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Manchester United will hope to bounce back in an emphatic fashion after what was an embarrassing loss to Sheffield United to give the Blades just their second win in 20 games. The Red Devils are set to face a resurgent Arsenal side at the Emirates, a venue that hasn't particularly been a happy hunting ground for them in the recent past.
Ahead of their encounter with the Gunners, here, we take a look at some of the latest Manchester United transfer news.
Marcos Rojo nears Boca Juniors switch
After an unsuccessful loan spell at boyhood club Estudiantes, Manchester United defender Marcos Rojo is nearing a return to Argentina with Boca Juniors, as per reports. The South American arrived from Sporting CP under Louis van Gaal's tenure, and despite regularly featuring for a few seasons, Rojo has been frozen out completely by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who is ready for him to depart the club.
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Although his contract is set to end only in the summer, Manchester United are willing to allow him to leave this window should his move to Boca Juniors materialise. Reporter Tato Aguillera claimed [via SportWitness] that the Argentine side are keen to recruit him as soon as possible and will offer him a two-year contract with an option for another year.
Jesse Lingard set for West Ham medical
Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard is set to follow Rojo out of Old Trafford with a move to West Ham United on the brink of being announced. Lingard featured for Solskjer during the earlier part of his tenure as head coach, but since the arrival of the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Donny van de Beek, the Englishman has barely managed to make the matchday squad for the Red Devils.
After just three appearances this season for his boyhood club, 28-year-old Lingard is set to reunite with former boss David Moyes with an initial six-month loan deal agreed in principle. The Hammers will pay Manchester United a fee of £1.5m for Lingard's services and will cover his £80,000-a-week wages in London. The Englishman has already confirmed his move to West Ham on social media amidst widespread reports of the deal being agreed between the two clubs.
Update on Paul Pogba saga
Italian football insider Fabrizio Romano claims that Paul Pogba is still likely to depart from Manchester United despite his turnaround in form for the club. The Frenchman's future has been a topic of much debate in recent months and, amidst controversial statements made by his notorious agent Mino Raiola and a contract with just 18 months left on it, the Red Devils must make a decision swiftly.
Romano believes that Pogba will leave the club come summer, saying;
"At the moment (a move away) is still the most likely because Mino Raiola was planning to move Paul Pogba next summer, as he mentioned in November. He’s still planning to move Paul Pogba next summer to another club. His plan is to find a solution. It’s open. Even after Raiola spoke, Pogba started to show his best form for Manchester United."
After adding that Pogba has been 'professional' despite the ongoing saga with Manchester United, the Italian journalist added that Juventus tried to coax them into selling the midfielder by offering four players as part of swap deals. He stated;
"They’ve always been asking for €100m. Also last summer when Juventus were proposing a possible swap deal, including different players – Douglas Costa, Miralem Pjanic, Adrien Rabiot, Aaron Ramsey – United always said ‘no, we don’t want swap deals, we want money’."
"That’s the situation, but let’s see if next summer Manchester United will be open to swap deals and let’s see what will be the price for the player. To pay €100m for a player with one year left on his contract is not so easy. Everything is open, and the plan for Mino Raiola is to change."
Apart from Juventus, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain have also been tipped as potential destinations for Pogba should he leave the club.
Manchester United 'will be in the race' to sign Jadon Sancho
Aforementioned football journalist Fabrizio Romano also shed some light on Manchester United's pursuit of Jadon Sancho and said that the club will definitely be in the race to sign him come summer. The Red Devils were believed to be keen on signing Sancho last summer and were in talks with Borussia Dortmund, but they were ultimately priced out of a move for him and deemed the Germans' price tag too high.
However, with COVID-19 continuing to damage the financial situation of clubs, Dortmund are expected to make one high-profile sale this summer, with Sancho potentially on his way out of the club. Romano feels that Manchester United will go back in for the English forward.
Romano explained;
"For sure Manchester United will be in the race [to sign Jadon Sancho]. We will see whether he will be the priority. If they have to sign a winger they will go with Sancho because he is the main target, and they have an agreement with the player."
"Sancho was prepared to join Manchester United (last summer), they had an agreement on a contract, his agents had an agreement with Manchester United. It was close to being completed, but then they had problems with Borussia Dortmund as we know."
Romano also revealed that Solskjaer's side turned down the opportunity to sign Ousmane Dembele from Barcelona last summer for a fee of €80m.
Also read: Paul Pogba provides contract update, Red Devils add Bundesliga midfielder to wishlist, and more
