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Manchester United are ready to host Atalanta at Old Trafford in a Champions League group-stage game on Wednesday. The Red Devils are aware that nothing less than a win will suffice, as they are third in the Group D standings after two games.
Meanwhile, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer didn’t want Cristiano Ronaldo at the club, according to an Arsenal legend. Elsewhere, the Red Devils are ready to battle Manchester City for the services of a Swedish striker.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on 19th October 2021.
Paul Merson claims Ole Gunnar Solskjaer didn't want Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United
Paul Merson believes Ole Gunnar Solskjaer didn’t want Cristiano Ronaldo to join Manchester United. The Portuguese was reportedly close to a move to Manchester City before the Red Devils hijacked the deal this summer.
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Cristiano Ronaldo hit the ground running at Old Trafford, but has appeared subdued of late. Manchester United have been unimpressive on the pitch in recent games, and the Portuguese has done little to help their cause. There have been murmurs that the former Juventus star has turned into a problem for Solskjaer, and Merson has added to the speculation with his recent comments.
Speaking to Sky Sports News, as relayed by Sports Mole, the former Arsenal player claimed Solskjaer didn’t want Cristiano Ronaldo in his team.
“To this day, I still don't get the Ronaldo signing. Hand on heart, would Manchester United have gone and got him if Manchester City weren't linked? Was Ronaldo even going to City, or was he just playing them to get back to United?” said Merson.
“I'm not 100% sure Solskjaer wanted Ronaldo there; I may be wrong, but his decision to leave him out against Everton told me all I needed to know,” said Merson.
Red Devils ready to battle Manchester City for Alexander Isak
Manchester United are ready to battle Manchester City for the services of Alexander Isak, according to The Hard Tackle via Fichajes.
The Red Devils are braced for Edinson Cavani’s departure at the end of the current season. Despite adding the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho to their roster, the club want to bring in a proper striker to replace the Uruguayan, and have their eyes on Isak.
The 22-year-old renewed his contract with Real Sociedad this summer, but has a €90 million release clause.
Nemanja Matic insists Manchester United are still in the title race
Nemanja Matic is adamant Manchester United are still in the race for the Premier League title. Speaking to the club’s official website, the Serb also apologised to fans for the team's woeful display against Leicester City.
“We are sorry for them (the supporters). They support us, especially away, (and) they are top. They deserve much, much better than this. We will do our best to make them happy in the future. But we have 14 points – we are still in the title race. We don’t want to give up until the end,” said Matic.
