Christian Eriksen says he is in "no rush" to decide his future despite going into the final year of his contract at Manchester United.

Eriksen joined the Red Devils in 2022, making 28 appearances in the Premier League in his first season, though an injury in January 2023 put a halt to his impressive start to life at Old Trafford.

Following Kobbie Mainoo's breakout season last year, Eriksen dropped down the pecking order at United as he made just 12 starts in his 22 league appearances, scoring just once and assisting two goals.

Some reports suggest Eriksen could be heading out on loan to former club Ajax for the final year of his contract, but he insisted he is satisfied in Manchester.

"I am really happy at United," he said. "I have had two very good years and am going into my third.

"It is a special club and a special place. Also, my family is settled in Manchester, so I am in no rush.

"Obviously, I want to play as much as possible and do everything I can. But that is nothing to do with the club - it is up to you and the manager.

"But in terms of how I feel, I feel very good at United."

Harry Maguire has warned Manchester United supporters their fortunes may not change "overnight" ahead of the Red Devils' first season under the Jim Ratcliffe regime.

INEOS founder Ratcliffe assumed control of football operations when he bought a 25% stake in the club, with his part-takeover being formally ratified earlier this year.

United have since gone about constructing a new football hierarchy, appointing Dan Ashworth as sporting director and Omar Berrada as chief executive.

They were widely expected to part ways with manager Erik ten Hag after finishing eighth in the Premier League last term, but the Dutchman was instead handed a new contract after guiding them to an FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

United have spent an estimated £88million to bring in striker Joshua Zirkzee and centre-back Leny Yoro ahead of Ten Hag's third season in charge, but Maguire has warned patience will be required as they bid to return to title contention.

"I don't think we will go from finishing eighth in the league to winning all the trophies overnight," Maguire told BBC Sport.

"But I do think we are moving in the right direction now and the decisions that have been made at the top will help this club get back to where it should be."

 

Yoro's arrival has raised questions about Maguire's future, with Lisandro Martinez also hoping to play a heightened role after an injury-hit 2023-24 campaign.

Maguire was widely expected to leave Old Trafford last year but opted to fight for his place and was ultimately rewarded with regular gametime.

With Martinez, Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof all enduring disjointed seasons, Maguire managed more Premier League starts (18) and minutes (1,650) than any other United centre-back.

The Red Devils only kept four Premier League clean sheets when Maguire was involved, however, with their 58 goals conceded their most in any league campaign since 1978-79 (63).

He believes he proved his worth, saying: "There was a lot of uncertainty over my future last year but I sat down with the manager, he told me where I was at, said he believed in me and I would get chances.

"I proved last season when I got the chances I took them really well."

Benjamin Sesko remains certain that staying at RB Leipzig is the "right decision" to develop his career after turning down reported Premier League interest.

Slovenia international Sesko joined Leipzig from RB Salzburg in 2023, scoring 14 league goals last campaign, a tally bettered by only seven players in the German top flight.

That form was said to have attracted Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea to the 21-year-old, who instead signed a new five-year contract with the Bundesliga club last month.

Having committed his future to life at the Red Bull Arena, the striker believes Leipzig will provide a platform for his progression.

"I thought it through very well," Sesko said to Nogomania, a Slovenian media outlet. "I believe I made the right decision. I wanted to gain more experience, learn more, and not rush things.

"Leipzig are an excellent club that can provide what I need for the next step. Leipzig's vision is clear; everything is geared towards growth, progress, and high goals. I felt it was right to decide this way."

Sesko's new deal could see him stay with Leipzig until 2029, with Marco Rose boasting one of the world's most exciting prospects up top.

The Leipzig attacker scored from 14 of his 47 shots last season in the league, a conversion rate of 29.8% – the third-best ratio in the 2023-24 Bundesliga among players to have managed at least five goals. 

That deadly finishing in front of goal will have Rose excited once more, and Sesko says his boss was key to the decision to stay.

"We talked," Sesko explained. "He told me he wanted me to stay but also said I should decide based on my feelings.

