Lisandro Martinez says the lure of reuniting with Erik ten Hag played a big part in his decision to join Manchester United from Ajax.

The Argentine defender has moved to Old Trafford in a £56.7million deal on a contract until June 2027, with the option of a further year.

Martinez caught the eye in the Eredivisie and Champions League with Ajax and Arsenal were reported to hold an interest in landing him, but the opportunity to play under United boss Ten Hag again was difficult to resist.

"I was with him three years at Ajax and I know his style of playing," he told the club's official website.

"With him, I improved a lot, to be honest. He's here in Manchester now, so again the opportunity was there and for sure he’s very important in my [career].

"[He's] very intense, for sure. Good football. Winning mentality, you know? That's the most important [thing].

"Every player needs to have things clear. I think he's very clear also. So I think, with him, every day you can learn and then, in the game, you can understand also fully – tactics and everything.

"How did he help me to improve? In how we can understand fully the situations, the decisions inside the pitch. He’s there in every detail."

Martinez is looking forward to making his debut, with thte Red Devils set to face Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano before kicking off the new Premier League campaign against Brighton and Hove Albion.

"Now I can feel the fire, you know? I want to train right now, with the team. For sure, we will work hard to put the club in the high levels," the new signing said.

"I will give my 100 per cent every game, in every training [session]. For sure, also the team, we will do it. We will play as a team."

An Atletico Madrid fan group has called for the club to rule out signing Cristiano Ronaldo, saying he represents "the antithesis" of the team's values.

The Manchester United forward returned to training on Tuesday, having missed the pre-season tour of Asia and Australia, and is reportedly pushing to leave due to his desire to continue playing in the Champions League.

Suitors for Ronaldo's services have not been forthcoming, however, although Atletico have been linked with bringing the former Real Madrid superstar back to the Spanish capital.

Fans have made it clear they are not keen on the idea though, with Atletico's International Union of Fan Clubs (Union Internacional de Peñas Atletico de Madrid) issuing a statement on the matter.

"In light of the possibility of signing Cristiano Ronaldo, if it is more than a simple rumour without any basis, we express our absolute rejection of his hypothetical joining of our club," the statement read.

"The aforementioned player represents the antithesis of the values that constitute the hallmarks of our Atleti, such as the effort, generosity, modesty and humility of those who want to defend our values.

"Even in the highly unlikely hypothetical case that a player in steep decline such as Cristiano Ronaldo could guarantee us a trophy, we wouldn't accept his signing.

"The sense of being a part of our Atletico feeling isn't within his reach, unfortunately for him, and as such he could never receive our affection or recognition.

"As such, we ask the club to reject his possible signing, if it has indeed been considered at any time."

The fans will likely have been pleased to have heard Atletico president Enrique Cerezo declare a move for Ronaldo was "practically impossible" on Tuesday.

Bayern Munich chief executive Oliver Kahn has admitted the Bundesliga champions "discussed" the possibility of signing Cristiano Ronaldo.

The Portugal international is widely reported to be pushing for an exit from Manchester United just one year after re-joining the club from Juventus due to his desire to continue playing in the Champions League, where he is the competitions all-time leading scorer.

Suitors for Ronaldo's services are not forthcoming, however, with Atletico Madrid stating a move was "practically impossible" despite being linked to his services – and Bayern have now also ruled out a transfer.

While the German giants have a spot in their attack to fill following Robert Lewandowski's move to Barcelona, Ronaldo is not the man they're after with Kahn saying he "doesn't fit" the club's ethos.

"We discussed this topic. otherwise we wouldn't be doing our job properly," the former goalkeeper told BILD.

"Personally, I think Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the greatest-ever footballers. 

"But we came to the conclusion that, despite the esteem that we hold him in, he wouldn't have fitted our philosophy at the moment."

Ronaldo returned to training with United on Tuesday having missed the club's pre-season tour of Asia and Australia due to family reasons and it's reported he will hold talks with the club regarding his future.

The veteran forward was a shining light for United in an otherwise disappointing campaign in the 2021-22 season, finishing as the club's highest Premier League scorer with 18 goals - with only Tottenham's Son Heung-Min and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah netting more (both 23).

Manchester United have confirmed the signing of Ajax defender Lisandro Martinez in a reported €57million (£48m) deal.

An agreement on the fee was reached between the clubs on July 17, and the player has now signed a five-year-deal, with the option of a further year.

