Manchester United

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

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There was a flurry of news around Manchester United's interest in Royal Antwerp goalkeeper Sanne Lammens last week. This week it has gone a bit quiet.

That doesn't mean nothing is happening, though.

Galatasaray are still interested in Lammens and United have not abandoned interest in the 23-year-old - but, as with many transfers, it needs something to shift the situation along.

Lammens is not training at the moment and will not be involved in the league game at Westerlo on Saturday.

I wouldn't like to commit at the moment to where Lammens will end up, but I doubt he will be a Royal Antwerp player into October (the Turkish transfer deadline is 12 September so Galatasaray have a bit of extra time if needed).

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National League side Solihull Moors have signed teenage Manchester United defender Louis Jackson on a season-long loan.

The Scotland Under-19 centre-back has played twice for the Premier League club's under-21s side but is yet to break into the first team at Old Trafford despite being in several matchday squads.

Jackson, 19, has been with United since he was 10 and won the FA Youth Cup in 2022.

"Louis is a fantastic young talent with real pedigree, and we're thrilled to have him here at Solihull Moors," boss Matt Taylor said., external

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

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After confirmation, Manchester United had accepted a £40m offer from Chelsea for their wantaway winger Alejandro Garnacho. The future of other exiled players with the Old Trafford club continues to be debated.

United are continuing to talk with Napoli over a loan deal for striker Rasmus Hojlund.

In addition, Spanish club Elche have made contact over taking another member of Ruben Amorim's 'bomb squad', Tyrell Malacia, to La Liga before the transfer window closes on Monday.

Meanwhile, Serie A outfit Roma continue to try to secure the signing of Jadon Sancho, although coach Gian Piero Gasperini has said there is a limit to what his club will do and Sancho should look favourably on a chance to restart his career.

"He would be a huge boost for us, but we would be an enormous opportunity for him. I'm not sure if it can still happen, but we don't have to pray for someone to come here."

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Burnley at Old Trafford (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Amorim admits doubting his ability to do the job: "Sometimes I want to quit, sometimes I want to be here for 20 years."

• He blames his emotions for the comments he made after the Grimsby game, admitting "sometimes I hate my players, sometimes I love my players".

• The manager says he will not change his approach: "You have a lot of experienced people talking about the way I should perform with the media, to be more constant, to be more calm. I'm not going to be like that."

• Pressed further on this, Amorim added: "I'm going to be who I am. That's why I have the passion that I have. In that moment [after Grimsby] I was really upset and really disappointed because I felt that we had a very good pre-season, we were playing better, we were being consistent in the way we played."

• On whether he felt like quitting after the Grimsby game: "I felt that after the game. I don't feel that now. So it's a little bit like that. I think that is the hardest part of the defeat. Sometimes it's not the result, it's the way we lost that game or draw that game. That is the thing that is hard to accept."

• Amorim would not comment on Alejandro Garnacho's future but says he wants Kobbie Mainoo to stay and fight for his place: "I understand that the players that are not playing in this moment are disappointed. But everyone will have the same opportunity to play. You have to fight during the week."

Hear more from Amorim on BBC Sounds

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Alex Turk
Fan writer

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There is a very real possibility that Ruben Amorim resigns as Manchester United head coach during the international break.

That is what I took away from his damning post-match comments after another of the worst defeats in the club's history at Grimsby Town.

He has overseen two of them in the space of four months, and many a supporter had already given up on him after United lost a final to Tottenham Hotspur in May.

A positive pre-season, which Amorim insisted he needed, raised the mood ahead of the new campaign, as did a £208m attacking overhaul.

But three games in, it feels like breaking point. For the first time since his exciting, yet ill-fated, arrival from Portugal, there is a sense that his supporters are now the minority.

Amorim desperately needs results, yet he is still failing to prove he can win football matches in England.

United's players "spoke loudly" in the Carabao Cup shock at Blundell Park, according to their manager. My translation: "They threw me under the bus and want something new."

He reportedly very nearly quit just months into the job last season. He then offered his resignation, without compensation, after the Europa League final disaster.

This time, it could be real. Amorim likely retains the support of Ineos, who have already sacked one manager since February 2024. But it's increasingly becoming a different story among the support.

Reports that he is ready to offload fan favourite academy product Kobbie Mainoo have not helped his cause at all.

The only way Amorim turns this around is through results - and I'm not sure they will ever arrive unless he changes his philosophy, something he has previously insisted he will live and die by.

Find more from Alex Turk at Turk Talks FC, external

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

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It was in Chicago that Ruben Amorim first said Kobbie Mainoo would be in competition with Bruno Fernandes this season.

