Manchester United will soon have to make decisions over their loanees Antony and Marcus Rashford, who are playing well at Real Betis and Aston Villa respectively
Manchester United are back in Premier League action this evening, with a difficult trip to face Nottingham Forest on the agenda. Forest are flying high, sitting third in the Premier League and through to the semi-finals of the FA Cup, while United languish in 13th place.
Ruben Amorim has been afforded plenty of time to ponder the fixture, having had 16 days since the 3-0 win over Leicester before the international break. There has been positive news on the injury front, with Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire all back in training.
The thin nature of the squad for the Leicester game once again underlined the need for recruitment in the summer transfer window, but any additions will have to be funded by outgoings first.
That is a hot topic of conversation around United at the moment, with loanees Anthony, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho all under the spotlight. With that in mind, here are the latest headlines from the club.
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Betis desperate to keep Antony
When Antony headed out on loan to Real Betis in January, not many United fans would have been expecting fireworks from the £82million flop. But the Brazilian has been enjoying his time in Seville and has already won over his team-mates and the club’s fans.
Betis are reportedly paying 80 per cent of his £105,000-a-week wages and know they will struggle to negotiate a permanent deal for him come the summer. But his key role in their comeback win over Sevilla in the derby on Sunday only served to underline their desire to do so.
“We’ll have to crowdfund to bring him back for another year,” Betis captain Isco said. “His humility and willingness to lend a hand have caught us all off guard. Since his arrival, there’s been a noticeable shift, and we must continue to do things correctly.”
United’s Rashford bill
Marcus Rashford scored twice in Aston Villa’s comfortable 3-0 win over Preston in the FA Cup on Sunday. Villa have an option to sign the England star in the summer for around £40m, but it could be a bad deal for United, who may be left having to foot the bill of around £20m for the remainder of Rashford’s current contract, given the Midlands club will put him on reduced wages.
“Still there are a lot of matches to play,” Unai Emery said when asked about the prospect of landing Rashford permanently this summer. “If we are in the Champions League, if we are in the Europa League, if we are in the European Conference League or not in Europe or winning a trophy, it is completely different.
“A decision about each individual players… it is to get the best of them and the best of us. We don’t want to waste time thinking about it.”
Cunha sparks bidding war
Wolves striker Matheus Cunha has made it clear that he wants a transfer in the summer after missing out in January. “I had a lot of offers (to leave in January) but I wouldn’t feel well if I had done it,” he told The Guardian.
“Some things you can’t control but I couldn’t leave the club in the middle of the season, in a difficult situation, in the relegation zone. Now, we’re close to achieving our goal [of staying up]. But I’ve made it clear that I need to take the next step. I want to fight for titles, for big things. I have potential.”
United are among those interested in the Brazilian forward, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest also keen on his services.