The 24-year-old follows former coach Erik ten Hag to Old Trafford in a move that is thought could potentially rise to €67m (£56.5m) with add-ons.

Martinez's arrival marks the latest building block of the Dutchman's restructuring of the English giants, who posted a worst-ever points total in the Premier League era last term (58).

They also conceded the most goals they ever have in a Premier League campaign (57), something Ten Hag will hope the Argentina international can help improve.

Speaking to the club's official website following the announcement, Martinez said: "It's an honour to join this great football club. I've worked so hard to get to this moment and, now that I'm here, I'm going to push myself even further.

"I've been lucky enough to be part of successful teams in my career and that's what I want to continue at Manchester United. There will be a lot of work to get to that moment, but I firmly believe that, under this manager and coaches, and together with my new team-mates, we can do it.

"I want to thank Ajax and their fans for all the support they gave me. I had an unbelievable time there but feel the moment is right to test myself in another environment. Now I am at the perfect club to do this."

Martinez follows Tyrell Malacia and Christian Eriksen through the door at Old Trafford, while Ten Hag has also held crunch talks with wantaway forward Cristiano Ronaldo.

The tense Frenkie de Jong transfer saga continues with uncertainty on his Barcelona future.

The 25-year-old Dutchman has two years to run on his Barcelona contract, having postponed part of his deal during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

De Jong is unwilling to accept another pay cut to remain at Camp Nou, though, amid the club's hefty off-season transfer spending.

TOP STORY – DE JONG DECISION OVER ENGLISH SUITORS

Decisions will be made on Frenkie de Jong's future at Barcelona after their United States tour, with interest from Chelsea alongside Manchester United, reports Sport.

De Jong is reluctant to leave Camp Nou, particularly for a move to Old Trafford, despite ending last season out of favour.

However, the Dutchman is more open to Chelsea's advances, but the Blues are unwilling to pay as much as United, leaving the Blaugrana in a bind.

ROUND-UP

– Leicester City have placed a £70million asking price on Wesley Fofana, who is being courted by Chelsea, reports CBS Sports.

– Newcastle United are considering a move for Chelsea's Germany international forward Timo Werner, claims Bild. Juventus are also interested in Werner according to Sky Sports.

– Fabrizio Romano reports that ex-Chelsea midfielder Oscar is pushing for a move from Shanghai SIPG to Flamengo, with talks ongoing.

– L'Equipe believes that Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel has agreed to a deal with Ligue 1 club Nice, although Leicester City are yet to approve the move.

– Arsenal and Fulham are in talks over an £8m deal for goalkeeper Bernd Leno, claims Sky Sports.

– Roma head coach Jose Mourinho is trying to woo Manchester United defender Eric Bailly to the Italian capital, reports The Daily Mail.

Cristiano Ronaldo joining Atletico Madrid from Manchester United is "practically impossible", according to the Spanish club's president Enrique Cerezo. 

Rumours have persisted for the entirety of the transfer window that the former Real Madrid man wants out of Old Trafford after just one season back in Manchester, with the Red Devils having failed to qualify for the 2022-23 Champions League. 

Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo, 37, has been linked with a host of top European clubs, including Chelsea and Bayern Munich, while more recent reports speculated that he could make a switch to Atletico. 

But that looks to have been put to bed by Cerezo, who told COPE: "I don't know who invented this story about Cristiano Ronaldo to Atletico Madrid. 

"It's definitely not true. It is practically impossible for him to come to Atletico Madrid." 

Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes were at United's training ground on Tuesday for crunch talks over his future. 

Atletico will face off against United in a pre-season friendly on Saturday as they build up to the 2022-23 season. 

Christian Eriksen revealed Erik ten Hag's brand of football was a major factor behind his desire to join Manchester United, as he targets World Cup duty with Denmark.

Eriksen arrived at United on a three-year deal this month, having impressed during a short-term spell at Brentford as he made his comeback from suffering a cardiac arrest at the European Championship in June of last year.

Several sides expressed an interest in the midfielder – including his old club Tottenham – but Eriksen decided to link up with another former Ajax favourite in new United boss Ten Hag.

United have impressed in pre-season as Ten Hag bids to implement a more proactive style of play at Old Trafford, and the playmaker is relishing the prospect of turning out for the Dutchman's new-look team.

Asked how influential Ten Hag was in his decision to join United, Eriksen told the club's website: "Very. I want to come here to play football, I didn't come just for the logo itself.

