Jadon Sancho hailed the early work of Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, saying the Dutchman has made the same players feel like a "whole different team".

Ten Hag has a sizeable rebuilding task at Old Trafford following the unsuccessful interim spell of Ralf Rangnick, whose mid-season appointment to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer failed last campaign.

United finished sixth in the 2021-22 Premier League campaign after recording their lowest points tally, while failing to end a league campaign with a positive goal difference for the first time since the 1989-90 season.

The former Ajax coach has brought in Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen, while striking an agreement for Lisandro Martinez and reportedly holding negotiations with Barcelona for Frenkie de Jong.

United have also impressed in their pre-season friendlies, defeating Liverpool, Melbourne Victory and Crystal Palace, and Sancho was quick to credit Ten Hag's early influence.

"He's told all the boys that every friendly is a must-win game," the winger said to United's official website.

"I can already tell from his mindset that he wants us to do well and, when the players hear that from a manager, you all take that in and we all want to give our best, especially out on the pitch.

"That's been a real confidence boost. We've been having lots of meetings with the manager and understanding how he wants us to play and there's definitely been a big sign of everyone taking that on board and us producing what he wants to happen.

"This pre-season, we have the same players but it just looks like a whole different team and I do think that's something we're working on and I feel like we're getting better.

"The manager is big on team-bonding and having fun together and doing things like team dinners and things like that. So, yeah, it's helping.

"You can see in the games, as I said before, with how we're playing and there being a lot more structure and opportunities to score, and we're keeping the ball more too and being effective [with it]."

Sancho arrived from Borussia Dortmund last season as the only player from Europe's top five leagues to have scored 10 goals or more and at least 15 assists across all competitions in each of the previous three seasons.

But the England international struggled in his debut season in Manchester, scoring just three times in 29 Premier League appearances and he is keen to make amends in the upcoming term.

"Last year wasn't great and I feel like everyone has something to prove for this upcoming season," he added.

"It's my second year now, settling into the team, knowing how players play and I'm excited for the upcoming season, with a new manager and how he wants us to play, and I think it will be good for myself.

"We don't want to put performances in like we did last year and upset the fans. Some fans travelled for a long time to get to the stadium and watch us not perform.

"I'm sure, this year, everyone is going to make up for that and make sure every game we play we put 100 per cent in and make sure the fans are smiling at the end of the game."

Bruno Fernandes insists Cristiano Ronaldo was not the reason Manchester United struggled last season, while he expects the "strict" Erik ten Hag to deliver success at Old Trafford.

Ronaldo has reportedly asked to leave United, less than a year after returning to the club, and is yet to report for training with Ten Hag's squad after missing three pre-season friendlies due to family reasons.

Fernandes claimed earlier in the week that he had no knowledge of Ronaldo's future intentions but called for respect for whatever his Portugal compatriot decides to do.

Ten Hag has already made it clear that Ronaldo remains an integral part of his plans after the 37-year-old top-scored with 24 goals in all competitions for United last term.

As United prepare to face Aston Villa in their next pre-season friendly on Saturday, Fernandes again leapt to the defence of the forward, refusing to blame him for the Red Devils' issues last term.

Asked whether Ronaldo's presence caused a change in style and problems for United, Fernandes told Sky Sports: "No I don't think so.

"I am there to serve my strikers and I think we had an amazing start to the season. When Cristiano came in he scored two goals in his first game and I scored one and after that, I scored many goals playing with Cristiano.

"I think all of my goals I was playing alongside Cristiano, so I don't think that was the problem at all.

"I play with him for Portugal and that will never be the problem because good players can fit together at any time at any point."

Whether Ten Hag has Ronaldo to call upon in the upcoming campaign or not, Fernandes lauded the former Ajax coach's training methods as the Dutchman attempts to implement a new style of play at United.

"Nobody can get away with anything with him and the senior players have to play their part too, making sure that everyone is on the same page," he added.

