Man Utd takeover news LIVE: Sir Jim Ratcliffe finally ANNOUNCED, £1.3bn deal for 25%, Dave Brailsford role update
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SIR JIM RATCLIFFE'S deal for 25% of Manchester United has finally been announced on Christmas Eve.
Ratcliffe's Ineos Sport group are taking charge of the football operations of the club.
And it comes less than 24 hours after they were beaten for a 13th time this season following Saturday's 2-0 loss against West Ham.
Follow ALL the latest from Old Trafford with our live blog below...
Unexpected crossover
Teen darts sensation Luke Littler hung out with Manchester United midfielder Donny Van De Beek at the World Darts Championship yesterday.
Van De Beek is set to leave the club imminently, with a loan to Eintracht Frankfurt already agreed.
Fernandes hails Rashford
Bruno Fernandes has hailed Marcus Rashford for his performance against Aston Villa.
He told MUFC: “Marcus [Rashford] was pretty dangerous.
“I think for the first two goals he was involved and even the one that was offside.
“He was involved in everything today, pressurising [the Villa team] too.
“I think we could have got a few more balls in behind to Marcus, because we know the pace he has and the movement he has,” added our captain.
“If we were better with the long pass, we could have got even more out of him.”
Credit: PA Lingard offered lifeline
Former Manchester United ace Jesse Lingard has been offered a career lifeline by Lille, where he would reunite with ex-team-mate Angel Gomes.
Lingard has been without a club since leaving Nottingham Forest in the summer.
According to The Mirror, the French giants are interested in snapping up the versatile midfielder, who continues to keep himself sharp by training at local pitches.
Paulo Fonseca’s side includes stars Nabil Bentaleb, Jonathan David, Samuel Umtiti as well as Gomes.
Credit: Reuters
Next up for United
Manchester United travel to Nottingham Forest in their final game of 2023 on December 30.
The Red Devils then have only two games in January which come against Wigan and Tottenham.
Elmas joins Leipzig
Eljif Elmas has joined RB Leipzig on a five-year contract following his move from Napoli.
The midfielder was once a target of Man United following his impressive performances in Serie A.
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Garnacho gives options
Alejandro Garnacho’s influential performance against Aston Villa from the right wing has given Erik ten Hag another option for his frontline.
Ten Hag has needed another option on the right after Jadon Sancho’s exile and Antony’s poor form.
With Garnacho potentially moving to the right, it would allow Marcus Rashford to play on his favoured left side.
Ten Hag said: “I think we did it previously as well, and then he was almost more comfortable on the left.
“But yeah, I think he can play on the right as well. And, today, I think he was from that right side, over 90 minutes, absolutely a threat, and scored twice.
“But I think the whole frontline played very good, and invested so lot runs behind, and the timings were so good, and I think it was continually a threat for the opponent.”
Credit: Getty Ten hag 'optimistic' over future
Erik ten Hag has insisted that he is optimistic about the future of Manchester United following the arrival of investor Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
He said: "We are optimists. We were kept informed during the whole process so we knew what was going on.
"It's very good and I'm looking forward to working with them. It's very positive for Manchester United, I know.
"For now, we were focusing on the game and to get the win. For our season, it was so important that we bounced back and showed character.
"That's very important for this team to get a base we can build on."
Ex-United youngster seals big move
Sheriff Tiraspol have signed a former Arsenal and Manchester United academy prospect.
Tyler Reid has agreed to join the 21-time Moldovan champions on a free transfer, with the deal set to be completed on January 1.
He heads to Sheriff, who played in the Europa League earlier this season, after two years in Finland.
However, the early years of his career saw him star for both Arsenal and United's youth teams.
Reid started with the Gunners' academy before heading to the Red Devils aged 15.
Credit: Getty
Rashford on social media
Marcus Rashford has celebrated Manchester United's win over Aston Villa with a powerful statement on social media.
He wrote: "Fighting back the UNITED way!"
Credit: Getty Werner linked to London return
West Ham are reportedly interested in signing former Chelsea striker Timo Werner.
The RB Leipzig ace is believed to be available in the January transfer window.
With Michail Antonio struggling for fitness this season, the Hammers could move for the German who has also been linked to Manchester United, according to reports.
Nuno targets United
Nuno Espirito Santo wants his Nottingham Forest team to pick up from where they left off following the win over Newcastle.
Forest face Manchester United on Saturday.
After the 3-1 win over Newcastle, Santo said: "The credit needs to go to the boys.
“We haven’t been here a long time, but credit to them for their work.
“Congratulations to the players and to our supporters. They were amazing again and they help us so much.
“Let’s enjoy this moment, but let’s not stop here. We know we have to rest now and there is a quick turnaround.”
Credit: Alamy Osimhen’s new deal
Napoli confirmed Man United transfer target Victor Osimhen has signed a new contract with the club.
Osimhen was linked with a host of Europe’s biggest clubs over the summer as the Gunners, Manchester United and Chelsea chased his signature.