"To speak with the manager, and hear his ideas and have conversations with him on football terms, was great for me to get the decision of coming to Manchester United.

"I think, with the idea of the manager coming in and the ideas he had, and also with my conversations with him, I could see myself playing football in Manchester.

"I think my style of play hopefully fits in his ideas, and it's hopefully something that will connect in a good and positive way. So of course, this style of football, I think it suits me.

"At the same time, it's a very, very big club – if not the biggest. It has a big history, and it's a nice feeling to be part of something that is that big in history.

"The only aim is to go as high as possible and see where it takes us, the aim is definitely to win something."

Eriksen scored one goal and added four assists in 11 Premier League appearances for Brentford, creating 30 chances after making his Bees debut in March, a tally bettered only by Martin Odegaard (38) and Kevin De Bruyne (42) throughout the division.

Meanwhile, since Eriksen made his Premier League bow for Tottenham in September 2013, only De Bruyne (85) has racked up more than his 66 assists in the competition – despite the Dane spending 18 months at Inter and a further half-season out of the game.

Having left Spurs for the Serie A giants in January 2020, Eriksen doubted whether he would return to the Premier League, but he remains grateful for Brentford's role in his comeback.

He said: "I think from my career path, before my incident in the Euros, I wasn't planning to go back to the UK at all. To sit here is definitely something I didn't expect.

"Back then, I wanted to try something new and left Spurs after more than seven years. I went to Italy and it started off tough but ended up being a very, very good place."

Asked about his time with Thomas Frank's Bees, Eriksen added: "I'm forever grateful for what they did. They showed they cared from day one, for wanting me back and being able to give me the stage to perform."

Eriksen also made an emotional return to international football in March, scoring with his first touch in Denmark's defeat to the Netherlands.

With Kasper Hjulmand's team preparing for a World Cup campaign in Qatar later this year, Eriksen says featuring at the tournament for a third time remains an ambition.

"From when I did my rehab last year, that was the aim. The dream was obviously to be back and in condition to go to the World Cup if I could," Eriksen said. "It's something I think we all dream about, playing in the World Cup. It's something that you keep with you forever."

Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at Manchester United's training ground on Tuesday as the superstar forward looked to resolve his future.

The 37-year-old was accompanied by his agent, Jorge Mendes, and it was anticipated there would be talks with new manager Erik ten Hag.

Former United boss Alex Ferguson was also seen arriving at the Carrington training HQ, Sky Sports News said, and it was not immediately clear if the Scot's appearance was connected to Ronaldo's presence.

Ferguson has been one of the most influential figures in Ronaldo's career, signing him from Sporting CP in 2003 and nurturing his talent until Real Madrid prised the Portuguese away six years later.

Ronaldo missed United's tour of Thailand and Australia and, as of Tuesday morning, had yet to take part in any pre-season team training sessions, with that being put down to family reasons.

He is thought to have asked for a move away from Old Trafford and has been training in Portugal.

United cannot offer Ronaldo the prospect of Champions League football in the season ahead after last term's disappointing sixth-place finish in the Premier League.

That has been portrayed as a key reason for Ronaldo considering a future away from United, less than a year after he began a second spell with the Red Devils.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner called time on his Juventus career to rejoin United, who were then under the leadership of his former team-mate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Now former Ajax boss Ten Hag is at the helm and has made it clear he wants Ronaldo to stay at the club.

Ronaldo scored 18 Premier League goals last season – only Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min (both 23) netted more. He scored 24 goals in all competitions to finish as United's leading scorer, with 14 more than next-best Bruno Fernandes. No other United player reached double figures.

Ten Hag said last week that Ronaldo figured firmly in his plans.

"It is clear – he is not for sale," Ten Hag said while in Australia. "I planned with having him and I am looking forward to working with him. I am well-informed he also has an option [for a further season]."

United have just two more friendlies to go, against Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano next weekend, before kicking off their Premier League campaign on August 7.

Atletico have been among the teams linked with a possible move for Ronaldo, who reportedly turned down a lucrative offer to join an unnamed team in Saudi Arabia.

Manchester United midfielder Fred believes Erik ten Hag is "building something great" at Old Trafford, as the Brazilian targets a "flying" start to the upcoming Premier League campaign.

United won each of their first three friendlies under Ten Hag before ending their tour of Asia and Australia with a 2-2 draw against Aston Villa.

