Lionel Messi appeared set to re-sign with Paris Saint-Germain late last year, but the situation has changed.

There have been reports that the Argentinian World Cup winner is unhappy at PSG, with links to an MLS move.

Messi is contracted until the end of this season and had initially agreed to a one-year extension to stay in the French capital.

TOP STORY – MESSI AND PSG RELATIONSHIP IRREPARABLE

L'Equipe claims Messi's relationship with PSG irreparable and he is all but certain to exit at the end of this season, with a return to Barcelona appearing increasingly likely.

Messi spent more than 20 years at Camp Nou, before Barca's financial challenges led to his departure for PSG in August 2021, with the club keen to welcome him back.

The 35-year-old was jeered by PSG fans during Sunday's 1-0 home loss to Lyon amid speculation of his departure.

ROUND-UP

– The Athletic reports signing Tottenham forward Harry Kane is Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag's "absolute priority" in the off-season. Kane is out of contract with Spurs in 2024.

– The Sun claims United are strongly considering selling under-performing winger Jadon Sancho in the off-season, with a view to using the sum generated to purchase their next forward.

– United have also held exploratory talks with Bayern Munich defender Benjamin Pavard, per The Athletic.

– Real Madrid have been linked with Chelsea's Reece James and Football Insider claims they are willing to pay £90m (£102.5m) for his services, with 31-year-old right-back Dani Carvajal struggling with injuries.

– Arsenal are plotting a move for Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins during the next transfer window, according to Fichajes.

– Talksport claims  Graham Potter has declined the opportunity to become Leicester City 's new manager, with The Mail reporting that he will wait until the off-season before taking on a new role.

Manchester United let Erik ten Hag down in the January transfer window by not signing a striker, club great Gary Neville has declared.

Defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday saw United slip to fourth in the Premier League, one point above Tottenham, who they hold a game in hand over, with a fierce scrap for a top-four finish looming before the end of the season.

United's away form has been a major issue this season, with six of their seven defeats coming on the road, and upcoming trips to face fellow European chasers Tottenham and Brighton and Hove Albion will be a cause for concern.

According to Neville, the club's failure to adequately recruit a new forward in the mid-season window, following the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, is at the root of their issues.

"He was badly let down, Erik ten Hag, in January, if you look at it. Because that Cristiano Ronaldo interview with Piers Morgan was done in November," the Sky Sports pundit said.

"He was always going to leave at the start of the World Cup. Manchester United then had six weeks before the transfer window began.

"They made a conscious decision not to give Erik ten Hag the money because they have not got the money. They made a conscious decision to tell him he was going to have to bring somebody in on loan.

"Who is going to loan Manchester United a world-class striker in January? Nobody is going to do that.

"I do not blame Wout Weghorst at all. He has done a really good job. He is a placeholder for Manchester United and Erik ten Hag, and I think he is doing absolutely everything he can do out there on the pitch.

"He is obviously not good enough to be a Manchester United striker. But they needed support in January.

"They lost Ronaldo, they lost Edinson Cavani in the summer, and Anthony Martial was injured. You cannot play without a centre-forward. To play football really well your centre-forward and your goalkeeper have to play well. It is just a rule. He does not always play well.

"So, for me, Erik ten Hag was let down badly in January by the club in the sense that they have this £900million of debt and they could not afford to bring in anyone else. That is the harsh reality of it."

Erik ten Hag believed Newcastle United "wanted to win more" than Manchester United on Sunday.

The Red Devils slipped to a second defeat in their last three Premier League games as they suffered a 2-0 loss, with second-half goals from Joe Willock and Callum Wilson at St James' Park claiming revenge for the Magpies' EFL Cup final loss to United.

United dropped to fourth in the Premier League as a result, behind Newcastle on goal difference and just one point ahead of Tottenham.

Speaking after the game, Ten Hag acknowledged his side deserved to lose, suggesting it was attitude that made the difference.

