Bruno Fernandes has addressed speculation Cristiano Ronaldo is seeking to leave Manchester United, saying he "doesn't believe" such a move will materialise.

Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford from Juventus last year and finished as United's highest scorer in the Premier League with 18 goals – only behind Tottenham's Son Heung-min and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in the division (both 23).

However, it was a disappointing season for United as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lost his job and Ralf Rangnick failed to steady the ship, with the club missing out on a top-four finish and Champions League football.

Recent speculation has suggested Ronaldo is unhappy with United's direction and is seeking a move, and Chelsea have reportedly shown an interest.

Fernandes does not believe a departure will follow, however, and expects to see his compatriot in United training when the pair return from holiday next week.

"From what I've talked to him – we're both on vacation still, and no-one bothers friends on holiday – I hope in four days to find him to train there. I'm not expecting more than that," he told reporters on Thursday.

"As far as I know, there's nothing more to it than that, but everyone takes care of their future. I do not believe that the club is willing to lose an asset like Cristiano."

Fernandes was then asked about the possibility of Ronaldo returning to Sporting CP, where his career began, and acknowledged he was hopeful such a move would happy in the future.

"It would be a great moment for Sporting, almost everyone expects this; I'd like that to happen," Fernandes, also a former Sporting man, added.

"He has the ambition to continue playing for many years. We will see what he will decide, I hope, when the contract with United is over, but the ambition and dream of the fans would be to see Ronaldo playing with the Sporting jersey."

Paul Pogba is seemingly closing in on a return to Juventus after the club's CEO claimed talks are progressing "very, very well".

Manchester United confirmed at the start of June that Pogba was set to leave at the end of his contract, with former club Juventus his likeliest next destination.

His United contract officially expired on Thursday, and although he has not already reached an agreement with another club, it would appear to be a formality.

Nevertheless, reports suggest Pogba will be paid significantly less than he was at United, with Juve said to be the only club taking an interest in him.

As such, Juve chief Maurizio Arrivabene seems confident a deal is likely, and the Frenchman will be considered a major signing from a "commercial" perspective.

"We are talking to him, things are evolving very, very well," he told Tuttosport. "[The idea came about] in our meetings, when names are mentioned.

"It was like that with [Dusan] Vlahovic. You open the door, throw a name and everyone looks at you like you're crazy. Then, little by little, the machine starts up and the operation is built.

"[The idea of] Pogba was born this way. His presence will also be fundamental from a commercial point of view, even if my dream is to have an Italian player who is internationally recognised, like a [Francesco] Totti, a [Alessandro] Del Piero, a [Gianluigi Buffon] Buffon."

Arrivabene also expressed regret over last year's departure of Cristiano Ronaldo, who returned to Manchester United.

Ronaldo spent three years at Juve and has been tentatively linked with a move back to Turin – Arrivabene appeared to dismiss that idea, even if he believes the club needs experienced players to guide their more promising youngsters.

"He was not fully exploited because of COVID [the pandemic], but I am convinced that Juve goes beyond every player," he said.

"125 years of history are not written by a single player; the team is more important than individuals, and here everyone has to respect the rules.

"It's not a change of course, but we need points of reference. I saw the Ronaldo effect on our young players, now players like [Nicolo] Fagioli, [Matias] Soule and [Fabio] Miretti must have players to learn from."

Manchester United have agreed a deal to sign Feyenoord left-back Tyrell Malacia, according to the Eredivisie club's director Frank Arneson.

Lyon had been linked with a move for Malacia, but United have reportedly agreed to a deal worth an initial £12.9million (€15m).

Having come through the youth system, Malacia has played 136 games for Feyenoord, making 50 appearances in all competitions last season as Arne Slot's men finished third in the Eredivisie and reached the Europa Conference League final.

Speaking to 1908NL, Arneson said all that remains is for the 22-year-old to agree personal terms with the Red Devils, revealing: "The agreement with Man United is there. We are now waiting for Tyrell.

"If Malacia says yes, then a transfer to Manchester United is imminent."

Malacia made his senior debut for the Netherlands last September and has since won a further four caps for his country.

Only two Feyenoord players made more appearances in all competitions than Malacia last term, winger Bryan Linssen (53) and midfielder Orkun Kokcu (51), with the young full-back featuring in 17 of their Europa Conference League contests.