Having recorded their worst ever Premier League points tally (58) and defensive record (57 goals conceded) last term, results appear to be looking up for the Red Devils, for whom a 4-0 thrashing of Liverpool represents the high point of pre-season to date.

Fred has started all four friendlies as Ten Hag looks to implement a positive style of play at Old Trafford, and was effusive in his praise of the team's off-season work.

"I believe the team spirit is getting stronger," the Brazilian told the club's website. "We're working hard this pre-season so we can be flying when the league starts, that's the priority.

"We're building something great here, I hope it all works out over the season.

"Of course, there's a lot of quality with the young players, they've been impressing the manager as well.

"They've been great in training and in matches during this pre-season. I hope they can help us, the older players look to help them to settle into the team as well. Hopefully they can do great things with us in the future."

Only six United players – among them Cristiano Ronaldo, David de Gea and Harry Maguire – played more Premier League minutes than Fred last term (2,035 across 28 games), and the 29-year-old also recorded his best ever goals and assists tallies (both four) in the competition.

But Fred says he is content with playing the role of "piano carrier" next term – a common Brazilian phrase for those who allow others to thrive through their defensive work.

"Last season, I played a bit further forward under Ralf [Rangnick], he gave me a bit more freedom to get in the box to score and assist," Fred added.

"We'll see what Erik asks of me now, he may want me more in the build-up of play.

"As I just said, regardless of scoring, I want to help my team-mates. I want to carry the piano on the pitch for them to score and help the team.

"The most important thing is that we achieve our goals to take us as far as possible."

Leicester City are yet to receive any offers for Youri Tielemans despite reported interest from Manchester United and Arsenal, according to club chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.

Belgium international Tielemans has been linked with a move away from the King Power Stadium after entering the final 12 months of his contract with Leicester, for whom he made 32 Premier League appearances last term.

The midfielder has recorded 120 league outings for the Foxes since joining – initially on loan – in January 2019, a tally only bettered by goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel (127) during that time.

Meanwhile, only Harvey Barnes (24) and James Maddison (19) have bettered Tielemans' 18 league assists for the side since his arrival from Monaco, and only four Leicester players have managed more than his 18 league goals.

Tielemans' creativity has seen him linked with Arsenal and Manchester United, the latter as a potential alternative to Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong, but Srivaddhanaprabha says Leicester are yet to receive any concrete proposals.

"It's nothing. There haven't been any offers yet. There hasn't been anything concrete or a proposition yet," he said at the launch of an artificial pitch in Thailand.

Meanwhile, having finished an underwhelming 2021-22 Premier League season in eighth position, Brendan Rodgers' side are yet to sign a single player during the transfer window.

But Srivaddhanaprabha pledged reinforcements will arrive in due course, adding: "Premier League football is one of the focal points for the King Power Group. You may see that the reinforcement is quite slow, this is because the market is changing quite quickly. You have to wait until the end of August. I think there is still time." 

Cristiano Ronaldo is travelling back to England to hold talks with Manchester United over his future, according to a report.

Ronaldo missed United's tour of Thailand and Australia and has yet to take part in any pre-season training sessions, with that being put down to family reasons.

The 37-year-old, who is said to have asked for a move away from Old Trafford, has instead been training in Portugal.

With United back at their Carrington training base this week after returning from Australia, The Athletic has reported that Ronaldo is due to fly into England on Monday.

It is not known if the five-time Ballon d'Or winner will take part in training on Tuesday, but United are said to consider the latest development a positive one.

The ongoing speculation over Ronaldo's future comes less than a year after he returned to the club from Juventus.

Ronaldo scored 18 Premier League goals last season – only Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min (both 23) netted more – but United still finished in sixth with their lowest ever points tally in the competition.

He scored 24 goals in all competitions in 2021-22, which is 14 more than next-best Bruno Fernandes. No other United player reached double figures in a dire season.

Ronaldo has yet to link up with Erik ten Hag, but United's new head coach reiterated this week that the former Real Madrid star is part of his plans for this season and possibly beyond.

"It is clear – he is not for sale," Ten Hag told reporters on United's pre-season tour of Australia. "I planned with having him and I am looking forward to working with him.

"I am well-informed he also has an option [for a further season]."

United have just two more friendlies to go, against Atletico Madrid and Rayo Vallecano next weekend, before kicking off their Premier League campaign on August 7.

Manchester United may be scouring the market for a striker as speculation persists around Cristiano Ronaldo's future, but Salzburg's Benjamin Sesko would come at a heavy price – at least as far as the Austrians' Twitter admin is concerned.