"Everyone knows they have to be pushing to the same side and if not, they will be out of the team. That's a good thing because if you want to be successful as a team you have to be always in the same way.

"He's strict, he's tough, but at the same time, he's a nice and easy guy to chat to. 

"The main thing is following what he wants because I think he has a straight line that he wants to have with the team and I want to follow that straight line because I think we can be successful that way.

"I think everyone will be happy at the end of the season if we can do everything he wants us to do."

Fernandes netted 28 times for United in all competitions in the 2020-21 season, the best return by a midfielder for a Premier League club in a single campaign, surpassing Frank Lampard's 27 for Chelsea in 2009-10.

The Portugal international failed to follow that up in the next campaign, managing 10 goals across all competitions, and Fernandes wants to prove his worth after signing a new five-year contract in March.

"Last season, as a team it was not successful so individually it's difficult to be successful," he added.

"I was trying in the same way to improve the team, but obviously, it was a difficult season for everyone and was tough to be successful individually because the results were not there.

"I know everyone is expecting so much from me because my first season was amazing and last season I only scored 10 goals and 14 assists. I know I can do much better than that.

"So for me, it's about following the rules [Ten Hag] wants, following his demands and my game will come naturally. The main thing for me is that the team is successful."

Nemanja Matic wasted little time in deciding to join Roma and work with Jose Mourinho, explaining the Giallorossi coach "convinced me in less than five minutes".

The Serbia international will play under the stewardship of Mourinho for a third time in his career, having already featured for the Portuguese at Chelsea and Manchester United.

Mourinho first signed the midfielder for Chelsea from Benfica in 2014 in a deal worth £40million ($50m), winning the Premier League in their sole season together.

Matic played at Stamford Bridge for a further two years after Mourinho's departure, before the Portuguese coach re-signed him at United in 2017.

The following year Mourinho was relieved from his duties at Old Trafford, with Matic staying at United until last month, when he reunited with his former coach on a one-year deal in the Eternal City.

Matic has played 118 matches under Mourinho, the 33-year-old's most appearances under a single manager in the Premier League, and could not turn down working with him once more.

"He convinced me in less than five minutes to come to Rome: when I left United he called me and I immediately said yes," Matic told Il Messaggero.

"Mou has something extra that motivates and spurs you. I've never seen him satisfied, when he wins he already thinks about the next day. He is the first to be hungry for victories.

Brian Brobbey has agreed to return to Ajax on a permanent deal from RB Leipzig, the Eredivisie champions have announced.

The young forward moved to the Bundesliga side on a free transfer ahead of the 2021-22 campaign but made just one top-flight start and a further eight off the bench in an unhappy spell.

Brobbey subsequently returned to Ajax, where he came through the youth ranks, on loan in January and scored seven goals in 13 games to help Erik ten Hag's team secure the title.

Ten Hag was reportedly keen to link up with the 20-year-old again at Old Trafford, but Ajax – who were in need of a forward after selling Sebastien Haller to Borussia Dortmund – have now agreed to pay Leipzig €16.35million up front to complete a full transfer, with the deal potentially reaching €19.35m. Brobbey has agreed a five-year deal with the club.

Prior to moving to Leipzig, Brobbey scored six times in 19 games having made his debut in October 2020.

Erik ten Hag has warned Manchester United's board the club need to sign an attacker to be competitive this season, though he remains excited to integrate Cristiano Ronaldo into his plans.

United travelled to Thailand and Australia for the first part of their pre-season obligations with reserve left-back Tyrell Malacia the only new signing Ten Hag has been able to work with.

Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez have since agreed switches to Old Trafford, while a move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong – who worked with Ten Hag at Ajax – is still in the works, albeit that deal is fraught with difficulties.

But Ten Hag wants attacking reinforcements to bolster a forward line including Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho. 

Superstar striker Ronaldo is too still on the books despite reports suggesting he wants to depart Old Trafford less than 12 months after returning.