The addition of Malacia would represent new United boss Erik ten Hag's first move to strengthen a defence which conceded 57 Premier League goals last campaign.

United returned for pre-season training this week as they build towards Ten Hag's first competitive match in charge, a Premier League trip to Brighton and Hove Albion on August 7.

Patrick Kluivert hopes Barcelona will retain his compatriot Frenkie de Jong, amid reported interest from Manchester United.

Despite his own reported intentions to stay in LaLiga, De Jong has been linked to a reunion with Erik ten Hag - his former boss at Ajax – with Barcelona attempting to break even on an €85million package.

The 25-year-old has struggled to find a role that best suits him since arriving at Camp Nou in 2019, with Sergio Busquets still starting as Barcelona's deepest midfielder.

Kluivert believes De Jong would flourish in Busquets' role but it would be hard to supplant the veteran, but despite this and Barcelona's recent financial troubles, they should try to keep him.

"I hope that they will keep him," Kluivert told Cadena Ser. "If they sell him it is clear that the club would receive a lot of money, but it is a long season and Frenkie is not just any player. I wouldn't sell him.

"Busquets is there, who has had an impressive year and it is difficult to remove him but Frenkie can play in various positions. For me, the best is the 6, but Busi's there."

The 45-year-old scored 91 times in 192 LaLiga appearances for Barcelona, while he remains an ambassador for the club and his son Shane plays in the youth setup.

Kluivert added that with the likes of Ansu Fati, Pedri and Gavi, Barcelona's future can be bright under Xavi, who he believes needs time after replacing Ronald Koeman during last season.

"They are fantastic, I know them very well, they have grown up in the club and they know the values," he said. "Ansu is a pity, for injuries this year but he scores important goals for the club. If he is at 100 per cent we are going to enjoy him at Barça. Pedri has not grown in the club but he is a player of another level.

"Xavi, he is the ideal, but you have to give him a little time. Entering how he has entered in a difficult situation, he did very well.

"I don't know if they were fair to Koeman, but they are situations that happen, and I don't know everything that happened, I can't comment. I didn't speak to Koeman when he came out."

Erik ten Hag is the latest boss Manchester United have turned to in their pursuit of success in the post-Alex Ferguson era.

David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have failed to meet expectations since Ferguson's retirement in 2013, leaving Ten Hag with a difficult challenge on his hands.

Aside from getting results right on the pitch and challenging for honours, Ten Hag also has the task of bleeding young talent into the first-team fold on a regular basis – something his predecessors have all continued to do despite their eventual failings.

The likes of Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay have capitalised on opportunities in the past decade after rising through the club's youth ranks – and United have no shortage of players who can follow suit.

Three players in particular are ones that Ten Hag should be keeping close tabs on, and they could become integral.

Facundo Pellistri

The highly rated winger has spent the past 18 months on loan in Spain with Deportivo Alaves, accumulating plenty of first-team opportunities with a total of 33 appearances across all competitions in that period, but just 11 have been as a starter.

United may feel they can provide those limited opportunities off the bench themselves and, if utilised, can expect plenty of link-up play down the right side from Pellistri – with the majority of his final-third passes during his spell with Alaves coming in that area.

No team in the top six of the Premier League last season scored fewer goals than United last term (57), with seventh-placed West Ham (60) and eighth-placed Leicester City (62) also bettering that tally.

The attacking third is an area where Ten Hag needs to find more threat and Pellistri may provide that option, albeit he failed to register a goal or an assist during his spell in Spain. He created seven chances in 753 first-team minutes last season, but none of those were converted.

With more creativity in the squad at United and better support, Pellistri should be able to improve on his direct return to register more influential moments in matches.

James Garner

Garner has helped turn Nottingham Forest from second-tier middlemen to a Premier League outfit – with a play-off victory against Huddersfield Town bringing an end to a 23-year wait for top-flight football.

In Forest's promotion-winning campaign, loanee Garner was a regular fixture in the side with 41 appearances, 36 of which were as a starter, resulting in four goals and eight assists – with only Brennan Johnson, Lewis Grabban and Philip Zinckernagel being involved in more direct goal contributions.

Seven of Garner's assists came from set-pieces, with United's overall total in 2021-22 being 10 in that regard – so Garner could play an integral part in improving that return with his deliveries from corners and free-kicks, if Bruno Fernandes can occasionally be shuffled off such duties.