United's tally of just 57 Premier League goals last season was their lowest since they netted 54 times in 2016-17, and Ronaldo's apparent desire to leave for a Champions League club has intensified rumours the Red Devils may seek a new forward.

Salzburg's Sesko is the latest to be linked with a move to Old Trafford, with the 19-year-old having scored 11 goals for the Austrian champions in all competitions last season.

But Salzburg appear to be driving a hard bargain, according to their English-language Twitter account, which addressed the rumours with the demand: "We want 300million and Bruno [Fernandes]", alongside a thumbs-up emoji.

United are not the only side credited with an interest in the striker, with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund also linked.

Needless to say, if Sesko did command such a fee, United supporters would be justified in expecting him to deliver more than Europa League qualification next season.

Gary Neville believes that Frenkie de Jong should "consider legal action" against Barcelona.

The Netherlands international is a target for Manchester United, who have reportedly agreed a fee with Barca for the former Ajax midfielder.

However, De Jong is supposedly keen to remain at Barca, while it has also been claimed the Spanish club owe the 25-year-old €20million in wages.

That is after De Jong deferred his wages in order to help Barca deal with their financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet in spite of their financial issues, Barca have brought in a number of big-money signings this transfer window, including Robert Lewandowski from Bayern Munich and Raphinha from Leeds United.

And United great Neville believes that De Jong should consider taking Barcelona to court over their failure to pay him the wages he deferred to help out the club.

He tweeted: "De Jong should consider legal action v Barcelona and all players should be behind him!

"A club spending fortunes on new players whilst not paying the ones they have under contract their full money is immoral and a breach."

He also called upon FIFPRO, the representative organisation for professional footballers, to take action against what Neville calls "bullying."

Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim has cooled talk of Cristiano Ronaldo returning to his boyhood club and stated the priority is retaining the likes of Matheus Nunes.

Portugal superstar Ronaldo is reportedly keen on leaving Manchester United just a year after returning to Old Trafford from Juventus, with Champions League football a priority for the competition's all-time leading scorer.

Suitors for Ronaldo's services are few and far between, but Sporting have been touted as a potential destination and a return to Madrid has also been speculated, though this time with Atletico.

Such a move for Sporting would mark a spectacular homecoming for their youth graduate, who has become one of the greatest players of all-time, but Amorim has poured cold water on the speculation.

"I've heard that [Ronaldo rumours]. I don't read anything, I don't see anything," he said after a penalty shoot-out defeat in Sunday's friendly against Sevilla.

"For me the reality is different, it's keeping my players."

Nunes is among those that Sporting face a battle to retain, with the 23-year-old linked with the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea, but Amorim revealed the midfielder has rejected proposals from other clubs in the current window.

"I'm glad Matheus Nunes is still here. I'm glad Sporting players, like Nunes, reject offers that [would] change their lives to remain at Sporting," he added.

"That's my reality. I'm very happy with my squad and my players are the best in the world."

Despite winning LaLiga and the Champions League last season, Real Madrid want to secure a bright future to follow their trophy-laden present.

Having confirmed the signings of Aurelien Tchouameni and Antonio Rudiger this off-season, Madrid managed to bolster their squad in two areas of the pitch.

Meanwhile, they are on the verge of securing the long-term futures of three foundational pieces in those successes last term.

TOP STORY – REAL MADRID TO SECURE BRAZILIAN TRIO

Real Madrid are all but set to confirm renewed contracts for their Brazilian trio of Eder Militao, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Despite tricky initiations for each, all three have now established themselves as vital players under Carlo Ancelotti, as evidenced by their new release clauses.

Militao and Rodrygo have reportedly extended to June 2028, with respective €500million and €1billion release clauses.

After a breakout season, culminating with his goal in May's Champions League final, Vinicius will reportedly extend to June 2027, along with a €1bn release clause.

ROUND-UP

– Manchester United are now considering a move for Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic as an alternative to Frenkie de Jong, Calciomercato is reporting.

– Juventus have made a €23m (£19.5m) move for Liverpool's Roberto Firmino as they finalise the termination of Aaron Ramsey's contract, according to Tuttomercatoweb.

– Jules Kounde's departure from Sevilla appears likelier with the defender close to agreeing personal terms with Barcelona, per Fabrizio Romano.

– Arsenal have confirmed their interest in Lucas Paqueta but are yet to make Lyon an offer, The Times has reported.