"He said if I felt I needed to move on, I should go, but if not, I should stay. He's an excellent coach who has led many great players.

"I'm glad I decided this way. I did it before the Euro to keep a clear head and focus entirely on the championship."

Erik ten Hag has included Jadon Sancho in his 29-man squad for Manchester United's pre-season tour of the United States. 

Sancho, who spent the second half of the 2023-24 season on loan with Borussia Dortmund, played 45 minutes in United's 2-0 win over Rangers last Saturday. 

The 24-year-old made three appearances for Ten Hag last season after an argument over his performances in training saw him banished from the first-team squad. 

Sancho has since been back in training at Carrington, with the pair drawing a line under their drawn-out disagreement after holding a positive meeting earlier this month. 

United travel to America as they continue their preparations ahead of the new season where they will play three matches stateside. 

Ten Hag's side face fellow Premier League opposition Arsenal in Los Angeles on July 28, followed by fixtures against Real Betis and Liverpool. 

Andre Onana, Harry Maguire, Mason Mount, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund are among the other senior players included in the travelling squad. 

Hojlund, who scored 10 Premier League goals in his debut campaign at Old Trafford, will sport a different shirt number for the 2024-25 season. 

The Denmark international wore the number 11 last term, but will replace Anthony Martial, who left the club following the end of his contract, as United's new number nine. 

Leny Yoro is relishing the opportunity to play in the Premier League for Manchester United, a division he described as "the biggest in the world".

Yoro completed his £52million move to Old Trafford from Lille last week, signing a five-year contract with the option of a further year. 

The 18-year-old became United's second signing of the transfer window following the arrival of Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna four days prior. 

Yoro was thrust straight into Erik ten Hag's starting line-up for their 2-0 win over Rangers in their pre-season friendly on Saturday and impressed on his debut. 

The French defender had the most touches (51), completed passes (44) and completed long passes (four) of anyone in the United side and is looking forward to showcasing his talents in the Premier League. 

"Yeah, for me, this is the biggest championship in the world," Yoro said in his first interview with United. "For me, the Premier League, this is where the football fully exists.

"So the fans, the level – because the level is crazy there, there is not an easy game - and, for me, the Premier League is the biggest in the world."

Yoro had long been expected to complete a move to Real Madrid after keeping 15 clean sheets in his 32 league appearances, earning him a place in the Ligue 1 team of the year last season. 

However, the 18-year-old revealed that a conversation with six-time Premier League winner Rio Ferdinand played a pivotal role in United securing his services. 

"This is Rio Ferdinand, this is a legend in Man United, so for me this is an honour," Yoro said. "This is a big defender, a legend, so yeah, big honour for me.

"It was like two weeks ago. He called me, so first of all I was really impressed to speak with him and yeah, we spoke like 10 minutes about Man United, so he helped me a lot to make my choice.

"He spoke to me about the club, and [that] this is a historic club with a big story, and if I go there I need to fight for the club, to be ready, because this is the biggest club in the world."

United fans will be able to see Yoro in action again this Saturday when they face Arsenal in the first game of their pre-season tour of the United States. 

Ten Hag's side will also play against Real Betis and Liverpool, before turning their attentions to their Community Shield encounter with Manchester City on August 10. 

Erik ten Hag says Manchester United do not want to sell Scott McTominay, despite speculation linking the midfielder with a move away from Old Trafford.

McTominay, who has been with United since the age of five, has been the subject of interest from Galatasaray and Fulham, with the latter seeing a bid of £17million rejected.

The Scotland midfielder enjoyed his most prolific season in 2023-24 with 10 goals, before appearing for his nation at Euro 2024.

And though the Red Devils are reportedly keen to offload players, Ten Hag hopes McTominay will not be one of them.

"We have very good players, so there will always be interest from other clubs," Ten Hag said.

"When you score 10 goals in a season and also perform very well for Scotland, then there will be interest. But we want to keep him because he is a very important player for our squad.