"I hate to say it but they were better today," he told Sky Sports. "Especially [their] determination, passion and desire. They wanted to win more this week, so they won.

"I think we had our opportunities, but then you have to go for goal with the determination that they did. By far, it was not good enough. We allowed them too many chances.

"You have to be hungry. You have to give everything, every game. I think our attacking game was not good enough. I don't want to focus on one person.

"It has nothing to do with one person. It was about team performance. We didn't break them. It wasn't good enough."

However, the Dutch coach was adamant United are not at risk of falling down a slippery slope, pointing to their response following a 7-0 drubbing against Liverpool as proof of their resilience.

"This is normal," he added. "In a season, you have setbacks and you have to deal with them so many times.

"After Liverpool, we came back. I don't have the concern. I believe in my team, [and] I believe they will bounce back."

Joe Willock's first goal since November and a late Callum Wilson header moved Newcastle United into the Champions League spots on Sunday as they beat top-four rivals Manchester United 2-0.

Knowing a win at St James' Park would leapfrog the Magpies above the Red Devils and into third, it appeared Newcastle's luck was out as they saw countless chances come and go.

But Willock's close-range header finally put Eddie Howe's side ahead, before Wilson nodded in Kieran Trippier's free-kick to secure a magnificent win that takes them into the Champions League places.

Erik ten Hag's men see their own top-four hopes dented as they drop to fourth, just a point above Tottenham, though they do have a game in hand over the Londoners.

A lively opening saw Wout Weghorst lash into the side netting before David de Gea made a brilliant stop to deny Alexander Isak's header and then Willock's effort from the rebound.

The visitors were on the ropes and forced to spend much of the first half defending, with Sean Longstaff sending a powerful drive whistling past the upright before Willock blazed over from close range.

Ten Hag's men survived until the interval, and Fabian Schar fired an effort from distance just wide after the break as Newcastle continued to press.

The Red Devils' resistance was finally broken in the 65th minute, Allan Saint-Maximin nodding Bruno Guimaraes' delivery back across to Willock, who headed in from close range to send the home fans into raptures.

Joelinton then saw a close-range effort tipped onto the crossbar by De Gea from a corner, but Wilson sealed the victory when he nodded home Trippier's free-kick in the 88th minute to secure three precious points in the Magpies' bid for European football.

Newcastle United are heading into a "massive month" as they bid for Champions League qualification, and their first task is EFL Cup final foes Manchester United.

Newcastle's long wait for a major trophy goes on after they were beaten 2-0 by Man United at Wembley in February.

This can still be a successful season for the Magpies, however, with a top-four finish within their hands. They could even leapfrog third-placed Man United with a win on Sunday.

Eddie Howe's side will not be short of motivation for that match at St James' Park, although it is far from the last big game they have in April.

There are another six fixtures to come before the end of the month, and Howe said: "It's a massive month. Whenever you have an intense period of games, you know those results are going to define what we do this season.

"The last two results [wins against Wolves and Nottingham Forest] put us in a really strong position and also just lifted confidence levels and morale in the squad.

"This is going to be a big week to come. It's Manchester United first, so we have to focus on that alone and learn our lessons from the cup final defeat."

The EFL Cup clash came after Erik ten Hag had described Newcastle as "annoying" in reference to their gamesmanship.

Although Howe suggested on Friday such claims had been "overblown", he confirmed Newcastle would be out to annoy their opponents.

That is certainly what Ten Hag expects as he revisited the top before this encounter, saying: "We know they delay. It's something that the referee doesn't want.

"Whey want to have tempo in the game, that is the aim of the Premier League, so they have to be consistent to let the game go."

He added: "It's a team that is really hard to beat. We are looking forward to the challenge, and the evidence is we can beat them."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Newcastle United – Alexander Isak

Isak returned injured the last time he went away on international duty in September, missing more than three months as a result. This time, the forward appears to be fit after featuring for Sweden and is coming into form, scoring six times in 10 league matches this season.

