Man United

Man United have pulled out all the stops to secure the signature of Frenkie de Jong, dispatching club chiefs Richard Arnold and John Murtough, ...

But given the manager's desire to build through midfield, it is Ten Hag's remarks about Fred's style of play that stand out. Ten Hag has made clear he is at Old Trafford for a three-year project. The Leicester City man is quite happy to impose himself on the opponent. Under Nuno Espirito Santo, the Portuguese was asked to sit deep and shield the space in front of the three central defenders. There is also the £17M De Jong is owed in wages by Barcelona, which he may want to pocket before leaving Spain. Erik ten Hag has cut-price options in Fabian Ruiz and Youri Tielemans, Ruben Neves has proved he can deliver in the top flight and even Fred is finally firing on all cylinders I am satisfied with his performance, with his improvement. Christian Eriksen, 30, is one of them. The one problem appears to be De Jong himself. Both players posted a pass competition rate of around 90 per cent. He enabled Wolves to gain control in midfield through his quality on the ball, but in addition, he is good in the tackle and a willing presser. Ten Hag has made clear that De Jong is central to his plans at United, as he seeks possession and control in the frenzy of the Premier League.

Plus: Chelsea have an agreement in principle for Romelu Lukaku to spend a second year on loan with Inter Milan, Paulo Dybala breaking a Cristiano Ronaldo ...

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Donny van de Beek started his first game of pre-season for Man Utd in their 2-2 draw with Aston Villa in Perth.

"That is a weapon that is really hard to defend against. They were really well connected," said Ten Hag. Promoted Stories

Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag is reportedly in line for a significant windfall if he manages to get the Red Devils back into the Champions League at ...

United's lack of Champions League football has also led to the competition's all-time top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo handing in a transfer request. United would also significantly suffer from a sponsorship point of view if they missed out on back-to-back seasons of Champions League football. The Red Devils have had an unbeaten pre-seasons schedule.

BBC football reporter Simon Stone answers questions from Manchester United and Aston Villa fans after their 2-2 pre-season draw in Perth, Australia.

But the idea is to have competition for places. And then, is it a team De Gea wants to play for? In some ways, I admire United's stance on De Jong - but it is a gamble to an extent. There is an element of truth to that but in the modern game, results matter - and a reliance on experience comes from that. That might mean United were open to letting him go and I could see why a move might appeal. Would you agree there is a different feel to Manchester United this summer from the top down? It is unrealistic to expect United to challenge Manchester City and Liverpool this season. But the continued talk of him wanting to play in the Champions League suggests the exact opposite. And if they do, will it encourage Carney Chukwuemeka to sign if he can see a clear pathway to first-team football - or has that ship sailed? But he is inconsistent and needs to stay fit. But that is what he is - a player of promise. The big question is how far the owners are prepared to go.

Manchester United could let Cristiano Ronaldo go and sign Denzel Dumfries, Chelsea would extend Romelu Lukaku's loan, and Neymar could quit PSG.

For the 30-year-old striker, he cannot find a club that offers the same glamour and money as his current side, so appealing to him may require that he is offered even more cash as compensation for a less exciting outfit. The Telegraph reports that Chelsea would be open to extending that deal for a further year on similar terms if it suits everyone for a player who cost £97.5m last summer. They would ask the 37-year-old to extend his contract by another year, and then would allow him to join another team for a season-long loan.

Jadon Sancho was on the scoresheet again for United but Calum Chambers' last-gasp header earned Villa a 2-2 draw.

United swept play from right to left and Rashford played in the overlapping Shaw, who crossed for Sancho to volley home on the edge of the six-yard box in the 25th minute. Cash sent a fizzing strike just across the face of goal on a rare Villa voyage forwards, with United dominating play for the most part and the dangerous Sancho finding the net at the end of a fine team move. Jadon Sancho volleyed home his third goal of the tour at the end of a fine team move to open the scoring in a first half that ended with Marcus Rashford’s strike deflecting in off Matty Cash.

The Red Devils blew a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Aston Villa in their final match of a pre-season tour of Australia and Thailand.

“We will and I have seen a lot of progress in these two weeks. I think it is really difficult to defend. “It was the focus. No matter what we have to perform.” “In our team it was clear there was a dip,” United boss Ten Hag said. Then a drop of focus.

Football365 - Laporta reiterated that Barcelona "really like" De Jong and poured cold water on a report we've all taken as gospel.

We need to clarify some aspects of his situation”. De Jong is the priority signing for new United boss Erik ten Hag, who worked successfully with the 25-year-old in their time together at Ajax. Barcelona president Joan Laporta has rubbished reports that the club have accepted a Manchester United bid for Frenkie de Jong, reiterating that the Dutch midfielder “is our player”.

Ten Hag's men led 2-0 at the break, through Jadon Sancho and an own-goal by Matty Cash, but Leon Bailey pulled one back before Chambers headed in from a corner.

But, in the end, we have to control the game and that’s what we didn’t do." I would say also, at the end, a setback, but it’s also part of the season, a season is not always going up, you also have to have setbacks and have to deal with it. Ten Hag's men led 2-0 at the break, through Jadon Sancho and an own-goal by Matty Cash, but Leon Bailey pulled one back before Chambers headed in from a corner.

Man Utd forward Marcus Rashfords poor performances last season saw him dropped by England and widely criticised; the 24-year-old looking sharper in ...

You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News. "For us, it's definitely a positive thing to have a fully-fit squad ready to start the season. We have to work on that. "It's part and parcel of the game. "Definitely last season was a time for me to reflect on. "It was a fun game.

Manager facing headaches over the form of Harry Maguire and David de Gea, Cristiano Ronaldo's absence and the De Jong transfer saga.

The centre-back’s issue is not only his questionable positioning and lack of pace but also a lack of presence, which makes Ten Hag’s decision to keep him as captain intriguing. The truth is that if Ten Hag is to reinvigorate, he will either have to coax Maguire to a higher level or deem him a liability. Ten Hag is doing all he can to support the defender, retaining him as captain and saying he “thinks” Maguire is a first-choice. De Gea says he senses a “new energy” among the squad and the side have shown themselves capable of implementing Ten Hag’s high-press, relentless playing style. There is also a question over the 31-year-old’s ability to play with his feet, as Ten Hag demands. If the manager was protecting his player, consider this: Ten Hag talks of the requirement for “internal” competition for players but as he allowed Dean Henderson to join Nottingham Forest on loan, De Gea has only one rival for the goalkeeper jersey: Tom Heaton, who is 36 and has played 22 minutes for United. De Gea is a superb shot‑stopper but goes missing when high balls are delivered into the area.

Manchester United are reported to be offering food delivery services to their stars to encourage the players to stick to the club's unique dietary plans ...