A move for Ajax's Antony has been touted, with one of the winger's representatives, Junior Pedroso, said to have been in Manchester for talks, though an asking price of €80million (£68m) is thought to be a sticking point.

When asked if an injury up top could leave United short, Ten Hag told a news conference: "That is a reason but also the number of games. You need more options in the offence.

"I think it’s vital if you want to get success – the season is really long – but we also still have time to fill that in."

Ronaldo did not travel with United for personal reasons unrelated to his future. Asked if there was any update about when he might join up with the squad Ten Hag added: "No – it is the same [situation] as last week."

Questioned on whether there was "concern" over Ronaldo's fitness for the new campaign, Ten Hag said: "Of course, but concerned is maybe not the right word. 

"I focus on the players who are here. They are doing really well, they are in good shape. I prefer to focus on that and develop that. 

"But I cannot wait for [Ronaldo] to come in. Then we will integrate him [into the team]."

United's competitors by contrast have concluded business swiftly, with Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham acting quickly in the market.

Ten Had concedes it is not ideal working without new signings but is confident the squad will adapt.

"It is definitely an advantage we could have but we are not in that situation," he said. 

"Then you have to deal with that situation. You have to develop the team with the players you have. That's what we do.

"Back in Manchester, Eriksen, Martinez, will join in, we have more options. I think they can quite quickly integrate into the team."

Another headache for Ten Hag is how to get the best out of skipper Harry Maguire, who has endured a difficult 12 months and was the subject of boos during United's 4-1 win over Melbourne Victory on Tuesday.

Ten Hag told the England centre-back the only way to win over the doubters is via his performances on the pitch.

"About Maguire we heard [the boos] but you see, if you perform, it slows down," he added. "I think [Maguire] and the team impressed with the way we played.

"I don't think it matters to find out if I understand it [the boos]. It’s about how we can change it. So it's the team and Harry himself by performing. That is what we're working on. That is the only focus."

Barcelona may have to rely on selling commercial revenue streams and broadcasting rights to ease financial difficulties should Frenkie de Jong not join Manchester United.

That is the message from football financial expert Kieran Maguire, who outlined to Stats Perform the issues Barca face in meeting LaLiga financial fair play rulings.

The Blaugrana have already spent over €100million to bring in Raphinha and Robert Lewandowski, alongside free agents Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen, while renewing Ousmane Dembele's deal.

Barca's dealing have led to question marks from pundits given the club are reportedly €1.3billion in debut, with Bayern Munich boss Julian Nagelsmann pondering how they were able to sign Die Roten's prized asset Lewandowski.

Maguire explained Blaugrana president Joan Laporta has relied on two "economic levers", the first seeing the Catalan giants sell 10 per cent of their LaLiga broadcasting rights to investment firm Sixth Street.

The second method, Maguire said, will involve Barca selling up to 49 per cent of their commercial revenues "in a deal which could be worth a couple of hundred million euros".

Maguire suggested Barca would have up to €130m to spend from those two deals, but added they need De Jong – who has been linked with the Red Devils – to leave to allow the LaLiga giants to raise funds and register their new arrivals.

"They can sign players, but they can't register players, and that's the more important issue," he told Stats Perform. "What Barcelona have to be able to do is to reduce the level of their short-term debt under the LaLiga rules.

"Now, the way they're going to do that is to generate short-term income. First of all in respect of their broadcasting rights, so they've been involved in a deal with Sixth Street from the US and I think they've sold 15 per cent of their broadcasting rights, covering around about the next 20 years.

"It's the equivalent of a payday loan, in which you take money now which comes out of your future revenue. And that's being referred to by Laporta as one of the two economic levers that they have. The other way that they're going to do that is in respect of some of their commercial revenues.

"I think they're willing to give up to 49 per cent of those, again in a deal which could be worth a couple of hundred million euros. You put those two together and that will allow them to spend some money.