Isak has three in his last two games, with Freddie Ljungberg and Zlatan Ibrahimovic the only Swedish players to have previously netted in three in a row in the competition.

Manchester United – Marcus Rashford

Rashford, unlike Isak, did not go away on international duty, complaining of a problem ahead of linking up with England. That appeared to frustrate Gareth Southgate, but it should have him fit for this game.

It is a boost to United, with Rashford scoring more winning goals than any other player in the Premier League this season. His nine have only twice been topped by a United player in a single campaign – Cristiano Ronaldo (12 in 2007-08) and Wayne Rooney (10 in 2009-10).

MATCH PREDICTION – DRAW

Newcastle are winless in six against Man United in the Premier League, but their past two meetings – the only two under Howe – have both ended in draws.

It was goalless between the sides at Old Trafford. Although Newcastle have not kept clean sheets in consecutive games against Man United since May 1997, the visitors are without a goal in their past two league games.

The Magpies are more than capable of frustrating their opponents if they have a result to protect, too, with their matches this season spanning the third-longest period of time on average at 98 minutes and 58 seconds but seeing a ball-in-play low of 51 minutes and 41 seconds.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Newcastle - 34.3 per cent

Man United - 36.8 per cent

Draw - 28.9 per cent

Manchester United have enough goalscorers alongside star man Marcus Rashford, according to manager Erik ten Hag.

Rashford has scored 27 of United's 88 goals this season in all competitions, with Bruno Fernandes their next-highest scorer with just 10.

Anthony Martial's time on the pitch has been limited by injuries, while January acquisition Wout Weghorst has failed to prove prolific, having scored just twice since arriving at Old Trafford.

Yet, the Red Devils ended their six-year trophy drought by beating Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final in February and look on course to finish in the Premier League's top four and achieve Champions League qualification for next season.

Despite Rashford's superior contribution in the goals department in relation to his team-mates, Ten Hag feels his side carry enough of a threat to support the 25-year-old, though he did not rule out bringing in more attacking talent ahead of next season.

"I think we have players like Bruno, like Jadon Sancho, like Anthony Martial, like Scott McTominay, like Antony," Ten Hag said. "We have enough players with the capabilities to score goals, definitely.

"I work in the back [behind the scenes] on next season. But we're working now on this season, so first of all make sure everyone is available and keep improving the way of play and that's the best chance of scoring more goals."

McTominay enjoyed a brilliant international break with Scotland, scoring four goals as his national team beat Cyprus 3-0 before stunning giants Spain 2-0 at Hampden Park on Tuesday.

Considering his great form in front of goal and the fact he played as a striker for United's youth teams, McTominay could be a potential option to start up front for the Red Devils with Weghorst failing to fire since joining on loan from Burnley.

But Ten Hag feels the 26-year-old is better playing as a midfielder, while he defended Weghorst's overall impact on United.

"Scott can play in many roles," Ten Hag said.

"It's clear he has scoring capabilities for Scotland but also this season for us. He's a really good finisher, but I see him as a midfielder.

"I think I'm happy with what Wout is doing because when Wout is in the team, the team is performing better."

As his team prepare to face top-four rivals Newcastle United at St James' Park on Sunday, Ten Hag looks set to be boosted by the return of Martial after his recent injury problems.

"He's training for two weeks now," Ten Hag said. "I think he can be in the squad."

Erik ten Hag has "good hope" that star man Marcus Rashford will be available for Manchester United's vital Premier League clash with Newcastle United on Sunday.

Rashford has enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career so far, netting 27 goals in all competitions to help the Red Devils to end their six-year trophy drought by lifting the EFL Cup in February, beating Newcastle in the final.

However, Rashford was forced to withdraw from the England squad for the recent international break after picking up a knock late on in the FA Cup victory over Fulham.

With Ten Hag's men travelling to play the Magpies again on Sunday in a crucial encounter in the race for the Champions League spots, the Dutchman believes Rashford is in with a strong chance of featuring.

