully conclude negotiations with 18-year-old central defender Heaven, who made his senior debut as a substitute in an EFL Cup win at Preston.

Although Arsenal do not want to lose Heaven, the London-born player knows the path to regular first team exposure is blocked as Mikel Arteta has a number of senior defenders who are all performing well.

In contrast, United are on a path to try and massively improve their recruitment, which has been so poor in recent times.

In addition to Obi-Martin, the club has also tied up a deal for Paraguay Under-20 international Diego Leon.

It is not entirely clear whether Heaven would become part of United's first-team squad or if he would initially work with the Premier League 2 set-up.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Manchester United pair Dan Gore and Harry Amass have both struggled to break into the first-team picture at Old Trafford this season despite the change of manager.

United do have high hopes for them both but it seems a loan move for the latter part of the campaign would be the best way forward.

There is interest but now there is under a week to get something sorted out.

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Former midfielder Paul Scholes feels Marcus Rashford should be "banished" from the Manchester United dressing room after letting "a lot of people down".

Rashford has not played for United since 12 December and on Sunday, boss Ruben Amorim said he would rather have 63-year-old goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital in his squad over "a player who doesn't give the maximum every day".

The 27-year-old has been linked with a move away during the January transfer window, but any potential deals are complicated by his reportedly high wages and a contract that runs until 2028.

Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, Scholes said: "I think Marcus has let a lot of people down really, with his attitude, and I think that's what the manager is trying to say.

"You think of the young players coming through the team, think of [Alejandro] Garnacho, they're looking up to people like Marcus now - he's 27 years of age, and he's clearly not training properly.

"I remember years ago when I told the manager [Sir Alex Ferguson] I didn't want to play in that Arsenal game... he said to me 'the worst thing you did is let your team-mates down', and that really stuck with me because I wasn't really thinking about that - and now I think Marcus Rashford, he's doing exactly the same.

"OK, he's not refusing to play, but in the way he's behaving and the way he's training, in a way he is saying I don't want to be involved with these.

"So I think the fact of letting your team-mates down in that dressing room - he should be banished from the dressing room really. If he's in and around that and young people are seeing that as an example, the sooner he's gone the better."

On BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, the panel discussed the future of Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, with them all in agreement that a move away is in his best interest because there is no going back from Ruben Amorim's comments.

Former England captain Steph Houghton said: "What are his ambitions? Because he hasn't played enough football over the last few months, so is a move about getting the desire back on the pitch and playing more.

"We know there is potential there because in that 30-goal season he was really good for Manchester United, but that has not been consistent enough.

"At 27-years-old he's not a young boy anymore. He is experienced and this is probably a crucial move or season for him now."

Chris Sutton added: "It is quite basic what Amorim said and is like a last resort. It is not difficult [to train well] but for whatever reason he is playing up. Amorim is just asking him to do the same as everyone else and go in [to training] and apply himself.

"It is totally unacceptable. Rashford is a problem. But are any clubs going to want to take him because Amorim has come out publicly and said all of these things about him and you can't see it doing him any favours?

"They don't know which version of Rashford they are going to see. He is too big for his boots."

Listen to the Monday Night Club on BBC Sounds

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton says there is a possibility that Marcus Rashford will not find a club to leave Manchester United for before the transfer window closes and he "rots" until the summer.

Rashford is one of United's highest-earning players and the club do not want to be in a situation where they pay him to do nothing for half a season.

United will likely have to subsidise wages, but the New York Times' chief soccer correspondent Rory Smith believes this situation highlights United's ongoing issue of struggling to sell players.

"It is a problem for United and one of the reasons why they are up against the PSR threshold," Smith said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club. "The system relies on you being able to sell well, so when you aren't the figures don't look good.

"The players at United earn way too much money and it is way more than their reflective value in the market."

Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

Manchester United may make a loan move for Chelsea and France forward Christopher Nkunku, 27, if England's Marcus Rashford, 27, leaves the club. (The Athletic - subscription required, external)

Forward Rashford is willing to wait to secure a move to Barcelona. (Mirror, external)

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Alex Turk
Fan writer

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A week of the January transfer window remains and the focal point of Manchester United's potential business is Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea.

How has it come to this? How has the Glazers' financial mismanagement reached a point where United could be ready to hand a main rival to one of their biggest academy successes in recent history?

The thing is, I get it. Ruben Amorim needs players who are already suited to the system he is attempting to instil - not those who could fit in a few years.

History has taught us that United's post-Sir Alex Ferguson managers do not get that long.

A move to Napoli would be reluctantly acceptable. While I do not believe £60m represents Garnacho's true value, it is enough to recruit a top-class replacement who will instantly upgrade Amorim's firepower.

However, gift-wrapping the 20-year-old and shipping him off to Stamford Bridge would be the latest of many mistakes in the first year of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's regime.

Watching Garnacho shine for Chelsea in the coming years would taste sour enough after the time and resources United have committed to his development since 2020.

