Manchester United will start their new campaign by welcoming Brighton & Hove Albion to Old Trafford on Sunday, August 7. New manager Erik ten Hag is putting together his final preparations before his first taste of Premier League football.
Meanwhile, former West Ham United striker Frank McAvennie believes Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to join the Red Devils last summer has backfired. Elsewhere, Sevilla are interested in Alex Telles.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on August 1, 2022:
Cristiano Ronaldo left to rue decison to join Manchester United, says Frank McAvennie
Cristiano Ronaldo’s decision to join Manchester United has come back to haunt him, according to Frank McAvennie. The Portuguese arrived at Old Trafford from Juventus last summer, hoping to inspire the club back to their glory days. However, he's now stuck in the UEFA Europa League and desperately wants to leave.
Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie said that Ronaldo only joined the Red Devils due to Sir Alex Ferguson.
“One thing I want to say about Ronaldo is that he’s a winner. If you’re in a team, and you’ve got inferior players, players that don’t want to listen to you, you won’t want to play football. Man United are a huge club, Ronaldo knows that. He’ll be so disappointed with the players that are there because there’s a lot of players there that are not good enough for Man United. It has been so hard for Ronaldo,” said McAvennie.
He added:
“By all accounts, he only went for Sir Alex Ferguson, and that’s backfired big time. He wants to play Champions League football, and he hasn’t got that. He scored 20 odd goals last season; where would United be without his goals? (Anthony) Martial and (Marcus) Rashford aren’t going to do that; they’ve had chance after chance after chance.”
Sevilla interested in Alex Telles
Sevilla are interested in Alex Telles, according to acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano. The Brazilian has become surplus to requirements at Manchester United since the arrival of Tyrell Malacia.
The Dutch left-back is likely to compete with Luke Shaw for a place in the starting XI. Telles is unlikely to secure regular football under Ten Hag, so the Red Devils are ready to move him on.
Despite recent reports, Porto are not interested in the player. Sevilla are among a handful of clubs keeping a close eye on his situation. However, the Old Trafford outfit will have to pay part of Telles’ salary for any potential deal to materialise.
Ethan Laird set to join Watford on loan
Ethan Laird will join Watford on a season-long loan, according to Fabrizio Romano. Laird rose through the ranks at Old Trafford but has struggled to break into the first team.
The Red Devils have been sending him out on loan to ensure he plays regularly. With Diogo Dalot emerging as the first-choice right-back and Aaron Wan-Bissaka also in the mix, Laird’s situation is unlikely to improve.
The Premier League giants are eager for the youngster to continue his development away from Old Trafford. The club are working with Watford to complete a deal for Laird this week.