"I think now the first deal has gone through with Sixth Street, they should be able to register one player. They were relying on De Jong going in order to be able to register the others.

"If that's not going to work, then expect them to pull the other levers, perhaps quicker in order to generate the revenue that will allow them to register the remaining players."

Last week, United and Barcelona reportedly struck a deal for De Jong worth £63m (€75m), with a further £8.5m (€10m) in add-ons also possible.

But reports suggested the move for the Netherlands international is being held up by £17m (€20m) worth of deferred salary payments that Barca owes De Jong.

"The player is very much in the right here, the player signed a contract with an agreed amount of remuneration," Maguire added. "The club asked the player to make a sacrifice during COVID-19.

"If the club can afford to recruit Lewandowski and recruit Raphinha, and [Ferran] Torres, then those players will not be taking pay cuts.

"So why should De Jong be the fall guy in respect of this? You can understand the player being angry about this situation.

"Effectively, he's being treated as a disposable asset and asked to take a financial sacrifice at the same time."

Maguire insisted Barca's financial difficulties, the reason Lionel Messi had to join Paris Saint-Germain last August, are due to their own incompetency and not solely down the coronavirus pandemic.

"Barcelona have been run very poorly from a financial point of view for a long period," he continued. "They have relied on Messi to be their focus of attention until things started to deteriorate on the back of COVID.

"But COVID was not the only reason why Barcelona are in this problem – and other clubs aren't. So Barcelona are trying to emotionally blackmail some of their players by focusing on the Barcelona brands, its appealed to a fan base.

"And I think there will be resistance from players because they've acted in good faith. Whether they're worth the money they're being paid, that's not for me to decide.

"Nobody forced Barcelona to offer these players the wages that they are currently being paid. So it's up to Barcelona to honour the contracts and they don't appear to be willing to be honourable."

Jesse Lingard has joined Nottingham Forest on a free transfer after his Manchester United contract expired.

United academy product Lingard struggled to make his mark at Old Trafford last season, starting just twice in the Premier League across the 2021-22 campaign.

The England international was offered chances in cup outings, making 22 appearances across all competitions and scoring twice, but the decision was taken not to renew his contract.

Lingard was repeatedly linked with a move back to West Ham, where he enjoyed a fruitful loan spell in the second half of the 2020-21 season, finding the net nine times in 16 top-flight appearances.

Newcastle United were also said to be interested in the midfielder, alongside a host of clubs in Europe.

But the 29-year-old opted to join newly promoted Forest on Thursday, signing what has been widely reported as a one-year deal.

Lingard will join Forest on their pre-season tour in Germany, where they next face Union Berlin, after becoming the 11th signing of the transfer window for Steve Cooper's side.

Forest added Huddersfield duo Lewis O'Brien and Harry Toffolo to their ranks the day prior to Lingard's arrival, with United loanee Dean Henderson, Neco Williams and Taiwo Awoniyi among the other additions.

Raphael Varane insists he does not regret joining Manchester United despite enduring a poor first season at Old Trafford, as he rejected criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo's performances last term.

Varane joined United in August 2021 following a trophy-laden spell at Real Madrid.

However, he was unable to stop the Red Devils posting the worst defensive record in their Premier League history en route to a sixth-placed finish, as they conceded 57 goals in 38 games.

The 2018 World Cup winner started Erik ten Hag's first pre-season game in charge of United, a 4-0 thrashing of Liverpool, which they have subsequently followed up with two more friendly victories.

In an interview with the BBC, Varane stood by his decision to join United as he hailed the high-octane style introduced by Ten Hag on their pre-season tour of Asia and Australia.

"In football, you have to challenge yourself and try to improve," he said. "I wanted to live another experience after 10 years in the same place.

"The Premier League is absolutely fantastic and Manchester United are a great club. There was no doubt about my decision.

"It's a new season, a new start. Confidence is important and we lost confidence when we lost some games. But I think we have great potential.

