Manchester United

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

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Manchester United transfer target Ollie Watkins has provided consistent goal threat for Aston Villa since joining from Brentford in 2020, more than justifying his transfer fee of £28m rising to £33m with add-ons.

The Torquay-born striker has reached double figures in all five of his seasons with Villa and his 19 Premier League goals in 2023-24 equalled a club record.

He has also been available for the vast majority of games, featuring in 184 of 190 top-flight matches.

His principal strengths are pace and movement, traits that have enabled him to register 211 shots on target in the past five Premier League seasons, second only to Mohamed Salah.

And yet, while he is a constant source of danger, his finishing statistics have fluctuated.

Two seasons ago, Watkins enjoyed a hot streak in scoring 27 times across all competitions, overperforming his expected goals total by 6.2 and netting with 20% of his attempts.

Those figures regressed last season, with the England international underperforming his expected goals total by four and converting 15.3% of his chances.

It perhaps did not help that during the first half of the campaign he was often replaced by Jhon Duran in the closing stages of games, allowing the Colombia striker - rather than Watkins - to capitalise when space opened up.

Nonetheless, in the Premier League, Watkins missed a league-high 27 'big chances' (as defined by Opta), scoring only a third of such opportunities. That compares to a success rate of approximately 50% for peers such as Salah, Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak and Yoane Wissa.

Despite this, he does offer more than just goals. Since the start of 2023-24, he has provided 27 assists, the third-highest total by a Premier League player in all competitions over that period.

Aged 29, Watkins may not offer a long-term option for United but he would be a clear upgrade on their current options.

If Villa can be persuaded to sell.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter in Chicago

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Manchester United's Mason Mount has spoken to his old boss Thomas Tuchel about his international aims but knows their shared history is no guarantee of an England recall.

Mount delivered the brilliant defence-splitting pass to Kai Havertz that led to the German scoring the winner for Tuchel's Chelsea against Manchester City in the 2021 Champions League final.

It is the high point of Tuchel's managerial career, in which he has won 11 trophies, including the shortened version of Fifa's Club World Cup.

Tuchel has now been given the job of eclipsing that by guiding England to World Cup glory.

That must feel a long way off for Mount, who won the most recent of his 36 caps in the World Cup quarter-final defeat by France in December 2022.

Since his £55m move to United in 2023, the 26-year-old has spent most of the time battling injury and poor form.

Nevertheless, Tuchel still took the time to get in touch with Mount after he had been confirmed as Gareth Southgate's successor.

"He called me, said he's calling a lot of players and just wanted to catch up," said Mount.

"I don't know how many players he called, 40 or 50 maybe. But it was good to see his face, good to catch up with him and good to speak to him.

"He looked like he had loads of energy, like I remember, and was bang up for the new role. He was very excited and it was good to see what he was preparing."

Mount's most recent England call-up was in March 2023 but he had to pull out for fitness reasons.

"It's such a big honour to play for your country," said Mount. "Any opportunity you get to put that shirt on is amazing and I'd love to have that opportunity again.

"But I think with England it's totally different now because of the amount of people he can pick.

"He said to me 'there's no guarantees, even though you played for me'. But you want to push even more to get back into the squad."

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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."

• Listen to the full discussion on BBC Sounds

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)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

There is something unique about a football fan's love for their club.

As once said by the great Arrigo Sacchi: "Football is the most important of the least important things in life".

Tears of joy - and heartbreak. Friendships forged. Memories that last a lifetime.

Sometimes it is there from the beginning, sometimes a moment is what starts it all or takes it to another level.

Wherever it comes from, the love for a club is often there for life.

As a new season edges closer, we want to know why you love Manchester United.

When was the moment it all began?

What is your most special memory?

Your first home game? Earliest shirt? A seminal away trip?

Send us your pictures and stories

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter in Chicago

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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."

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter in Chicago

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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."

A new episode of The Devils' Advocate is available to listen to and download now on BBC Sounds.

Gaz Drinkwater and Joe McGrath discuss United's time so far in the USA and celebrate England's Euro 2025 win with The Athletic's Cerys Jones.

• Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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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.

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

Meanwhile, United, Newcastle and Tottenham will battle it out for Serbia and Al-Hilal striker Aleksandar Mitrovic, 30. (Caught Offside), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter at the MetLife Stadium

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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.

But can Amorim afford to wait?

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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."

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter at the MetLife Stadium

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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.

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."

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.

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."