All the very latest Manchester United news, views and transfer updates from the Manchester Evening News.
Eberechi Eze is a target for Manchester United (Image: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)
Welcome to the dedicated Manchester United live blog as the return of the Premier League is back on the horizon. For Erik ten Hag it’s a big few days ahead.
The United boss still has some big questions around his squad with both Antony and Casemiro the subject of interest from Turkey. There are just two more full days until that slams shut on September 12 though, effectively ending any hopes of finding the pair new destinations.
At the current moment, an exit for either looks unlikely. The same is true of signing Adrien Rabiot. He is still a free agent after a frustrating summer of not being picked up, and the French midfielder is once more being offered around.
We’ll also have the latest on United’s chase for a left-back and links to Crystal Palace attacker Eberechi Eze. The England ace is a target for the club ahead of the 2025 summer window (still some way off, we know), with plans in place to get him already emerging.
Elsewhere Jarrad Branthwaite is another to keep an eye on. We’ll have all of this and much more to come with England in action against Finland tonight before attention truly turns to taking on Southampton on Saturday afternoon.
For the latest United news, transfers, and updates, scroll down in the live blog to stay up to date…
Former Manchester United defender Gerrard Pique has said that he hopes things change at the club soon for them to be competing at the top of the Premier League table again.
The defender added that he feels the managerment of the club feels ‘a bit lost’.
“I think that Manchester United in the last few years are having a difficult time,” he told the Express.
“I think that in terms of managing the club they are a bit lost and don’t know where to go. I hope this changes.”
He added: “It’s true that they have a very competitive league with important teams to play against every year like City, Liverpool, Chelsea and also Arsenal now. The competition is very strong but let’s see.
“For me Manchester United is still the greatest club in the history in England, they have won so many Premier Leagues and I hope that they come back and win it again.”
Southampton injury latest
Southampton will be without at least two players for the visit of United on Saturday, with a third player also a doubt.
Erik ten Hag’s side return to Premier League action on Saturday when they travel to take on the newly-promoted side.
According to PremierInjuries, Southampton will be without both goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu and centre-back Ross Stewart through injury.
Winger Kamaldeen Sulemana has been given a 50 percent chance of making his first appearance of the season against United.
Rashford given Man United deadline
Former striker Louis Saha has predicted that Marcus Rashford will refind his form after a run of games.
The United academy graduate was criticised for his performance against Liverpool, but has been working hard during the international break to try and refind his form. And Saha has no doubts that it will return.
He told PaddyPower:
“I’m the first person to criticise Marcus Rashford when he doesn’t perform, but I liked his performance against Liverpool in terms of commitment and runs that he made. He hasn’t had the success, but the attitude and approach is right.
“Everyone was bad against Liverpool, which doesn’t give you the best platform to perform as a forward. None of the midfielders could get going, so it’s hard to look at any forwards in that aspect. It was right for me for Rashford to play for 90 minutes.
“Rashford can be a solution – at the moment, he’s just an asset, but he has that potential. Alejandro Garnacho, Amad, Joshua Zirkzee, are all assets. They can be really good players, but at the moment they’re still striving to be complete players.
“The one Manchester United player that has the potential to be unplayable is Marcus Rashford. I still think he’s their biggest asset, but at this moment in time he must keep going in that approach. I give it five games and things will start going his way more – Liverpool was a tough game, but he will score goals.”
Adrian Rabiot boost
Comments from the mother and agent of Adrian Rabiot back in 2022 could serve as a boost in a potential transfer for the Frenchman this summer.
United are one of the teams linked with a potential move for the free agent, who is able to sign outside of the transfer window due to not having a club.
Eze transfer competition
Manchester United could face competition from Tottenham and Manchester City for Eberechi Eze next summer.
United are showing an interest in the Crystal Palace man are continue to monitor him. But TalkSPORT now report that Tottenham also plan to watch the England international closely this season with Man City also holding an historical interest.
Eze is said to have a release clause of £68 million that kicks in at the end of the season.
United injury news and return dates ahead of Southampton
United will be hoping to put their sluggish start to the Premier League season behind them when the campaign resumes at Southampton.
Ahead of the upcoming trip to St Mary’s, United are still facing a cluster of injury issues, with Mason Mount added to their list of woes ahead of the defeat to Liverpool. MEN Sport has taken a look at the latest on the United injury front.
Match officials vs Southampton confirmed
The Premier League have announced the officials for the fixtures after the international break.
Matchweek four sees United travel to St Mary’s to take on newly promoted Southampton (12.30pm kick-off).
The man in charge of the game will be Stuart Attwell. The assistants are Constantine Hatzidakis and Nick Hopton with the fourth official Gavin Ward.
Chris Cavanagh will be in charge of VAR with Lee Betts as his assistant.
Next manager decided
Presenter Will Brazier has no doubts who will replace Erik ten Hag, or when…
It’s a potentially bold statement:
“I do think Ruud van Nistelrooy will be the Manchester United manager by the end of the season.
“I think he’ll have that ‘super-duper’ bounce effect that we maybe saw with Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer]. He’s got a bit more pedigree.”
Not exactly controversial here from Ally McCoist, but some strong words nonetheless.
Rasmus Højlund coming back from injury is going to be massive for Manchester United.
They look toothless going forwards at the moment – they play some nice football on occasion, but there’s no real cutting edge and they don’t have a proper goalscorer in the box to attack crosses and through balls.
Even when they beat Fulham there appeared to be a lack of presence in the area.
I thought Højlund had a good first season at the club considering he came in from a different league, but he has to step up again and bring the goals that United are crying out for.
The first few games of the season have shown exactly what United are missing. It’ll be a big responsibility for him but we’ll see how everything plays out.
OPINION: ‘A top kid’ – United have learnt from multi-million-pound mistake with one of their own
“Watching those players thrive is particularly painful and while there was abundant pride in the United academy when Angel Gomes made his England debut in Dublin at the weekend, there will be some frustration that a player they nurtured for 14 years is now forging a successful career without delivering any return to his boyhood club. Gomes was affiliated with United from the age of six and grew up in Salford. He was a true academy star, winning the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year award in 2016/17, but his progress to the first team stalled and he turned down a lucrative contract to move to Lille in France’s Ligue 1. You can’t blame Gomes for that and it has been the right move for his career. United should never have let it get that far.”
Fenerbahce stance on Antony
Fenerbahce have no interest in signing United winger Antony.
Antony, 24, has made one substitute appearance so far this season and scored a meagre three goals last term.
The Turkish Super Lig transfer window closes on September 13 and, despite widespread speculation, Fenerbahce manager Jose Mourinho is not interested in Antony. United face Fenerbahce in the Europa League in Istanbul next month.
Read on here >>>
United ‘pinpoint’ left-back options
According to a report by GiveMeSport, United have ‘pinpointed’ three left-back options ahead of the January transfer window.
It is claimed that Fulham’s Antonee Robinson, Milos Kerkez of Bournemouth and Lille ace Bradley Locko have made their way onto United’s radar.
A lot of United fans expected the club to target the addition of a left-back during the summer amid ongoing injury concerns with Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.
It is now reported that United have made finding left-back cover their ‘top priority’ for the mid-season window.