Although he was also keen to stress both men could play in different positions, Amorim clearly feels the pair are best suited to the advanced midfield role in his system, which for Mainoo is a clear problem.

How realistic is it that he can oust the captain from the United side, at least in the short-term?

In truth, Mainoo is a victim of his own success.

The Stockport-born player emerged so quickly and came into a team struggling so often, he was almost a totem. Yet the fabulous end to the 2023-24 campaign masked positional deficiencies in Mainoo's game that were apparent as United's midfield was routinely overrun. At the Euros, he had Declan Rice covering him.

As last season began, Mainoo's confidence and form dipped, and he was injured when Erik ten Hag was sacked and Amorim took his place.

Mainoo was prominent in Amorim's starting line-ups from December onwards, but that meant he was involved in a string of damaging defeats. He was injured again in February and, by the time he returned, Amorim was targeting the Europa League - meaning his only starts to the end of the season were in the Premier League. Three of those games were lost, the other, at Bournemouth, was a draw.

It was against that backdrop Amorim made his summer call on Mainoo.

He feels the competition for places will help his side and that the midfielder, who he says boasts quick feet, an excellent passing range and invaluable speed in tight spaces, will benefit.

Evidently, Mainoo feels the evidence of the opening two Premier League games only points to extended spells on the sidelines, frustration and stunted progress.

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Manchester United record goalscorer Wayne Rooney says Ruben Amorim's comments after Tuesday's Carabao Cup exit at the hands of Grimsby shows there is "something broken" in the dressing room.

"There's something not right," he said on The Wayne Rooney Show. "That's clear. The manager said so after the game.

"It can happen. We lost to Crawley years back in the cup. But, the difference is, everyone looking at that game knows it's a one-off.

"The issue now is we're seeing very similar performances, similar results and even though it's only three games into the season, it's getting to a point now where you're like: 'What is going on?'"

After the shock exit at Blundell Park, Amorim said United's players "spoke really loudly".

"The biggest concern is the manager saying that - his words after the game were damning on the players," Rooney added.

"If your manager comes out with those words there's something broken.

"We forget he's 40. He's a young manager. Manchester United is so different to where he's been before.

"There's a pressure at Manchester United which he will never have felt before. When you're not winning games it can start to get to you, and it looks like it was a breaking point for him.

"There's just a little bit too much rotation going on and players getting a little bit lost. When they lose the ball there's massive gaps and spaces and it's a carry on from last season. If it carries on like that, then unfortunately I don't see how it moves forward."

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has asked to leave Old Trafford on loan.

United have rejected the request, telling Mainoo they value him and want him to stay and fight for his place.

It remains to be seen whether there are further conversations about the issue before the transfer deadline on Monday.

• Read more here

Chelsea have agreed a £40m fee to sign Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho.

The 21-year-old Argentina international was told to find a new club by head coach Ruben Amorim at the end of last season.

Sources from United say the initial Chelsea offer was £25m, but Garnacho's transfer - which includes a 10% sell-on clause - will now be the club's fourth largest ever sale after Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Angel di Maria.

• Read more here

The future of manager Ruben Amorim is a hot topic in Friday's papers.

The Daily Mirror claims he will hold key talks with the club's hierarchy after this weekends home fixture against Burnley.

Amorim's face and his job security features on the back of several papers.

Kobbie Mainoo has told Manchester United he wants to leave on loan in search of regular minutes but the club want the 20-year-old England midfielder to stay and fight for his place and will not sanction a move. (The Athletic), external

After losing Romelu Lukaku to injury, Italian champions Napoli are ready to sign Manchester United's 22-year-old forward Rasmus Hojlund on loan, with a verbal agreement already reached for the Denmark international. (Gianluca DiMarzio), external

Manchester United's 26-year-old Dutch left-back Tyrell Malacia is set to join Elche on a season-long loan after choosing the La Liga side over Lille. (Voetbal International), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

BBC Radio Manchester have assembled for an emergency episode of The Devils' Advocate podcast.

After Wednesday's League Cup defeat by Grimsby, the team ask if this is a new low for the club.

Reds fans Jay Motty, Kim Burdett and journalist Rich Fay discuss Manchester United ask where the club go from here.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your views on what Ruben Amorim meant when he said: "I felt my players spoke really loud today" after the loss against Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup.

Here are some of your suggestions:

Ross: Pretty sure he meant they don't want to play for him. Or, that they don't have the character he wants.

James: He's saying the players have demonstrated they don't want to play for him. That they are failing to follow the system. I think he's coming from a place of false humility. He's saying 'I have tried with these players but they have decided not to play for me'. He pulled the trigger in my opinion. It felt like he was goading the players.