"What he can contribute, as we saw last season once we had our sixes available, he could play in a more advanced role, and he is a highly interesting player for our team."

Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness believes Matthijs de Ligt could leave this transfer window amid rumours he could be heading to Manchester United.

De Ligt, who played under Erik ten Hag at Ajax, has been linked to a move to Old Trafford after struggling in his first two seasons at Bayern.

No formal agreement between the clubs has been reached, though reports suggest the centre-back has agreed to personal terms.

Ten Hag confirmed the club were interested in signing De Ligt, who would be their second defensive addition if he joins, after they sealed a £52million deal for Leny Yoro last week.

Bayern, meanwhile, have also bolstered their defence in the off-season by bringing in Hiroki Ito from Stuttgart, and Hoeness hinted there was a chance De Ligt could leave the Allianz Arena.

"No more players will come unless two or three players leave first," Hoeness said.

"Max Eberl and Christoph Freund know full well that no one will come unless one or two prominent players leave. The FC Bayern has no money-wasters."

"It is possible that a defender will still leave. De Ligt is Dutch, and the coach at Man Utd is Dutch.

"I would have no problem if he stayed. Personally, I would not sell [Dayot] Upamecano."

De Ligt made just 22 Bundesliga appearances for Bayern last year, starting 16, as the club finished third behind unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen and surprise package Stuttgart.

Erik ten Hag is still convinced Antony can make a success of his time with Manchester United after an underwhelming first two seasons at Old Trafford.

Antony joined United in an £85million (€100m) deal in 2022, reuniting with Ten Hag after playing under him at Ajax.

He has struggled to live up to expectations since arriving in England, only managing five goals and three assists in 54 Premier League appearances.

Ten Hag, however, has refuted suggestions he convinced United to pay over the odds for a player he knew well from his time in the Eredivisie.

The Dutchman also remains convinced the Brazilian will come good as he approaches his third season with the Red Devils.

Speaking to AD Sportwereld, Ten Hag said of the deal to sign Antony: "I don't go over the budget. I've never even had a budget.

"At United, the budgets lie with the owners and management. 

"He certainly showed potential in the first month: he scored three times in his first three games. 

"After that it became more difficult, last season was not good. But I am still convinced that he has the potential to play at this club."

Benfica president Rui Costa has said that a bid has been tabled for the services of 19-year-old midfielder Joao Neves. 

Neves, who featured in Portugal's quarter-final run at Euro 2024, has been of interest to Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Arsenal. 

The midfielder made 55 appearances in all competitions for the Eagles last season, scoring three times and helping the club lift a ninth Portuguese Super Cup. 

Neves played just 77 minutes at the European Championships in Germany, but has attracted interest for his assured midfield displays at club level. 

The 19-year-old ranked second for most successful passes in the Primeira Liga (1794), only bettered by Sporting CP defender, Goncalo Inacio (2154). 

Neves has a €120million (£101 million) release clause in his contract, with Costa saying the club are discussing a bid that was made in the last few days, and that they would even be prepared to accept an offer below that valuation.

"I never said that Joao Neves would only leave for his release clause and therefore, those claims are false," Costa said, per A Bola.

"What I can say in relation to Joao Neves is that there is an offer on the table. That has been in the news in the last days but I’m not going to say where this proposal stands.

“There is a proposal on the table which is being evaluated and is being discussed. But at this moment, Joao Neves remains a Benfica player.

"It’s not that I want to hide the ins and outs because I understand that Benfica fans want to know whether Joao will be leaving or not.

“But at this moment, there are ongoing negotiations, so please allow me to be reserved about this subject so we can take care of what will be best outcome for Benfica.”

It would mark yet another huge financial sum received by the 38-time Primeira Liga champions in recent years. 

The likes of Enzo Fernandez, Darwin Nunez, Ruben Dias and Joao Felix have all made big money moves over the past five years, bringing in an estimated €404million.

Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag believes former interim boss Ralf Rangnick was "absolutely right" about his assessment of the club during his time in charge.