"I've good hope," Ten Hag told reporters at his pre-match news conference. "He trained but he had to do some treatment, he had to do some individual training. Today he joined in with the group.

"We have one more day. I have a good hope he will be available."

Rashford's impressive season comes after a disappointing 2021-22 campaign, in which he scored just five goals in all competitions as the Red Devils recorded their lowest-ever Premier League points tally.

When asked about the influence he had exerted on Rashford's much-improved form, Ten Hag pointed to the 25-year-old's enhanced mentality as well as coaching, while revealing talks were going on behind the scenes to extend the forward's deal with the club, which is set to expire at the end of next season.

"I'm not Harry Potter," Ten Hag said. "It's like a process. There are many tools you're putting in your management to let people get to [their] best form and best shape. It's about line-up, way of playing,

"Especially it's a lot about himself because he's the one and he has the skills. So when he is in the best attitude, best mentality, then he will score goals.

"It's [new contract talks] an internal process. We focus on winning games. Of course, [we are] also planning for the future so in the back we're working on that. It's about agents, it's about football director John Murtaugh. Rashy and I are focusing on performing."

Following his withdrawal from the England squad, Rashford was pictured in New York after flying out to the United States for a holiday.

Having played 44 games for United already this season, Ten Hag has no problem with the forward getting away to rest ahead of a busy end to the campaign.

"I think it's positive that he was on a break," Ten Hag added. "I think Rashford, I think with Bruno [Fernandes], he was playing the most games of the whole squad.

"Our players are playing the most games in this crazy season. They need a breather to collect energy. For me, it's positive he took that time to turn off from football.

"I have seen him back this week and he has shown a lot of energy, a lot of motivation, it was a good spirit and a lot of focus."

Erik ten Hag hailed Alex Ferguson as the defining personality in Manchester United's recent history following his induction into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

The league confirmed on Wednesday that Ferguson and his former rival Arsene Wenger are the first two inductees of 2023.

During a remarkable 27-year managerial stint at Old Trafford, Ferguson took standards to an altogether different level and he arguably remains the benchmark.

He took charge in 1986, six years before the foundation of the Premier League, and went on to win the competition 13 times – that is nine more than any other coach or manager.

United are waiting for their first Premier League title since Ferguson's retirement in 2013, and Ferguson's legacy still lauds over every manager who arrives at the club.

Ten Hag is the latest to try his luck and recognises the influence held by Ferguson, which is acting as a guide for the Dutchman as he looks to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.

"You feel it every day because he left a legacy and Manchester United is Alex Ferguson," Ten Hag told the Premier League.

"He set the highest standards, the highest values, and brought the winning attitude. He built that in the club… and that is the standard that you must face if you want to play for Manchester United or work for Manchester United.

"First of all, he knew when to rebuild and reconstruct a new team because he did it over two decades and every time he was successful. He did it with a balance of homegrown players and bringing big stars in.

"He got the best out of it, like working with Eric Cantona, working with [Ruud] van Nistelrooy, [Robin] van Persie, Wayne Rooney.

"That is huge if you are able to handle those personalities, but also to let them play as a team. That was always one of his most important qualities – that the team is always above any individual. It's difficult to construct one winning team. He did it so many times!”

Ten Hag was spotted having dinner with Ferguson in February before United played host to Barcelona in the Europa League.

At the time he spoke of how "committed" Ferguson still was to the club with his desire to help those who came after him.

Now, he is hoping to make such meetings more of a regular occurrence, such is Ferguson's wealth of experience.

"His experience is huge, so with all the knowledge he can help you with, he can," Ten Hag added.

"I'm really pleased that he wants to share his knowledge with me. It's great to talk and learn from him, and I hope we can do it more often."

Lifelong Manchester United fan Usain Bolt couldn’t help but express his gratitude to Erik Ten Hag for making the Red Devils a competitive force in world football once more.

The eight-time Olympic gold medallist was on hand at Old Trafford on Sunday when Manchester United rallied from a goal down to defeat Fulham 3-1 in their FA quarter-final match.