"The new manager is very positive. He wants this energy and to press high up the pitch, with more space behind our backs. That is maybe more offensive but it is football we really enjoy, so that is a good start."

Varane made 22 Premier League appearances in his first campaign at Old Trafford, fewer than fellow central defenders Harry Maguire (30) and Victor Lindelof (28), and will face greater competition next term after United struck a deal to sign Ajax's Lisandro Martinez.

But the France star says he is not fazed by that prospect, as he hailed Maguire's ability after the United captain was jeered during a pre-season win over Crystal Palace.

"Competition is good for the team," Varane added. "Harry is a very important player for us. He's the captain and obviously he has a lot of good qualities."

While results appear to be looking up for United, uncertainty over the future of superstar forward Ronaldo continues to cast a shadow over the new era at Old Trafford.

Ronaldo has reportedly asked to leave for a Champions League club, having been criticised for a perceived lack of work rate despite top-scoring for United with 24 goals on all fronts last season.

Though Varane did not comment on the 37-year-old's future, he hit out at such assessments of Ronaldo's performances.

"That debate was outside of the dressing room," the defender said. "We know his quality. And we know he's very famous. So we know a lot of people will speak about the performance of the team and his performance. Cristiano is a great competitor. He's a legend and he always helps the team, so obviously it's very good to play with him."

Manchester United face a "long road" before they can mount a Premier League title challenge but signing Frenkie de Jong would make a "huge difference", according to Jamie Carragher.

United have won all three of their pre-season contests under Erik ten Hag, including a 4-0 thrashing of Liverpool in their first outing under the Dutchman.

The Red Devils broke a number of unwanted records during their dire 2021-22 Premier League season, posting their lowest points tally (58) and worst defensive record (57 goals conceded) in the competition's history.

Despite United impressing during their tour of Asia and Australia, Ten Hag warned on Tuesday there was a "lot of work" remaining and Carragher echoed similar sentiments.

Asked by Sky Sports whether he feared United could rival his beloved Liverpool, Carragher said: "I wouldn't say [I'm] nervous. 

"I think there's a long road for United that they're on at the moment in terms of challenging for the title.

"I think the first thing when it comes to Ten Hag and the players they're bringing in will be, 'we need to get this club back in the Champions League, where it belongs'. That's where Manchester United should be.

"They're one of the biggest clubs in the world, never mind this country, so to not be in the Champions League just doesn't feel right, not when United are in the Europa League.

"So I think that's the first thing and I think once United do that, then it'll be looking at the title in the next couple of years.

"But it won't be easy to get back in the top four this season – not just for United but for any team who are normally in the top four.

"You'd expect [Manchester] City and Liverpool to do it because they're always going for the title, but you look at how strong Chelsea will be and the signings they're bringing in, Tottenham's work as well, Arsenal also.

"So I think competitively now in terms of getting in the top four, it's really tough, and it's proven that way for a lot of Manchester United managers with great CVs in the past.

"But there's no doubt this manager has a really good CV and they made a really good start in pre-season."

Having already added Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen to their squad, as well as agreeing a deal for versatile Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez, United have been strongly linked with a move for talented Barcelona midfielder De Jong.

The future of the Netherlands international remains uncertain after he was included in Barcelona's squad for a tour of the United States, and Blaugrana president Joan Laporta has repeatedly claimed the Catalan giants do not need to sell the 25-year-old.

Carragher believes De Jong would have a huge impact should he make the switch to Old Trafford.

"It'll be interesting if they get De Jong," he added. "I do think he's a top-class player and I think he would make a huge difference for them."

United's next pre-season outing sees them face Aston Villa in Perth on Saturday, before fixtures against Spanish duo Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano next week.

Kalvin Phillips says there was "never any chance" he would sign for Manchester United out of loyalty to his former club Leeds United.

The England midfielder instead joined the Red Devils' rivals Manchester City earlier this month in a deal reportedly worth £42million.

