Manchester United Transfer News Roundup: Red Devils pushing for Van de Beek exit, players unhappy with Jadon Sancho, and more - September 8, 2023
Manchester United will be hoping to kick into a higher gear once club football resumes at the end of the international break. Erik ten Hag’s men have endured a mixed start to the new campaign, with two wins and two defeats so far.
Meanwhile, the Red Devils are pushing to offload Donny van de Beek in the coming days. Elsewhere, Jadon Sancho’s club teammates are least pleased with him.
On that note, let’s take a look at the major Manchester United transfer stories from September 8, 2023.
Manchester United pushing for Van de Beek exit
Manchester United are keen to cash in on Donny van de Beek this year, according to transfer insider Ben Jacobs. The Dutch midfielder has not lived up to expectations since arriving from Ajax in 2020. His situation failed to improve under Erik ten Hag, who has already sanctioned his departure. The transfer window remains open in Turkey, with a few clubs interested in Van de Beek.
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jacobs added that the Red Devils might have to accept a cut-price offer for the Dutchman with time running out.
"I think it's clear that Donny van de Beek is not part of Erik ten Hag's plans, but time is running out in various windows, so Manchester United are scrambling to try and find a late solution. The club's preference would be to offload van de Beek, but it hasn't been routine. The main interest has come from Turkey and there have been some enquiries from Saudi Arabia, but it's a race against the clock,” said Jacobs.
He continued:
“Manchester United might be stuck with van de Beek unless they can find a quick and late solution. I think that they may have to surrender on price and, also, they may have to decide to accept a loan with an option or an obligation in order to make something work. There is still a possibility that we will get some late movement with van de Beek, but he's not been the easiest player for Manchester United to find a solution for."
The transfer window in Saudi Arabia has closed, while it is open until September 15 in Turkey.
Red Devils players unhappy with Jadon Sancho
Manchester United players are fed up with Jadon Sancho, according to ESPN. The English forward has waged war on Erik ten Hag following the Dutchman's comments about the player’s training. Sancho released a statement on the social media as a response, but his efforts have disappointed both the club as well as his teammates.
The 23-year-old has been a shadow of his former self since joining the Red Devils from Borussia Dortmund in 2021. His efforts on the pitch as well as his attitude behind doors have reportedly irked multiple personnel at the club. The players have had enough and no longer sympathize with him, especially since they believe ten Hag has been fair in his treatment of the squad.
The Dutch manager has taken disciplinary action against Cristiano Ronaldo as well as Marcus Rashford on previous occasions for crossing the line. Ten Hag has instilled discipline at Old Trafford and it applies to squad members without bias, which is accepted by the players. As such, Sancho’s response has not gone down well with his teammates.
Scott McTominay advised to keep working
Scotland manager Steve Clarke has advised Scott McTominay to keep training hard to work his way back into Erik ten Hag’s team. The Scottish midfielder has dropped down the pecking order of late and was close to an exit from Manchester United this summer. While he ended up staying at Old Trafford, the 26-year-old’s struggles are likely to continue following the arrival of Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina.
Speaking to the press, as cited by Football Scotland, Clarke pointed out that McTominay’s situation is similar to Kieran Tierney at Arsenal.
“It could be. I’ve had one or two conversations with Scott already about how the season might pan out for him. It’s similar to Kieran last year – it’s important when they’re at a club and not playing regularly that they train very hard and work very hard and, when they do get the minutes, do everything they can to be successful,” said Clarke.
He continued:
“Everybody is different. Scott will deal with it differently to Kieran and to Billy but as long as they keep turning up for Scotland doing what they do, we should be happy with that.”
Fred has already left the Red Devils this summer to join Fenerbahce.