Manchester United Transfer News Roundup: Cristiano Ronaldo labelled a genius; Red Devils told to remove Harry Maguire from captaincy, and more - 13 March 2022
Manchester United stayed in the top-four race with a thrilling win over Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday. The Red Devils are currently fifth in the Premier League standings. They trail fourth-placed Arsenal, who have three games in hand, by a point.
Meanwhile, United attacker Cristiano Ronaldo has been labelled a genius by Roy Keane. Elsewhere, Ahmed Elmohamady has advised the Premier League giants to strip Harry Maguire of the captaincy.
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A record-breaking #PL victory at Old Trafford ❤️
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On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on 13th March 2022:
Cristiano Ronaldo labelled a genius by Roy Keane
Manchester United legend Roy Keane has labelled Cristiano Ronaldo a' genius'. The Portuguese was on fire on Saturday, scoring a hat-trick to help the Red Devils secure a 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford. Keane pointed out that the 37-year-old looked angry on the pitch.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the Irishman said that Ronaldo adds value to the team.
“Ronaldo looked angry today; he played with a lot of aggression. He's obviously upset with whatever happened last week, but he showed today what we have seen over the years. The guy's a genius; his three goals were fantastic. He brings so much to the team, why people think he cannot bring goals or value…” said Keane.
Roy Keane on Cristiano Ronaldo:
“The guy’s a genius, his three goals were fantastic. He brings so much to the team, why people think he cannot bring goals or value…” https://t.co/m4kJeUl2FY
Former United right-back Gary Neville echoed Keane's sentiments. The Englishman lavished praise on Ronaldo but observed that the Red Devils were poor on the night.
“The belief Ronaldo has in himself. He is in the twilight of his career, but he is absolutely sensational, a superstar of the modern game, one of the greatest of all time, and the greatest goalscorer of all time. Manchester United are not very good, I have to say. But there are moments in the game that are magical. The fans are buzzing because they've seen Ronaldo; they feel like they've seen something special,” said Neville.
Both Keane and Neville went on to praise the Portuguese for becoming the top goalscorer in the history of the beautiful game.
“Forget about FIFA; that is a lot of goals. Scoring goals is the hardest part of the game. Some players don't even score in training! What more can you say about him? He's a genius!” said Keane.
Neville added:
“Ronaldo has always wanted to be the greatest goalscorer. He's stubborn, so single-minded. He thinks he's the greatest of all time, and his record is just obscene. Those goals are in the top leagues in Europe - Portugal, Spain, Italy, the Premier League - the highest level."
Ronaldo now has 18 strikes across competitions. Before the Spurs game, he had netted just once in ten outings.
Ahmed Elmohamady advises Manchester United to remove Harry Maguire from captaincy
Former Hull City star Ahmed Elmohamady has advised Manchester United to strip Harry Maguire of the captaincy. The Englishman has struggled for the Red Devils this season.
Speaking to beIN Sport, Elmohamady said Ronaldo was a more deserving candidate for the armband.
“Harry was with me in Hull City and, in my opinion, he doesn’t have the level to be the Manchester United captain. Manchester United need a player with a strong personality ,and I hope that the next manager will give the captaincy to Ronaldo, if he stays. Ronaldo can handle this responsibility and pressure. However, Maguire can’t handle this pressure,” said Elmohamady.
He continued:
“So I think that the pressure he has by wearing the captain’s armband is affecting his performances. Maguire performed really well with Leicester, a team that competes to be in the top six of the Premier League, and maybe this is his level. He doesn’t have the level to play for the biggest team in the history of England."
Maguire, 29, scored an own goal to make it 2-2 for Spurs late on before Ronaldo's third strike of the night sealed all three points for United.
Arsenal and Barcelona initiate contact with Marcus Rashford
Arsenal and Barcelona have initiated contact with Marcus Rashford regarding a move this summer, according to The Hard Tackle via SPORT.
The Englishman's future is hanging in the balance at the moment. Rashford has struggled for game time this season and is a frustrated figure at Manchester United. He has made just league starts this season and is contracted with the club till next summer.
The Gunners are eager to take advantage of the situation and have already been in touch with the 24-year-old. However, the north London side will face competition from the Blaugrana, who have also contacted Rashford to facilitate a move.