Manchester United Transfer News Roundup: Red Devils slammed for Rasmus Hojlund move; Jadon Sancho backed to stay, and more - September 10, 2023

Manchester United are hoping to get back to their best under Erik ten Hag this season. The Dutch manager has made quite a few changes to his squad over the summer as he looks to assert his dominance on the league.

Meanwhile, the Red Devils have been criticised for spending a small fortune on Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund. Elsewhere, attacker Jadon Sancho has been backed to mend bridges at Old Trafford.

On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on September 10, 2023.

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Manchester United slammed for Rasmus Hojlund move

Rasmus Hojlund (left) arrived at Old Trafford this summer.

Former Liverpool midfielder Graeme Souness has slammed Manchester United for investing heavily on Rasmus Hojlund this summer. The Red Devils paid Atalanta £72 million for the signature of the 20-year-old, who's yet to prove himself at the highest level.

Souness told The Express that the move is a gamble and that the Premier League giants would struggle once again this season.

"I don't think Manchester United are going to be any better than they were last season. They've spent £72m on a young centre-forward in Rasmus Hojlund, who has not got a great goalscoring record," said Souness.

He continued:

"He played 34 games for Atalanta and only hit the back of the net 10 times.

"Now he's come to a league where it's really tough to get goals. I might be wrong, but that's one hell of a gamble for somebody that doesn't have a proven track record."

Hojlund made his debut for the club against Arsenal from the bench and was quite impressive.

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Jadon Sancho backed to stay

Jadon Sancho has made news for the wrong reasons recently.

Acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reckons Jadon Sancho could still turn things around at Old Trafford.

The Englishman was embroiled in a war of words with Ten Hag following the Dutch manager’s claims that he was not training properly. The 23-year-old responded with a statement on social media that didn’t go down well with Manchester United.

Recent reports have said that Sancho’s time at the club could be coming to an end as a result of the fiasco. However, in his column for Caught Offside, Romano added that a lot would depend on the player’s impending conversation with Ten Hag.

"Staying with United, I want to clarify again, because there is now so much being reported about Jadon Sancho, that I think there is a way back for him at Old Trafford," wrote Romano.

He continued:

“Let’s see how the conversation between Sancho and Erik ten Hag will go. We just need to wait now, there’s no significant change, and it remains the case that Man United were simply not happy with his approach in training last week – there is nothing else to say in terms of concerns about his mentality or personality on club side.”

Sancho has been a disappointment since joining the Red Devils from Borussia Dortmund in 2021.

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Antony to take extended break from Red Devils

Antony has announced that he will take a break from first-team responsibilities with Manchester United to address the recent controversy.

The Brazilian has been accused of domestic violence by his former girlfriend Gabriela Cavallin. The 22-year-old has denied all the allegations but is under investigation at the moment.

Sharing the news via the social media, Antony said that he came to the decision after discussion with the Red Devils.

“I have agreed with United to take a period of absence while I address the allegations made against me. This was a mutual decision. I want to reiterate my innocence of the things I have been accused of. I will fully cooperate with the police," wrote Antony.

Antony arrived at Old Trafford from Ajax last summer.