But if Chelsea pocket twice as much as they paid for the Argentine when he inevitably realises his potential and Europe's powerhouses come calling? Sour would be an understatement.

Youth, courage, success. Three words that United take pride in plastering over their stadium, training facilities and kits.

But this deal would prove that the value of all three is rapidly deteriorating - just like many other aspects that make this club what it is.

Find more from Alex Turk at Stretford Paddock, external

The latest episode of BBC Radio Manchester's The Devils' Advocate podcast has landed.

Listen as Gaz Drinkwater and Joe McGrath chat about Manchester United's two recent wins and Ruben Amorim's latest message to Marcus Rashford.

Full episode on BBC Sounds

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Journalist

Ruben Amorim's comments on Marcus Rashford grabbed the headlines from Sunday's victory against Fulham, but Rasmus Hojlund's performance at Craven Cottage also raised a few eyebrows. The Dane had minimal impact on the match, having just 17 touches and completing six passes before getting substituted early in the second half. Most concerningly, Hojlund also failed to register a single shot all evening.

It is not the first time that Hojlund has failed to have a shot in a game - in fact it has happened more often than not this season. As pointed out by The Athletic, Hojlund has failed to register a shot in seven of his 13 Premier League starts in 2024-25. No matter the circumstances, that is a troubling record for the £72m man.

Hojlund's struggles are clearly not just an individual issue. Aside from Bruno Fernandes, United desperately lack creativity which often leaves Hojlund with next to no service. But Joshua Zirkzee - who has been criticised just as much if not more than Hojlund this season - is out performing his strike partner in his maiden Premier League campaign.

According to FBref, Zirkzee is taking exactly double the amount of shots than Hojlund per 90 minutes (1.98 compared to 0.99), and more on target too (0.83 compared to 0.5). Zirkzee's numbers need to improve as well, but Hojlund has regressed from a decent first season in Manchester.

Yet to turn 22, the former Atalanta man still has plenty of time to develop his game and the 16 goals he scored in all competitions last season shows potential for future success. Moulding Hojlund into a more complete centre forward and improving Manchester United as a creative force should both be near the top of Amorim's to-do list for 2025.

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Manchester United's finances are in a "dire state", says chief United writer for the MEN Samuel Luckhurst.

There are question marks around the club's current situation in relation to PSR and whether they need to sell players to bring others in.

"I highly doubt that [they will bring players in] because of the dire state of United's finances," Luckhurst told BBC Radio 5 Live.

"They have to get rid of players to facilitate players to come in.

"They told supporters in a letter last week that they are sailing close to the wind with these profitability and sustainability rules in the Premier League.

"So that's why there's that willingness to cash in on any academy player, any player's sale now is deemed fair game, which is a pretty dire situation to be in when in the summer they decided that Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo were not for sale.

"If a club did hit the magic number, they would probably cash in on them, and that is why they sold Scott McTominay in the summer. As an academy player, he represents pure profit."

United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made a number of cost-cutting decisions since taking over football operations, and a fan's group has warned that now is "the worst possible time" to change ticket prices amid the club's struggles on the pitch.

In an open letter to Ratcliffe, Manchester United Supporters' Trust (MUST) said: "With the team struggling on the pitch and fan sentiment already at a low ebb, we all need to pull together to lift the team's performance, not risk deepening divisions or creating further dissatisfaction."

The decision was communicated in December that the prices of remaining home tickets for this campaign would rise to £66 per match, without concessions for children or pensioners.

The club wrote to fan groups last week, highlighting that losses over the past three years were "not sustainable".

Ratcliffe and Ineos have been warned by MUST that significant changes to ticket pricing and policy could lead to "outright rebellion".

"Sponsors depend on a passionate and engaged fanbase; alienating supporters risks damaging these critical partnerships," MUST continued.

"By freezing prices and avoiding major disruptive policy changes now, you have the opportunity to signal that you value the unique role of fans in Manchester United's success."

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We asked for your thoughts after Sunday's Premier League game between Fulham and Manchester United.

Here are some of your comments:

Fulham fans

SJLM2: Woeful against a side clearly out of form this season. Any slim chances of Europe that we had are slipping away fast and can only hope that the Khans invest in a proven goalscorer in the remaining days of the January window. We seem lethargic, bereft of killer instinct and final pass. I fear we have missed the boat yet again this season to really push on. Am I the only one who thinks we still lack the ambition despite the talents of the manager?

Parker: One bright spot was the energy and involvement of Emile Smith Rowe - much improved overall. However, I was disappointed with our lack of finishing. Rodrigo Muniz had a couple of good chances to be the hero but couldn't capitalize. We still feel like we're one player short.

George: There were moments where we could and should have equalised but overall we just lack a cutting edge that we seem to have been missing most this season. Hate to say it but what if a certain Serbian number nine was here? Don't even start on the amount of away fans in the home end…

Luke: It feels like we need to find a way of playing against low blocks because as much as we had a couple of decent chances, it wasn't enough considering how often we played in their final third. Smith Rowe started fairly well but needs to get himself in the game more - we are yet to see the quality Arsenal fans were raving about.