Ten Hag was appointed as Rangnick's successor in 2022, with the German spending seven months in charge at Old Trafford. 

Rangnick, who led Austria to the last 16 at Euro 2024, finished in sixth with 58 points, United's worst points-total record in their Premier League history.

Ahead of the Dutchman's arrival at the club, Rangnick said Ten Hag must perform an "open-heart operation" rather than fixing "minor cosmetic things". 

Ten Hag has since won 68 of his 114 games in charge, winning two trophies in his first two seasons at the helm, which included a 13th FA Cup back in May. 

United lost a record 14 games last season, with Ten Hag making reference to Rangnick's comments he made two years ago. 

"Rangnick was absolutely right," Ten Hag said in an interview with Dutch newspaper AD Sportwereld.

"We have been working very hard on this for two years, but he said it exactly right: it is a thorough, very complex operation.

"And I knew when I started that it was going to be a tough job."

Ahead of the new season, United have undergone major changes off the pitch since Sir Jim Ratcliffe acquired a 27.7% stake in the club last December.

Omar Berrada, Dan Ashworth, Jason Wilcox and Christopher Vivell have all joined in positions at board level this year, while the club have committed £50m to improving the training ground.

United have also confirmed the arrivals of Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro in recent weeks, something Ten Hag has praised the new ownership structure for. 

“It is very good that we are also there on the front foot, we are very proactive," said Ten Hag. 

"So, (the) leadership is doing a great job in this moment and that’s how we want to act as United."

"We are highly ambitious and you have to be on the front foot and be ready for the season.

"The earlier you get your players in then (the faster) you can work on your team."

Ten Hag is expected to return to the transfer market to bolster his squad, confirming his interest in Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite and Bayern Munich's Matthijs de Ligt. 

"It remains to be seen whether De Ligt will come," said Ten Hag.

"Of course I know Matthijs well, I'm not going to deny that. I wanted to sign him two years ago, but he had already gone a long way with Bayern Munich."

The defence remains a key focus for Ten Hag, having seen his side ship 58 goals last season - the most they have conceded in the Premier League.

Manchester United claimed their first victory of pre-season with a 2-0 win over Rangers at Murrayfield.

Amad Diallo and Joe Hugill were on target for Erik ten Hag's side, who bounced back from their 1-0 defeat by Rosenborg last time out.

The Red Devils, whose starting XI included new signing Leny Yoro and the returning Jadon Sancho, went close with young striker Ethan Wheatley calling Jack Butland into action, while Diallo was narrowly off target from a free-kick.

The latter broke the deadlock four minutes before half-time, cutting inside from the right wing before flashing a shot into Butland's bottom-right corner.

Sancho shot over from close range before United doubled their lead 19 minutes from time. Maxi Oyedele provided a neat throughball for fellow substitute Hugill, who brilliantly fired home first time off the underside of the crossbar.

Andre Onana denied Ridvan Yilmaz's acrobatic effort later on to preserve a clean sheet for Ten Hag's side, who will travel to Los Angeles to face Arsenal next week.

Erik ten Hag said he has drawn a line under his public spat with Jadon Sancho ahead of the winger making his first Manchester United appearance since last August.

Sancho was named in United's starting lineup for Saturday's pre-season friendly against Rangers at Murrayfield, having spent the last 11 months in the wilderness.

Sancho spent the second half of 2023-24 on loan at Borussia Dortmund, having been frozen out by Ten Hag in the aftermath of a defeat to Arsenal last September.

The Dutchman questioned Sancho's efforts in training in a post-match interview, causing the winger to claim he had been made into a "scapegoat".

While Ten Hag had previously demanded a public apology from Sancho, he now says the incident is behind him as United prepare for his second campaign at the helm.

"We spoke well. Everyone can make a mistake. We draw a line and move on," Ten Hag told AD Sportwereld.

"This club needs good players and one thing is certain: Jadon is a very good player. I hope it will click and he will contribute to our success."

Erik ten Hag has confirmed Manchester United hold an interest in signing Matthijs de Ligt but has denied pushing for a reunion with the centre-back.

