Manchester United Transfer News Roundup: Red Devils to clarify stance on Cristiano Ronaldo situation by next week; club suffer blow in pursuit of Barcelona midfielder, and more - November 20, 2022
Manchester United are expected to invest in their squad in January. Erik ten Hag has enjoyed a decent run since arriving at Old Trafford this summer but needs more quality in the squad to achieve his goals.
Meanwhile, acclaimed transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that the Red Devils want to clarify their stance on the Cristiano Ronaldo situation by next week. Elsewhere, the Premier League giants have suffered a setback in their pursuit of a Barcelona midfielder.
On that note, here's a look at the key Manchester United transfer stories as on November 20, 2022:
Manchester United want to clarify stance on Cristiano Ronaldo situation by next week
Manchester United hope to make public their standing on the Cristiano Ronaldo episode by next week, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Portuguese kicked up a storm with a hugely controversial interview with Piers Morgan, criticising the club and Ten Hag. His association with the Red Devils is likely to end as a direct result of his actions.
In his column for Caught Offside, Romano said that the club are having internal discussions to chalk out their response.
“Manchester United are still discussing internally with their legal team to understand the best solution. Sources guarantee that Man Utd don’t want Cristiano to be part of first team group at Carrington after the World Cup; the message is clear: the club will try to clarify the situation by next week,” wrote Romano.
#MUFC
It’s true that Manchester United are prepared to instruct Cristiano Ronaldo not to return to Carrington after World Cup, this is the plan as things stand. 🚨🔴 #MUFC
This is one of the first steps after the interview — more will follow in the next days. https://t.co/B4gwNUJ54c
The Italian added that there were signs of trouble in the summer when Ronaldo failed in his attempts to leave.
“Ronaldo has always been professional in training; he had no problems with Ten Hag until Man City and Tottenham games; the interview surprised both Ten Hag and some players because of the timing. The signs of trouble were there in the summer, of course, as he wanted to leave; we know. … but there was no right proposal,” wrote Romano.
Ronaldo is currently with the Portugal team in Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Red Devils suffer blow in Frenkie de Jong pursuit
Manchester United have hit a roadblock in their pursuit of Frenkie de Jong. The Dutch midfielder was heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford this summer. Ten Hag was convinced that his former player could be central to his rebuilding exercise, but a move failed to see the light of day.
Frenkie de Jong tells @telegraaf: “I am very happy in Barcelona. When I play it’s great and in terms of living here life is perfect. I see myself at Barcelona for as long as possible”. 🚨🔵🔴 #FCB
“I personally hope for another 8 or 10 years”, he added. @TheEuropeanLad https://t.co/bq6fZYzAo0
The Red Devils remain interested in the player and are expected to return for him next year. However, in a recent interview, De Jong expressed a desire to stay at Barcelona for another decade.
“I am very happy in Barcelona. When I play it’s great and in terms of living here life is perfect. I see myself at Barcelona for as long as possible. I personally hope for another eight or 10 years,” said De Jong.
The 25-year-old has appeared 17 times for Barcelona this season, registering two goals and an assist.
Manchester United locked in three-horse race for Josko Gvardiol
Manchester United are embroiled in a race with Chelsea and Barcelona for the signature of Josko Gvardiol, according to Fichajes via Caught Offside. The RB Leipzig defender has attracted attention from clubs around Europe after a string of impressive performances recently. The 20-year-old has appeared 20 times for the Bundesliga side this season and has scored once.
His exploits have earned him admirers at Old Trafford. The Red Devils want to bring in a new defender next year, despite investing in Lisandro Martinez this summer.
Ten Hag has seen his team suffer due to Raphael Varane’s injury woes and wants to address the situation by roping in Gvardiol. However, United could face competition from the Blues and Blaugrana for the Croatian’s signature. Gvardiol is currently in Qatar with the Croatian team at the FIFA World Cup.