Manchester United are preparing to host Chelsea at Old Trafford on Thursday in the Premier League. Interim manager Ralf Rangnick’s wards are sixth in the league table, with four games left to play, trailing fourth-placed Arsenal by six points. The Gunners also have a game in hand.
Meanwhile, Victor Ikpeba has advised Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Old Trafford. Elsewhere, Paul Scholes has slammed Paul Pogba.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on 27th April 2022:
Cristiano Ronaldo advised to leave Old Trafford
Former Nigerian forward Victor Ikpeba has advised Cristiano Ronaldo to leave Manchester United. The Portuguese has endured a difficult time since rejoining the Red Devils last summer, despite scoring 22 times across competitions.
Speaking to The Daily Post Nigeria, Ikpeda said that Ronaldo should have joined Manchester City.
“I think he (Ronaldo) should be leaving the club. Ronaldo coming back to Manchester United was a mistake. It’s not a question of him scoring goals, so many things happen when a star player returns to his original club,” said Ikpeba.
He continued:
“In many ways, Ronaldo has been a distraction. He’s a global star in football; he shouldn’t have come back at that age; he should have gone to Manchester City. Egocentric players, jealousy comes to play in the dressing room. The atmosphere has been nasty right from the beginning."
Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford last summer after scoring 101 goals in three seasons with Juventus, winning two Serie A and a Coppa Italia title, among others. However, her's all set to endure a first trophyless campaign in 12 years, with United exiting both domestic cup competitions and the UEFA Champions League.
Paul Scholes criticises Paul Pogba
Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has criticised Paul Pogba. The French midfielder is all set to leave Old Trafford at the end of the season as a free agent.
Speaking to talkSPORT, Scholes said that Pogba has failed to learn as a player, remarking:
“I was there when he was a kid, and this lad has got absolutely everything you’d want in a midfield player. His physique, he can run, I just don’t think he’s ever learned as a footballer. He constantly seems to make the same mistakes over and over again."
He added:
"It’s disappointing; it looks like he’s going to leave, but I think he will go somewhere, a manager will get a grip on him, and I think he’ll do really well as he did at Juventus. I just think for some reason, at Manchester United, it hasn’t worked out, and it’s been a big disappointment because we see what he does with France; we saw what he did with Juventus; it’s been a big disappointment, of course, it has."
Scholes concluded:
“People probably see him the wrong way; he’s a nice lad. He’s a lad I always found that wanted to work, wanted to learn, and for some reason, it just hasn’t worked out. I hope he goes on and does really well, but for the lad himself, I think it’s probably time to move on and find a manager that he really believes in more than anything, a manager that believes in him, and we all know he’s got the talent and ability to be a world-class footballer."
As per Manchester Evening News, Pogba could be headed to PSG next season, but the player prefers a return to Juventus.
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Manchester United missed Harry Maguire against Arsenal, says Paddy Kenny
Former Leeds United goalkeeper Paddy Kenny believes Manchester United missed Harry Maguire against Arsenal. The Red Devils were undone by some poor defending in the 3-1 Premier League defeat at the Gunners last weekend.
Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny slammed Victor Lindelof, Raphael Varane and Alex Telles for their performances against Arsenal, saying:
“The defending at the weekend was diabolical by the way, Lindelof, Varane, Telles. They really missed Maguire back there. It was an embarrassment; I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. For all the rubbish that has been thrown at him, that first goal doesn’t go in if Maguire is playing. He would have got that cleared away. I know there were other reasons he wasn’t playing, but it just showed how much they miss him when he isn’t there."
He continued:
“Can he get better? Of course he can. Maguire will hold his hands up and say he hasn’t been good enough, but who has? There is no one there who has been good this season. Why can’t Ten Hag get him playing like he does for England? I have touched on this before; Man United are poor throughout the whole team. It’s not just one person."