De Ligt, who played under Ten Hag at former club Ajax, has been linked with a move to Old Trafford after struggling in his first two seasons with Bayern Munich.

United sealed a £52million deal for Lille centre-back Leny Yoro this week but could still move for another defender, having had bids rejected for Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite. 

Speaking to Dutch outlet AD Sportwereld, Ten Hag confirmed De Ligt features on United's shortlist but claimed he was not the first person to suggest him as a target.

"It remains to be seen whether De Ligt will come. I know Matthijs well and I will not deny that," Ten Hag said.

"I wanted to sign him two years ago but at that time, he was already very far along to join Bayern Munich.

"Believe it or not, his name did not come from me in the process."

De Ligt only featured in 22 of Bayern's 34 Bundesliga matches last season, starting 16 times, as they finished third behind unbeaten Bayer Leverkusen and surprise package Stuttgart.

Bayern kept just two clean sheets with De Ligt involved in 2023-24, with the likes of Dayot Upamecano, Kim Min-jae and Eric Dier often edging him out for a starting spot.

Jarrad Branthwaite says he is feeling confident and ready to "keep learning" with Everton ahead of the new season, despite interest from Manchester United.

The Red Devils have seen two offers rejected for the 22-year-old defender, who is valued between £70-£80million by the Toffees.

Branthwaite made 41 appearances for Everton last term, with his impressive performances earning him the club's Players' Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season awards.

He also received his first senior England call-up and was named in Gareth Southgate's provisional Euro 2024 squad, though he was ultimately left out of the final 26.

And Branthwaite hopes he can continue building on that momentum heading into the 2024-25 campaign.

"I think for me, it's just about taking what I learned from last season, and the season before, and putting it all together," he told Everton's official website.

"I think last season, playing all the games I did, helped me put performances in and get the experience I needed. I'm going to take that into this season and keep learning.

"When you've got a good defensive record, it gives you confidence going into the new season.

"It's not just the defenders who contribute to that, it's the whole team, and it's the way the manager has us set up to give us the best possible chance to win games and to pick up as many points as we can.

"I think it'll be the same again this season. Hopefully, we can pick up a few wins early on and get the momentum going in the new season."

Everton also confirmed on Friday that The Friedkin Group will not be buying a majority stake in the club, having been granted a period of exclusivity last month. 

Erik ten Hag feels Manchester United have less strength in depth compared "with other top clubs in the Premier League".

The Dutchman's injury-hit side finished eighth in the Premier League last season; their lowest final position in the competition.

However, the Red Devils did manage to secure European football for the 2024-25 campaign after beating rivals Manchester City 2-1 in the FA Cup final.

Ten Hag was heavily linked with a departure from Old Trafford, but recently extended his stay with the club until 2026, and he acknowledges United are still a work in progress.

"Last season, we constantly had injuries to players in the same positions, all at the back. At one point, we had almost no defenders available," he told Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad.

"When we started here, United hadn't won a trophy for six years, and it really wasn't because they didn't have good managers here.

"It does say something about the composition and quality of the player group. I knew that when I started, of course, but they were players with long-term contracts.

"We were and still are in that process [of building]. If you compare our squad with other top clubs in the Premier League, we certainly have a bit less in terms of depth. That is exactly why we found it so difficult to deal with those injuries."

Ten Hag also reflected on that FA Cup final against City, a game which was widely expected to spell the end for the Dutchman had United lost.

But the 54-year-old is not concerned by his job security.

"Let's face it: you lose too many matches, it just takes strength to keep the team focused and motivated every time," he added. "The players are disappointed, the people around you are disappointed.

"There was so much going on at that stage, but I still firmly believed that we could win that final. The most important thing of all was to convey that belief to my team. I had to be careful that the entire environment did not become negative in advance.

"If United's management find someone tomorrow who they think is better, then I'll go. It's that simple. Those are the mechanisms in football that you have to respect. At a club like this, it is crystal clear: if you don't win, you have a problem."

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