After the controversial match in which Fulham had Willian and Aleksander Mitrovic sent off in the 72^nd minute, Bolt caught up for the former Ajax boss, who now has United competing on all fronts this season and defeating Newcastle 2-0 to win the EFL Cup in February.

“The first thing I said to him was ‘thank you’. That’s the first thing I said and he was like ‘thanks for what?’ I was like ‘for bringing the glory days back’,” Bolt revealed to media about his conversation with Ten Hag.

“It feels good to watch Manchester now. The team is together, they’re as one. They’re working together, they’re working hard and you can see the purpose now, you can see the determination in the way they play.

“I was very happy with his progress and I can tell that he’s going to do a lot more. We have a lot more trophies in our future so I’m excited.”

As for the future, Bolt wanted to know who the boss wanted to bring in during the summer to continue transforming the club.

“I actually asked him about who we’re going to bring in in the summer and he was like ‘do you have any ideas?’. It was a nice, simple but fun conversation,” the 100 and 200m world record holder said.

Erik ten Hag saluted Manchester United's "personality and determination" after they came from behind to beat nine-man Fulham 3-1 in a fiery FA Cup quarter-final.

The Red Devils reached their record-breaking 31st semi-final, with Bruno Fernandes' brace and a Marcel Sabitzer strike cancelling out Aleksandar Mitrovic's opener at Old Trafford.

The pendulum swung firmly in United's favour as the tie descended into chaos following Chris Kavanagh's decision to award the hosts a penalty 18 minutes from time.

After consulting VAR, and red-carding Fulham boss Marco Silva for his protests, Kavanagh sent off Willian for handling Jadon Sancho's shot on the line, while Mitrovic followed for getting too physical with the official.

United fully capitalised on their numerical advantage to book a semi-final date with Brighton and Hove Albion at Wembley, where they landed the EFL Cup crown with victory over Newcastle United last month.

"We are happy with the win. We showed great character," Ten Hag said. "Every time this team comes out, they show the personality and the determination needed. Fulham are a good team, and you have to be good to overcome them.

"In possession, we could have been better. Out of possession, we were excellent. We came under pressure, gave away some set-pieces and then conceded the goal. David de Gea kept us in the game after we conceded."

Sabitzer added: "We wanted to go back to Wembley, we did it. [At] 1-0 down, it was hard and tough, but we came back and won it. We were concentrated, focused until the end. I think it was a deserved win.

"We have a great mentality. We have great players on the ball, but a great mentality and team spirit. I think you can see it on the pitch."

Meanwhile, Luke Shaw believes Kavanagh was spot on with his decisions to award the penalty, and subsequently dismiss Willian and Mitrovic.

"Obviously, I saw that moment and that action and to me straight away, I knew it was handball," he told MUTV. "I think the way he blocked it, the ball was going in, and it doesn't matter where his hands are.

"It has hit his arms, and he's stopped it. The referee made a good decision with that one. I think maybe a bit of frustration [showed for Mitrovic's red card] after they'd been so good, maybe a bit of anger that can only take a second.

"I think that happened and when they had two men sent off, it's a big mountain to climb, and thankfully we saw the game out."

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has won plenty of admirers with 13 goals and 15 assists for runaway Serie A leaders Napoli this season.

The 22-year-old Georgian joined Napoli in July 2022, penning a contract until 2027 for a for a reported fee of €10–12 million from Dinamo Batumi.

Kvaratskhelia has helped Napoli into the Champions League quarter-finals, while winning the Serie A's Player of the Month twice.

TOP STORY – PSG TO TABLE LUCRATIVE OFFER FOR NAPOLI STAR

Paris Saint-Germain are ready to go all-out and offer Khvicha Kvaratskhelia a whopping €180m deal, claims Le10Sport.

Real Madrid are also reportedly monitoring the winger's status although he has previously shown no interest in exiting Napoli. It has been claimed Napoli would not accept anything below €100m for their emerging star.

