Manchester United Transfer News Roundup: Newcastle United unlikely to sign Cristiano Ronaldo; Red Devils suffer setback in pursuit of Napoli forward, and more - November 24, 2022
Manchester United are looking to get back to their glory days under new manager Erik ten Hag. The Dutch manager took over at Old Trafford this summer and has overseen significant improvements in the first team's fortunes.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United are unlikely to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, according to journalist Dean Jones. Elsewhere, acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that the Red Devils have suffered a setback in their pursuit of a Napoli forward.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on November 24, 2022:
Newcastle United unlikely to sign Cristiano Ronaldo
Journalist Dean Jones reckons Newcastle United are unlikely to sign Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese is available on a Bosman move after ending his association with Manchester United earlier this week.
The 37-year-old’s agent Jorge Mendes is attempting to engineer his client's move to a new club in the coming days. The Magpies have also been offered the chance to sign the five-time Ballon d’Or winner.
37-year-old free agent Cristiano Ronaldo getting it done at his fifth World Cup 😜 https://t.co/gxeQajB2bF
However, speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones said that Newcastle are likely to turn down the offer and stick to their recruitment plans.
“It’s really interesting that Ronaldo has been offered to Newcastle – it just shows how high their profile in the game suddenly is. It’s very unlikely to happen, as Newcastle have a pretty clear recruitment plan they want to stick to. Again, that’s quite interesting – Newcastle willing to turn down Ronaldo is a pretty big deal!” said Jones.
Ronaldo helped Portugal secure a 3-2 win over Ghana in their FIFA World Cup opener on Thursday, opening the scoring from the spot. That made him the first player to score in five editions of the quadrennial competition.
Manchester United suffer setback in Victor Osimhen pursuit
Manchester United have suffered a blow in their pursuit of Victor Osimhen, according to Fabrizio Romano. The Nigerian forward has become a household name after a series of eye-catching displays with Napoli.
Congratulations @victorosimhen9.
This is huge!!! https://t.co/YLkGnki8yU
The Red Devils have identified him as a possible replacement for Ronaldo and have been linked with a move for the player in January. However, in his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that Osimhen is unlikely to leave Napoli this winter.
“Napoli insist they won’t sell Osimhen or any other player in January. The price tag in the summer was €120m, and nothing happened; now they’re doing great in Serie A and Champions League, so there are no plans to sell him in January at all,” wrote Romano.
The 23-year-old has registered ten goals and three assists in 14 appearances across competitions for the Serie A leaders this season.
Red Devils interested in Moussa Diaby
Manchester United are monitoring Moussa Diaby with interest, according to Fichajes via Caught Offside. The Red Devils are in the market for a new attacker after cutting ties with Ronaldo. Ten Hag could be interested in bringing in a new winger at Old Trafford in January, and Diaby has emerged as an option.
The Dutch manager has used Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial in the No. 9 role to good effect. Although a new striker is the need of the hour, Ten Hag could continue to improvise till the season’s end and bolster the wings in January. Diaby’s overall game play also makes him an ideal foil in the Dutchman’s tactics.
The Frenchman has been on a splendid run of form with Bayer Leverkusen this season. The 23-year-old has registered eight goals and four assists in 22 games across competitions for the Bundesliga side and could be a solid addition to United’s roster in the winter.