Manchester United News Roundup: Club drop out of European Super League, Red Devils set to move for in-form Portuguese star, and more — 20th April, 2021
It's been an incredible couple of days for Manchester United and European football as the fate of the Super League is very much up in the air. There has been widespread backlash over the formation of the Super League over the last 48 hours, with a barrage of statements on Tuesday confirming that all six English clubs have withdrawn from the competition.
The ESL episode has already had some lasting repercussions for the Red Devils on and off the pitch. On that note, here is a look at some of the latest Manchester United news.
Manchester United drop out of Super League
Just 48 hours after announcing that they're set to join Europe's elite in the Super League, Manchester United have confirmed that they are no longer set to play a part in the European Super League. Along with the remaining five Premier League clubs, Manchester United released an official club statement to confirm that they are set to withdraw from the competition.
The club's statement read;
"Manchester United will not be participating in the ESL. We have listened carefully to reaction from fans, the UK Government and other key stakeholders."
"We remain committed to working with others across football community to come up with sustainable solutions to long-term challenges."
Red Devils owner Joel Glazer is believed to be one of the driving forces behind the breakaway league with Florentino Perez and Andrea Agnelli. However, no English part of the club will be part of the competition now, and Agnelli has also reportedly left his post as Juventus president.
Ed Woodward resigns from Manchester United
Manchester United have confirmed that long-time club servant Ed Woodward has handed in his resignation as chairman of the club. The 49-year-old had reportedly planned earlier on to step down towards the end of the campaign, but the announcement was made on Wednesday amidst immense fan backlash over the proposals for the ESL.
The statement from Woodward read;
"I am extremely proud to have served United and it has been an honour to work for the world’s greatest football club for the past 16 years. The club is well positioned for the future and it will be difficult to walk away at the end of the year."
"We have invested more than £1bn in the squad during my time here and I am particularly delighted with the progress the players have made under the astute leadership of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his coaching team in the last two years."
The Red Devils chairman added;
"I am sure that with the changes we have made on-field and to the coaching and football staff in recent years this great club will soon be lifting silverware again. It deserves to. I desperately wanted the club to win the Premier League during my tenure and I am certain that the foundations are in place for us to win it back for our passionate fans."
Woodward is set to officially depart Manchester United at the end of the ongoing campaign.
Manchester United look to replace Edinson Cavani with Andre Silva
Manchester United forward Edinson Cavani appears to be on the brink of an exit from the club amidst rumours of a return to South America. Should he leave the club, the Red Devils will look to replace him with Andre Silva, as per reports. Currently at Eintracht Frankfurt, the Portuguese striker is one of the most in-form strikers in world football with 24 league goals and four assists in 28 games.
His agent, Hendrik Schauerte, has now addressed rumours of Silva's exit from Germany. He explained;
"Of course, at this time of the season, the speculation will not decrease. We are not guided by that. Andre [Silva] is totally focused and wants to secure the Champions League place with Eintracht. As before, we are in close contact with Fredi Bobic and Oliver Frankenbach for all other issues."
Eintracht will reportedly command a fee in the region of €40m for the signature of the ex-AC Milan star.
Also read: Twitter explodes as Ed Woodward resigns as Manchester United chairman