Phillips was a man in demand, with United and City's interest said to have been piqued by his impressive performances in England's run to the final of Euro 2020 last year.

But the cross-Pennine rivalry between Leeds and the red side of Manchester meant a switch to Old Trafford was never an option for Phillips.

"No, there was never any chance of me going there. You know my loyalty to Leeds, my family as well, they're all Leeds fans," Phillips said in quotes reported by several British newspapers.

"I was honoured by United wanting me, such a big team – one of the biggest teams in the world. But no, I had to stay loyal to Leeds and choose to go to the other side of Manchester."

Phillips was asked if his loyal stance was an unusual one in the modern game, to which he replied: "I don't know, it's just the way I am, the way I think and the way I'll always be.

"I want to be loyal to the people who've given me the biggest opportunity in the world. Leeds were the first team to sign me, I made sure that was one of the main things I'd do."

Phillips has gone from being the leading man at Elland Road to part of a star-studded cast at the Etihad Stadium.

At champions City, the likes of Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva and Phil Foden are battling for midfield minutes, albeit the latter two can operate further forward, while the likes of Cole Palmer and James McAtee are also aiming to make their mark.

Making the switch may represent somewhat of a gamble, especially given he will want as much game time as possible with the World Cup in Qatar on the horizon.

But for Phillips the opportunity to test himself against the elite is what motivated him to make the move.

"It's a risk and reward thing. I want to come here and prove myself against the best players in the world," Phillips added.

"I know there will be times I'm pulling my hair out because it is so difficult but that is what I wanted. At Leeds I was the guy who needed to play every game, at City that isn't the case. I need to get my head around that."

Phillips has enjoyed a good grounding for his new challenge at City having excelled under the high-octane pressing game employed by former Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa.

He spoke about the differences of working for Guardiola, a man he is excited to play for even if the City boss may only be at the club for one more season.

"At the Euros it was new to me but I did reasonably well," he said. "Everything Marcelo taught me was a lot of movement without the ball, creating space for yourself to get on the ball.

"With City, it is moving into spaces to help team-mates get on the ball or getting in position to turn on the ball and play forward all the time. 

"It was the opportunity to be coached by Pep. I couldn't turn it down. Even if Pep's only here for one more year it will hopefully be a good year."

Marseille have announced the signing of France defender Jonathan Clauss, who had previously been linked with Premier League giants Chelsea and Manchester United.

The Ligue 1 club, who appointed Igor Tudor as head coach after Jorge Sampaoli departed earlier this month, confirmed Clauss had signed a three-year deal on Wednesday.

Right-back Clauss was handed his France debut by Didier Deschamps during a friendly win over Ivory Coast in March and has appeared for the world champions four times to date.

Clauss enjoyed a fine campaign for Lens as they finished seventh in the French top flight last season, scoring five goals and adding 11 assists in 37 Ligue 1 appearances.

Only three players, including Paris Saint-Germain duo Kylian Mbappe (17) and Lionel Messi (14), teed up more goals than the 29-year-old in the competition, form that saw him linked with a switch to the Premier League and Atletico Madrid.

But in Ligue 1 he shall remain, with Marseille reportedly paying just €8million for the wing-back, who will hope to feature when France begin their World Cup campaign against Australia on November 22.

Marseille also announced the loan signing of goalkeeper Ruben Blanco from Celta Vigo, having allowed club legend Steve Mandanda to leave earlier this month.

Bruno Fernandes claims to be in the dark regarding Cristiano Ronaldo's Manchester United future, as he hit out at criticism of his own performances last season.

Ronaldo has reportedly asked to leave Old Trafford less than a year after returning from Juventus, with United having stumbled to a sixth-placed Premier League finish last term.

The 37-year-old has scored 140 Champions League goals, 15 more than his closest rival Lionel Messi, and his desire to feature in European football's premier club competition has been reported as an important motivation behind his desire to leave.

Ronaldo has yet to train with Erik ten Hag's team ahead of the new season, missing the club's tour of Asia and Australia due to family reasons. 

