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MANCHESTER UNITED are once again looking to return to their former glory with a summer revamp planned.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has given boss Ruben Amorim his full backing despite an underwhelming start to life at Old Trafford for the Portuguese boss.
Reuters
PAHere, SunSport’s team of writers reveal the latest goings-on behind the scenes at Old Trafford.
ANTONY IN DEMAND
REAL BETIS are already looking at how they can make Antony’s move a permanent one.
The £82m Old Trafford flop has been a smash-hit since joining on loan from Manchester United in January.
Sources close to the player say he is desperate to make the switch a permanent one as he looks to rebuild his career, while Real Sociedad also now believed to be monitoring developments.
But the Brazilian is believed to prefer the idea of staying at Betis, where he has settled quickly and become a fan favourite.
Meanwhile, Antony’s agent Junior Pedroso has launched a furious attack on United manager Ruben Amorim.
He said: “Antony showed his true potential with Betis when the right conditions were available, proving that the issue was not with his physical abilities but with how he was treated at Manchester United.
“There are many players who did not succeed at United but have excelled elsewhere, raising questions about whether the problem lies with the players or the club itself.
“Antony did not get his chance at Manchester United, as he played only 252 minutes under Amorim. How can one judge him without giving him a real opportunity?”
RexHORROR STATS
ANY Manchester United fans attending last month’s FT Business of Football Summit would have left shaking their heads in disbelief at the damning stats unveiled about the Old Trafford club.
Figures revealed showed that of United’s all-time 10 most expensive players, only two – Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire – played more than 60 per cent of the available minutes during their time at the club.
Antony, on the pitch for less than a third of the possible game-time before his loan to Betis, headed the list of let-downs.
GettyRATCLIFFE’S ‘COSTLY’ RANT
SIR JIM RATCLIFFE‘S decision to name and shame “overpaid” and “not good enough” players may make United’s historic transfer market problems even more stark.
Ineos owner Sir Jim lambasted Andre Onana, Casemiro and Rasmus Hojlund as well as on-loan pair Antony and Jadon Sancho in a blistering assault on the previous Old Trafford hierarchy.
But the intensity of the attack is likely to make shifting any of those players for a price to United’s benefit even tougher.
While major signings by Manchester City and Liverpool have seen their potential transfer values rise by an average of 25 per cent over three seasons, United incoming stars have seen their values FALL by 25 per cent.
Pointing out that United’s bill for sacked managers since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson has already topped £80m, the FT’s Simon Kuper added: “This could be an indication of poor signings.
“But also the level of dysfunction at United means any player going there, their value will drop. This will show up on the balance sheet when players are sold.”
While Chelsea’s deal for Sancho included a £20m “obligation” to buy, asking top dollar for players the club’s figurehead has diminished has hardly been made easier.
GettyASHWORTH UPDATE
DAN ASHWORTH lasted just five months at Old Trafford – with Jim Ratcliffe saying the ‘chemistry’ was not right with the sporting director he hand-picked.
But as things stand there are no plans to replace him within the Old Trafford hierarchy.
Technical director Jason Wilcox has taken on more responsibility going forward – while chief exec Omar Berrada knows that side of the business well having worked closely with Txiki Begiristain across town at Manchester City.
Meanwhile chief operating officer Colette Roche has been helping to manage the football operations side since Ashworth’s departure – and that will continue.
GettyHOLY TRINITY
OLD TRAFFORD as we know it is looking increasingly doomed this week – but the famous ‘Trinity Statue’ which lies in the shadow of the Theatre of Dreams will definitely live on.
The sculpture of club legends SirBobby Charlton, George Best and Denis Law became a focal point after the latter’s death earlier this year and is loved by visitors to United’s home.
Patrick Campbell – one of the architects of the ‘New Trafford’ project said their feel it is ‘really important the statue addresses the stadium’ as it does now.
Fans are likely to be consulted but one option is it could be at the end of the walkway from the station to the new stadium – meaning it would not move much.
AlamyDANE DEAL
RASMUS HOJLUND has not scored in his last 20 United appearances – and his drought is now approaching a full 24 hours of football. Not surprisingly, the £72 million forward has cut a frustrated figure in recent matches.
But he had an arm round the shoulder and a few words of encouragement from his fellow Dane and Old Trafford legend Peter Schmeichel after Sunday’s draw with Arsenal.
The former keeper was back on his old stamping ground for media commitments – but he took time to grab a few minutes with Hojlund as he left the Theatre of Dreams after the game.
GettyBILLIONAIRE’S PARADISE
THE HUGE £2 billion cost of United’s ‘New Trafford’ stadium was one of the eye-catching pieces of info which emerged when the plans were unveiled this week.
It is almost double the price of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – which opened in 2019 – but was in a more expensive part of the country.
Meanwhile it is also more than £500 million more than Real Madrid’s stunning revamp of the Bernabeu.
United say they have factored in inflation across all areas of the economy and the increased energy costs into their estimate.
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