After a move failed to materialise, the Premier League giants were then put on red alert after a controversial TikTok post left the striker contemplating suing his employers back in September.
Then it emerged that the Blues were leading the race to try and sign the Nigeria international – despite the reigning Italian champions working hard to secure their talisman to a new long-term deal.
Now the Old Trafford outfit and their Prem foes may have to wait a little longer to get the 24-year-old after he finally penned an extension.
The Partenopei confirmed the news on social media with a post that was captioned with “together until 2026” and a picture of Osimhen and club president Aurelio De Laurentiis sitting in front of them.
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United target defender
Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Giorgio Scalvini.
The Atalanta defender is highly rated in the Serie A and has picked up interest from United.
However, United face a fight to sign him as Atalanta want to keep hold of him and beat Real Madrid to his signature.
Vermeeren would 'reject' United
Arthur Vermeeren has claimed that he would turn down a move to Manchester United in January in order to stay at Royal Antwerp.
He told Het Nieuwsblad: “Yes (whether he has seen the Man United links).
“Then you get the articles forwarded or my brothers will come with it. The youngest (sibling), in particular, is always very enthusiastic. He reads everything and believes everything immediately!
“Maybe that’s normal at that age. but then I tell him that not everything that appears in the newspapers or online is true. All I know is, if my lawyers haven’t told me about it, it won’t be concrete yet.
“There are so many scenarios to take into account because, suppose you sign somewhere and are loaned out, but then the coach leaves… Then you suddenly find yourself with another coach who may not want you. We’ll see what happens. But I want to finish the season here anyway.”
Credit: Rex Zaha picked for Arsenal
Ian Holloway has suggested that Arsenal should make a move for former Manchester United winger Wilfried Zaha in the January window.
He told : "I think Arsenal suits him down to the ground. The way they play, the way they do things and dominate the ball.
"If you give it to Wilf just outside the box, he could create anything for you.
"He's also such a fantastic athlete, so he wants to run and he wants to chase back. He's a bit like (Sergio) Aguero, who was taught how to track back alongside scoring. He's a bit like Mohammed Salah.
"Maybe Wilf wants to stay in London, but I could also see him going to Liverpool with the way the out-of-possession demands Jurgen Klopp puts on his players."
United could swap Old Trafford
Manchester United could soon boast one of the most impressive stadiums in the world.
Old Trafford has been the subject of much conversation in recent years with United fans growing tired with the ageing ground.
And now, after Sir Jim Ratcliffe's investment into the club, it could be completely transformed.
Architectural design company Populous are the firm behind some of the most cutting-edge and impressive stadiums in the world.
And the global company have set their sights on improving Old Trafford by putting together three plans for the historic stadium.
Summer's costliest Prem buys XI
The January transfer window is only just around the corner, so SunSport thought it would be a good idea to remind fans of the cash splashed in the summer.
Huge sums were spent from a host of Premier League clubs ahead of the new season.
Here is an XI consisting of the most expensive players signed by English top flight sides in the summer.
Youngster hailed for progress
Nick Cox, Manchester United's director of academy, has hailed Willy Kambwala for his "resilience" since arriving at the club.
He told MUFC: "Willy's route to our first team is, once again, a reminder of how each player's journey is individual and requires bespoke support.
"That's a principle on which we build our Academy programme. Three players have made debuts in 2023 (Dan Gore, Kobbie Mainoo and Willy), each with very different routes to success. For every debut, there is a journey and a unique story.
"Willy, born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was recruited from Sochaux in France at the age of 16. Arriving during the Covid-19 pandemic, he showed great resilience to settle at United under very stringent training conditions. Further resilience was required to cope with the setback of a long-term injury shortly after his arrival.
"So, a massive well done to Willy, and, of course, well done to the multitude of staff that have played a significant role in recruiting, developing and supporting him through challenging times.
"There is more work to be done for Willy to establish himself in the professional game. Meanwhile, for our staff, the focus has to turn to graduates number 249, 250 and way beyond, but it’s important we celebrate these moments."
Credit: PA Hojlund thankful
Rasmus Hojlund is thankful for the support he has received from Manchester United fans.
The striker shared his gratitude in a post on social media after scoring the winner against Aston Villa.
He wrote: "What a comeback guys🤩.
"Thanks for the support towards me and the team today. You deserved this!"
Mainoo hails Hojlund
Kobbie Mainoo has hailed Rasmus Hojlund on social media following his winning goal against Aston Villa.
Credit: Instagram All about Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s 25 per cent takeover of Manchester United has been completed.
Ratcliffe has splashed about £1.25billion to acquire that stake from United.
The INEOS chairman is Britain’s richest man and worth a whopping £15billion.
The 71-year-old is a lifelong Red Devils fan and previously tried to take over Chelsea last year.
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Next up for United
Manchester United travel to Nottingham Forest in their final game of 2023 on December 30.
The Red Devils then have only two games in January which come against Wigan and Tottenham.