While United remain steadfast in their desire to keep the forward, Fernandes says any decision made by Ronaldo must be respected, but claims to know nothing of his compatriot's intentions.

"I don't know, obviously Cristiano was our top scorer last season, he added goals to us, but obviously it's not on me, it's the club that has to make the choices and Cristiano makes his own choice," Fernandes said, in comments reported by the Athletic.

"I don't know what's going on in his head, if he wants to leave, it's all news. I didn't ask him that.

"The only thing I asked Cristiano, when he didn't turn up [for pre-season training], was if everything was okay with the family. He told me what was going on, that's it and nothing more.

"We have to respect the decision of everyone. I don't know what Cristiano said to the club, to the manager, I don't know what is going on in his head, but we have to respect his space.

"From everything we know, he had some family problems, so we have to give him some space and that's it."

Ronaldo top-scored with 24 goals in all competitions for United last term, and was the only player to register more strikes than Fernandes (10), who also topped the club's assist charts with 13.

Yet the creative midfielder attracted criticism for a perceived lack of discipline on and off the ball, an assessment he rejects after caretaker boss Ralf Rangnick struggled to implement a high-pressing style.

"I don't understand that type of question of keeping the ball or whatever it is," Fernandes said.

"I keep the ball when I think I have to keep it, I try a pass when I think I have to do it. Sometimes it goes good, sometimes wrong. 

"Obviously when it goes wrong, I know that shouldn't be the one, but sometimes when you play in the number 10 position you have only a few seconds to think and control the ball and make the pass.

"I understand of course that someone has his own opinion, but when I arrived in 2020, I was losing the same amount of balls in those six months, and then the year after I lost the same amount of balls, but I scored 28 goals so people don't complain about that. 

"Last season, because I scored 'only' 10, people start complaining, but I'm okay with that, I don't worry.

"I know I always give my best, I always try to help my team-mates. They know that even when I miss the passes, I'm trying to give something to them, so I'm okay with that.

"Obviously I will have to do what the coach demands from me, and what he demands from me I will do."

United have won on all three of their pre-season outings under Ten Hag to date, and will begin their first Premier League campaign under the Dutchman at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on August 7.

Amid growing speculation in recent months, Christophe Galtier and Luis Campos' arrivals at Paris Saint-Germain this off-season could mean Neymar's departure.

The Brazilian joined PSG in 2017 for what remains a world-record €222 million fee from Barcelona, but there has been no European silverware to complement nine Ligue 1 titles over the past decade.

Lionel Messi linked up alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe last term but the team's compatibility came under examination in their dramatic Champions League exit, despite winning Ligue 1 comfortably.

TOP STORY – PSG PROPOSED NEYMAR SWAP WITH MAN CITY

PSG proposed an exchange with Manchester City which would have seen Neymar and Bernardo Silva swap clubs earlier this off-season, Le Parisien claims.

The report alleges that the English champions declined the deal, as they are unwilling to let the Portuguese midfielder go.

Relations between Neymar, who is contracted until 2017, and PSG have been slightly testy recently.

Bernardo was linked with a switch to Barcelona earlier in the off-season, having reportedly been eager to leave the club last year.

ROUND-UP

– Chelsea are concerned that target Presnel Kimpembe will decline their approach, the Standard claims. The Blues are in talks with PSG over a £50m deal for Kimpembe.

– The Sun reports that Chelsea have also entered the race to sign Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona, amid the latter's talks with Manchester United.

– Calciomercato claims that Tottenham have shown an interest in Roma's Nicolo Zaniolo although they will need to offload players to afford him.

– Spurs are not interested in signing Jesse Lingard according to Fabrizio Romano, meanwhile. Lingard, who left Manchester United recently at the conclusion of his contract, is hoping to decide on his future this week, with West Ham United believed to be his likely destination, while Nottingham Forest are also interested.