The lucrative deal is plausible given PSG hold the record for the two most expensive transfers in world football, signing Neymar for €222m in 2017 and Kylian Mbappe for €180m in 2018.

ROUND-UP

– Mundo Deportivo reports Borussia Dortmund have placed a bumper €125m (£110m) minimum price tag on midfielder Jude Bellingham as a long list of clubs chase his signature including Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester United.

– Manchester United are willing to pay the €50m (£44m) release clause in Ousmane Dembele's Barcelona contract as they look to sign the French winger, reports Fichajes. The report claims the Blaugrana may be open to that as they look to sort their financial challenges.

– Chelsea are interested in an off-season move for Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier, reports Football Insider. The report claims Blues boss Graham Potter wants a new stopper, with Meslier seen as a cheaper option if Leeds go down. Fichajes claims Chelsea are keen on Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana to take over from Kepa Arrizabalaga.

– Newcastle United have revived their interest in Bayer Leverkusen pair Moussa Diaby and Mitchel Bakker claims 90min. Arsenal have been linked with Diaby in the past, with the French winger reportedly worth €70m (£62m).

– Juventus are still pushing to sign Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante as a free agent despite reports he will re-sign with the Blues, according to Calciomercato.

– The Mirror reports Manchester United are set to hand manager Erik ten Hag a new three-year extension, despite the ongoing uncertainty around the sale of the club.

Christian Eriksen is set to return from a long-term ankle injury next month, according to Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag.

Eriksen sustained the injury after being on the wrong end of a hefty Andy Carroll tackle during United's 3-1 EFL Cup win over Reading on January 28.

The Denmark international had been expected to miss the bulk of the majority of the season, with initial hopes for an April or May return.

Ten Hag offered a positive update on the former Tottenham and Inter playmaker, who had been a central figure in their revival in the first half of the season.

"Yes, some point in April, he will be back," Ten Hag said. "He is doing really well, really good in his rehab.

"The progress is very good and we have to see how that develops in the coming weeks."

United have a busy upcoming fixture given their commitments across the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League, with nine games scheduled for April.

The Red Devils are currently third in the league in the race to clinch Champions League qualification, holding a three-point lead on fifth-placed Newcastle United.

The 31-year-old had made 29 appearances in all competitions this term for United, netting two goals with nine assists, including seven in the Premier League.

Despite not playing since January, Eriksen is still equal third with Mohamed Salah and Leandro Trossard for most league assists this term, behind Kevin De Bruyne (12) and Bukayo Saka (nine).

Bruno Fernandes (six) has the second-most Premier League assists this term for United, with Casemiro and Marcus Rashford both providing three.

Erik ten Hag is keeping his focus firmly on Manchester United's pursuit of further silverware even as he met prospective new owner Jim Ratcliffe on Friday.

Ratcliffe and his INEOS delegation arrived in Manchester for talks over a potential takeover of the club as the Glazer family looks to bring its time in charge to an end.

Ten Hag met the group but is not giving much thought to the possible change at the top, with United set to face Fulham in the FA Cup quarter-finals on Sunday.

"I just met them and shook hands but I am focused on the game," Ten Hag told a pre-match press conference. 

"We play a big game on Sunday and all our focus is on that. Others in the club are dealing with potential investors.

"My job is focus on the game so let’s talk about the game Fulham, it is a big tie so let’s get ready for that."

United have been drawn against Sevilla in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Sevilla have won the competition six times, more than any other club, prevailing in four of the last nine editions. Should United overcome them, they will face the winner of the tie between Juventus and Sporting CP, who knocked out Premier League leaders Arsenal in the last 16.

In short, United have been handed probably the most difficult route to the final.

"It is going to be tough, they are very experienced in the Europa League, won it so many times so I don’t know the team in detail but for me the most important is football and I don’t look forward to Seville," he added.