Man Utd fans

Adam: The epitome of grinding out a result and that leads to a winning mentality. True grit and determination from a team that has been through the wringer lately. Lisandro Martinez was humble about his goal, and spot on about how Toby Collyer is an example to the whole team. Get your head down, work hard, fight until the end and be proud to represent the badge.

Andy: The United fans were incredible. Nothing to cheer about but they didn't stop. All game. Ruben, don't worry, we're here and we're behind you for as long as it takes…

Michael: For most of the game, we were feeble. We didn't pose a threat until the goal. The goal came out of the blue and was not really deserved. It was a hard watch, disheartening from a fans' perspective. Still it's a win, and surely we must improve. We must be more of a threat. Fundamental to that is to stop losing the ball, win 50/50s, impose our game on the opposition and score goals. I am forever optimistic, but there were times during this game when I nearly got up to re-arrange the dishwasher.

Ian: Struggled mightily to score. Transition from defence to midfield to attack was not fast enough. Our forwards are not penetrating the opposition defence. United defence much more solid and effective. This game for me had 0-0 all over it until Martinez popped up.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Ruben Amorim's stunning rebuke of Marcus Rashford after last night's win at Fulham has echoes of the fall-out between Erik ten Hag and Jadon Sancho.

Unlike Sancho, who responded on social media when Ten Hag publicly criticised his performances in training to reject the former Manchester United manager's assessment, Rashford has remained silent.

Nevertheless, in stating he would prefer to pick his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital than someone who does not put maximum effort into his profession, Amorim has created a problem.

Rashford is one of United's highest-earning players. The club do not want to be in a situation, as they ended up with Sancho, where they were paying him to do nothing for half a season before he joined Borussia Dortmund on loan.

United will have to subsidise wages but suddenly, player and club might need to look at options they weren't considering even last week.

But also, Rashford will be looking closely to see if he is being singled out, which was Sancho's gripe.

If he really is the only player performing badly, he has to deal with that. If he isn't, he might be questioning why Amorim is just talking about him.

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Is Marcus Rashford's future at Manchester United?

By being dropped, omitted from the travelling squad and again criticised for his attitude in training - it is unlikely to be.

With the transfer window closing on 3 February, it is unclear what lies ahead for Rashford, who Ruben Amorim criticised for not showing the attitude of someone "giving the maximum every day".

Former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given told BBC Match of the Day: "The fans aren't stupid. They see it's not good enough from the players and Amorim is just being honest.

"It's strong, but maybe it is what Manchester United have lacked for a few years.

"If you don't train hard and dedicate your life, you won't be in the team. You have to show your manager you deserve a place in the team."

Ex-Aston Villa midfielder Thomas Hitzlsperger added: "He wants to set an example but, if he does that, they will never be friends again.

"Amorim is also under pressure, if he is very harsh with the players then his teams have to improve."

Watch Match of the Day 2 on BBC iPlayer

Former Premier League striker Charlie Austin says Ruben Amorim's comments on Marcus Rashford show he is putting his team first over the England international.

The Manchester United boss suggested he'd rather give a place on the bench to his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach instead of Rashford because of a perceived lack of effort.

"As a player, I'd be like, that's awful," said Austin on the BBC Radio 5 Live Football Daily podcast. "But ultimately, he made the comments.

"The other players in the dressing room, as much as they're friends and team-mates of Marcus Rashford, in my eyes, they would be like, 'God, you know what? We needed that'.

"It's like he's put the team first more than putting Rashford first.

"Yes, he's a fantastic player, but I think you need the manager to stand firm on it."

Listen to the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds

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Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada says creating a "landmark project around Old Trafford" is a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" after the announcement of Government support for a project to regenerate the area around the stadium.

A statement from the Treasury on Saturday evening said Chancellor Rachel Reeves was backing the Old Trafford renovation project as "a shining example" of the Government's plans to promote economic growth.

A statement in response from Berrada read: "The delivery of a world-class stadium can be the catalyst for major regeneration of an area of Greater Manchester which requires new investment to thrive again.

"We cannot achieve that wider aim on our own, which is why we welcome the announcement by the Chancellor and the ongoing support of the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Trafford Council. If we work together, there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a landmark project around Old Trafford that the whole region can be proud of."

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham added: "With our devolved powers we're mobilising the whole Greater Manchester system to lock in growth for the next decade and reap the rewards for our city-region and UK plc.

"The project around Old Trafford represents the biggest opportunity for urban regeneration this country has seen since London 2012 and is a key part of our 10-year plan to turbocharge growth across Greater Manchester.

"We look forward to working with the Government on moving freight away from the site around Old Trafford to new locations to open up capacity for our rail network and unlock massive regeneration potential – delivering benefits across the whole of the North."