– Fabrizio Romano also claims that there is still no agreement between PSG and Inter on a deal for Martin Skriniar. Inter are not willing to sell the Slovakia international for PSG's last bid of €50m.

– Arsenal and Manchester City have agreed to a £32m deal for Ukraine international Oleksandr Zinchenko, reports Sky Sports.

– Football Insider reports that Liverpool have contacted Ajax about signing their Brazil international winger Antony.

Danny van de Beek defended Manchester United captain Harry Maguire after he was booed during a friendly against Crystal Palace, praising the England defender's "aggressive" display.

Maguire was loudly jeered before kick-off and each time he touched the ball throughout the first half at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where a crowd of 76,499 otherwise raucously backed the Red Devils.

The club skipper came in for strong criticism as United limped to sixth in the Premier League last term, conceding more league goals (57) than they had done in a single season since 1978-79 (63).

Maguire was left out of the United side after receiving a bomb threat in April, and was booed by England fans prior to a friendly against Ivory Coast in March.

The defender reacted well to the jeers in Australia, producing a strong defensive display and going close to scoring with a powerful 20-yard drive in the first half, leaving team-mate Van de Beek keen to highlight his impressive performance. 

"I heard [the boos] as well," the midfielder told Sky Sports after the win.

"I didn't know really what happened. But I think if I saw the game today, Harry was playing really well. 

"He was aggressive, he got so many balls, so that means he has a big personality.

"He has a lot of experience, so I think that's positive what he [showed], his performance today."

Goals from Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho ensured United maintained their 100 per cent winning record in their first pre-season under Erik ten Hag despite youngster Will Fish's late red card, with Van de Beek providing a sumptuous assist for Rashford's strike.

United's next pre-season outing sees them face Aston Villa in Perth on Saturday.

Erik ten Hag wished his former Ajax striker Sebastien Haller well after Borussia Dortmund's new signing was forced to leave the club's pre-season training camp due to a testicular tumour.

Haller enjoyed a stellar season under Ten Hag's management of the Eredivisie giants in 2021-22, scoring 21 league goals and netting 11 times in eight Champions League games to earn a move to Bundesliga giants Dortmund.

But Haller stepped away from his new club's pre-season training camp in Switzerland on Monday after feeling unwell during a session, with subsequent tests revealing the tumour.

The Ivory Coast international told social media followers he was focused on his recovery on Tuesday as Dortmund pledged to offer an update on his condition when possible. 

Haller began a fruitful relationship with Ten Hag when the Dutchman became Utrecht coach in 2015, the striker plundering 30 goals across two seasons under him before the duo were reunited at Ajax in 2020.

Speaking after his Manchester United side posted a 3-1 pre-season win over Crystal Palace, Ten Hag sent a message of support to Haller.

"It's horrible," he told MUTV. "I have a fantastic relationship with him.

"He's my friend, he was my striker for several years with Utrecht and Ajax, and when you hear such news it's devastating.

"My thoughts are with him, with his family, and I hope he will recover quickly."

Meanwhile, Haller's current coach Edin Terzic described the situation as "brutally difficult" as he joined Ten Hag in sending his best wishes to the striker. 

"Of course, we were shocked to hear the news yesterday," Terzic told Dortmund's media channels. "I personally heard it about half an hour before we were preparing to leave for the game [a 3-1 friendly loss to Valencia].

"It was not easy for all of us to find the switch, we tried to do it as professionally as possible, but then we didn't talk about it with the team before the game, but informed the team after the game.

"Now I ask you to understand that it is brutally difficult for us. The diagnosis is still pending. 

"Sebastien left us last night, went to Germany today for further examinations, and we are keeping our fingers crossed for Sebastien and his whole family that he will get well as soon as possible.

"First of all, it is about the human being Sebastien Haller getting well again. 

"As for the sportive issues that come with this loss, we haven't thought about those yet because we are still awaiting the diagnosis. We don't even know yet how long he will be out."