"First we have the international break and then three Premier League games so there is much time to focus on that, so definitely all the opponents who are coming to this stage of Europa League they are strong and you have to play your best football if you want to go through."

United's EFL Cup final win over Newcastle United at Wembley marked their first trophy since 2017, and Ten Hag believes that has whetted his side's appetite for more.

"We have to set a winning culture. We are Manchester United. We have to win all the games, we have to compete in all the leagues," said Ten Hag when asked about his team's mentality in the cup competitions. 

"That is the mentality. The mentality is when you go into a game you have to win it.

"Of course it [the prospect of returning to Wembley] is huge motivation. We enjoyed winning a trophy and it has to be the fuel for the next one and push for that idea and that has to bring extra energy to beat Fulham."

Manchester United great Andrew Cole expects Erik ten Hag to act decisively on Harry Maguire's future at the end of the season, having found a "brilliant" defensive duo in Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez.

Maguire has struggled for regular minutes since Ten Hag took charge last year, only making five starts during an encouraging Premier League campaign for the Red Devils.

The defender – who was named in Gareth Southgate's England squad for games against Italy and Ukraine on Thursday – has been linked with an exit after seeing Varane and Martinez establish themselves as regulars.

Ten Hag has taken several big decisions since arriving at Old Trafford – not least to allow Cristiano Ronaldo's departure – and Cole expects him to be similarly firm with Maguire.

Asked about Maguire's future, Cole told Stats Perform: "That's ultimately down to the manager. I think Manchester United for many years have really struggled to find defensive partnerships. 

"If you look at the money they've spent on centre-halves… Maguire, [Victor] Lindelof, [Eric] Bailly, obviously Varane and Martinez now.

"That's five, and if you look at the money they've spent, it's easily over £200million on centre-halves. I think now they've finally got a partnership which looks right. 

"For Maguire, it has been difficult. He struggled at the backend of last season, went to the World Cup and did well, came back and struggled at Manchester United. 

"The manager has made a decision to go with these two, Varane and Martinez, who have been absolutely brilliant."

On Ten Hag's style of management, Cole added: "With the way football is now, it's about managing people.

"You're managing and massaging egos, that's what football is about. 

"It's not like you can treat every individual the same. They're not all the same, some react to things better than others.

"From the outside looking in, it looks like he [Ten Hag] is very disciplined. The players respect him, he respects the players and he is getting the best out of them, that's what you want."

United face Real Betis in the second leg of their Europa League last-16 tie on Thursday, before a home Premier League match against Fulham on Sunday.

Erik ten Hag ruled out rotating his Manchester United squad for their Europa League second leg at Real Betis despite a testing schedule.

United head away to their LaLiga opponents on Thursday with a 4-1 advantage at the halfway point in their last-16 tie.

With a comfortable three-goal cushion and an FA Cup quarter-final with Fulham to come on Sunday, there had been suggestions Ten Hag would alter his XI.

But the Dutchman said he would name what he considers his strongest team for the clash, intending to treat the match with the respect he believes it deserves.

"It is always serious," he said. "We will play our best team. We have to put up a team that can adapt during the game.

"We know our opponent can, as they have really good players. We have to be ready to battle with them."

There is an added risk with Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, who would be suspended if they were booked in Spain. Casemiro is already banned from domestic action.

But Ten Hag said: "They will play, both. It is a very good opponent. We need to go again. We need our best players and our best team."

United will be without several of their attacking talents for the trip, however, with Antony out through illness and Alejandro Garnacho ruled out with an ankle injury sustained against Southampton.

The teenager looks set to face a prolonged absence, with Ten Hag adding: "I can't say exactly [when he will be back]. It will take weeks, it is a serious injury."

The manager remained irate over the challenge from Saints full-back Kyle Walker-Peters that sidelined his player, although he assured Garnacho will return before the end of the season.

"Once again, after Christian Eriksen, we have a serious injury after a contact," Ten Hag said. "He will be back before the end of the season. We need to get him back as soon as possible, and we hope he is ready."