Manchester United Transfer News Roundup: Ralf Rangnick hails Cristiano Ronaldo; club sent Mauricio Pochettino warning, and more - 16 February 2022

Manchester United secured a 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford in the Premier League on Tuesday. Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes helped the stuttering Premier League giants go fourth in the league table.

Meanwhile, interim manager Ralf Rangnick has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo for his performance against the Seagulls. Elsewhere, Paul Merson has warned United against appointing Mauricio Pochettino as their next manager.

On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on 16th February 2022:

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Ralf Rangnick hails Cristiano Ronaldo

Ralf Rangnick hailed Cristiano Ronaldo (in red) after the latter inspired Manchester United to a 2-0 win.

Ralf Rangnick hailed Cristiano Ronaldo after the latter inspired Manchester United to a 2-0 win. The Portuguese led the line against Brighton on Tuesday. The Red Devils were guilty of an insipid first-half performance, with the 37-year-old struggling to leave a mark.

However, Ronaldo improved after the break, opening the scoring with a sumptuous finish. That helped settle the nerves around Old Trafford, paving the way for a key win.

After the game, Rangnick heaped praise on the five-time Ballon d'Or winner:

“That was an amazing goal. Not only an important one but an amazing goal. I think overall it was a good performance by Cristiano. Energetically, he was on there; he was always trying to help the teammates, so I think in the last weeks definitely the best performance by him and a very, very important goal for us,” said Rangnick.

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Manchester United sent Mauricio Pochettino warning

Paul Merson has warned Manchester United against appointing Mauricio Pochettino.

Arsenal legend Paul Merson has warned Manchester United against appointing Mauricio Pochettino. The Red Devils are planning to select a permanent manager at the end of the season. Pochettino is among the favourites for the hot seat at Old Trafford.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Merson said that the Argentine hasn't done enough to be considered for the role.

“I don't understand why Manchester United would be waiting for Mauricio Pochettino. I don’t get it. If Pochettino doesn’t win the Champions League with Paris Saint-Germain, why would they be going in for him? You’ve got to remember he failed to win the French league last year, too. That’s virtually impossible to do,” said Merson.

“Everybody keeps saying they need to go out and get Pochettino, but I don’t understand why. It does my head in. It’s all I ever hear. What did he do? He got Tottenham to the final of the Champions League, and his side finished third one year in the Premier League,” added Merson.

Merson added that Brendan Rodgers would be a better choice for the full-time job at Old Trafford.

“If I was in charge at United, I’d be going for Rodgers or Graham Potter now. People are still caught up on the Pochettino of seven years ago. He took Tottenham as far as he could, and then you’ve got someone like Rodgers who has done a far better job than what Pochettino did. He only lost the league at Liverpool because of a slip. Now, he doesn’t even get a mention,” continued Merson.

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Barcelona remain interested in Paul Pogba

Barcelona remain interested in Paul Pogba.

Barcelona remain interested in Paul Pogba, according to The Hard Tackle via Fichajes.

The Frenchman is in the final six months of his current contract with Manchester United. The Red Devils are desperate to keep Pogba at the club, but the 28-year-old is yet to decide on his next move. The Blaugrana are planning to lap him up on a Bosman move.

The La Liga giants are looking to reshuffle their midfield this summer. With Sergio Busquets at the fag end of his career, Barcelona could shift Frenkie de Jong to the No. 6 role. That would open up space for Pogba in the squad. However, prising him away won't be easy, as both PSG and Juventus are eager to secure his services.