Lawrence: I think that's the problem in general, nobody knows what he means least of all the team or himself. I think he is the most inept manager we have ever had.

Nic: Perhaps he meant their actions spoke loudly to him. There is definitely something wrong whether it's the tactics, mentality or something else.

Jordan Butler
BBC Sport journalist

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Manchester United's defeat to Grimsby Town has made headlines around the world. The Red Devils are yet to win this season and head coach Ruben Amorim is under ever-increasing pressure, with last night's League Cup loss arguably the lowest point in his United reign.

Most United fans would have predicted a tricky night on the Lincolnshire coast but victory was also expected, with almost £200m spent on a new forward line this summer. A combined £130m started in the shape of Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, with £65m Bryan Mbeumo appearing from the bench.

Amorim has by far the lowest win percentage of any permanent Manchester United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson, with a return of 16 wins, 12 draws and 17 defeats from his 45 matches so far.

Even the much maligned Ralf Rangnick, who was in interim charge between December 2021 and May 2022, achieved a higher ratio of wins with 38%.

It seems strange to label a game as 'must-win' in late August, but Burnley at home on Saturday appears just that for Amorim and his side. Manchester United are unbeaten in their previous 23 Premier League meetings with promoted teams – if that run were to end this weekend it, might it prove fatal for the Portuguese coach's tenure at Old Trafford?

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Manchester United fan Kim Burdett says "it is hard to know what to do next" because the club are stuck in the same cycle.

Questions over whether Ruben Amorim is the right man for the job have arisen again after their defeat to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup, but Burdett doesn't think it is as simple as that.

"Amorim said 'the better players lost and the better team won,' and it is hard to argue against that," said Burdett on BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast. "Grimsby thoroughly deserved their victory and I don't think anyone will disagree with that.

"We are in a constant conundrum because we have been through so many managers and so many players, but we seem to still be repeating the same patterns.

"If we change the manager then we are just back to square one again.

"But the players are obviously not doing what they should be for Amorim. He can't change all 22 players but we are stuck in this cycle of bringing in new players and nothing changes.

"It's hard to know what to do next.

"There's only a finite amount of managers out there, so how many do we have to go through until we find one that fits what we need?

"Ineos have come in and we have more of a structure at the club, which we have been crying out for, yet somehow it is still not quite working.

"What is the problem at the core of the club?"

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We asked for your views on Manchester United's exit from the EFL Cup after losing to League Two's Grimsby Town in a penalty shootout.

Here are some of your comments:

Mick: I've been a United fan since mid 70s and even with the odd trophy before the successful Sir Alex period, I don't remember seeing such a shambles on the pitch. There seems such a disconnect between the players and so very little confidence. While it is admirable to stick to your principles, it is equally admirable to admit when something isn't working. Time for Amorim to wake up and smell the coffee!

Kevin: Embarrassing, I don't see how things will improve under Amorim. They can't play the system he wants so I'm afraid to say he needs to go. I'm not blaming the manager, I'm blaming the players. Something needs to change now.

Andrew: Amorim's obsession with his formation and total rigidity about it is totally non-viable in the Premier League. It has driven out several good players and is likely to make us lose Mainoo who has talent but doesn't fit the blueprint. I think he has to be sacked and soon although quite who to appoint in his place is another conundrum entirely.

Stuart: Dismal! Can't Amorim see that this system in English football doesn't work. He needs to go, the players aren't playing with smiles on their faces. They are down and out. One leader Harry Maguire, the only one with the United fight.

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Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot says they were "clearly not good enough" in defeat to Grimsby and that players lost an "opportunity" to "show that we deserve to be here".

Dalot, the only player to face the media following the Carabao Cup final defeat to Grimsby Town, said: "I think we gave the game to them, clearly, straight away, exactly what they wanted. Win duels, second balls, set plays.

"We fought back, but I think that was the minimum that we could show to the fans that travelled for ourselves, for the club, but clearly not good enough.

"We cannot come here and expect that it's going to be easy, because we know already these competitions, these clubs.

"Credit also [to them] because they fought really hard and deserve to go through, but it shouldn't be enough for them to win against us because we should have shown much more."

In response to how United should have had enough quality to progress past fourth-tier opposition despite the challenging surroundings, he added: "Exactly.

"Not just the quality, but obviously the minimum standards that you ask in every game, the approach to the game.

"I think the best way for us to have respected Grimsby today was to come here and play 100 per cent. I think that's what we need to improve for the future.

"I don't want to go through the same sentence time and again. We just have to show (that) and we just lost one opportunity today to show that we deserve to be here."