Crucially for a club like United, Garner has shown he can perform under pressure given his display in the Championship play-off final against Huddersfield – where his accuracy of 88 per cent from 48 attempted passes included completions across the field.

Forest, understandably, are reportedly interested in bringing Garner back to the City Ground again next season in their bid to remain in the Premier League, but United will assess the 21-year-old in pre-season before making a final decision.

Alejandro Garnacho

Earning his senior debut for United in the Premier League clash against Chelsea in April, Garnacho's introduction to the Premier League was merely a cameo at the end of that clash.

On the final day of the season, in a 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace, Garnacho again came off the bench for an 11-minute appearance and was once more limited with his opportunity to make an impression – though that has already been done in the youth ranks.

He scored in UEFA Youth League matches against Atalanta and Young Boys. However, it was in the FA Youth Cup where Garnacho made perhaps his biggest impact, scoring in every round bar the fourth as United lifted the trophy – with a seven-goal haul in the competition including a double in the 3-1 victory against Nottingham Forest in the final.

With Jadon Sancho struggling for consistency down the left for United since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund, Garnacho could return to the first-team fold during the 2022-23 season.

Opportunities could well come in the cup competitions, including the Europa League, in what will be a frantic season due to the disruption caused by the World Cup in Qatar.

Liverpool have reportedly placed a £60million price tag on star Mohamed Salah after it became clear he is unlikely to remain with the club when his contract expires at the end of the upcoming season.

Salah arrived at Anfield in 2017 in a £36.5m move from Roma and during his time with the Reds he has become one of the best players in the world.

In his five Premier League seasons, Salah has tallied 118 goals and 50 assists in 180 games, been named PFA Players' Player of the Year twice, collected three Premier League Golden Boots and won the Puskas Award in 2018.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL LOOK TO CASH IN BEFORE SALAH WALKS FOR NOTHING

Liverpool have long since been in contract talks with the Egypt superstar, but recent developments have caused the club to investigate what they could get in return for him entering the final year of his deal.

The Mirror is reporting Liverpool have decided that £60m is the number they would be comfortable with, but it remains to be seen if there is interest from rival clubs given he could leave Anfield for nothing next year.

Meanwhile, The Sun claims Liverpool are confident they can land Borussia Dortmund's England midfielder Jude Bellingham at the end of next season.

Liverpool have already seen Sadio Mane depart for Bayern Munich.

ROUND-UP

– According to Sky Sports, West Ham are exploring a potential move for Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma, who is said to have a £40m release clause in his contract.

– Sky Sports also claim  West Ham are interested in signing Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse .

– Manchester United are hoping to sell young defender Brandon Williams for £10m, according to the Daily Mail, while The Sun claims the club have made around £100m available for Erik ten Hag to rebuild the team.

– United have declined Barcelona 's request for the Red Devils to include Harry Maguire in their bid for Netherlands midfielder Frenkie de Jong, according to The Sun.

– The Athletic say  Crystal Palace are confident they will land 22-year-old Lens midfielder Cheick Doucoure .

Although Cristiano Ronaldo's affection for Manchester United is without doubt, his return to Old Trafford has not gone as he might have planned.

Following Erik ten Hag's arrival, Ronaldo's reported concern over United's apparent lack of transfer activity has made other clubs explore possibilities to sign him.

Reports suggest that a couple of clubs have already made their interest indirectly known.

TOP STORY – CHELSEA, ROMA CIRCLING FOR RONALDO

Chelsea and Roma have expressed their interest in signing Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United, according to reports.

The Athletic has reported Chelsea, with Todd Boehly installing himself as interim sporting director after his consortium's takeover of the club, met with Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes to discuss the possibility of his transfer.

Ronaldo has a year left on his contract, and the possibility of him leaving after only one season has grown with Erik ten Hag's arrival.

Meanwhile, Retesport are reporting the Giallorossi are keen to sign the 37-year-old, with the Friedkin group looking to reunite him with former boss Jose Mourinho and build on the team's Conference League triumph.

ROUND-UP

– In the background, United are increasingly confident they will be able to land Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong for a fee of £69million (€80.2m), Goal reports.

– Also, Blues boss Thomas Tuchel has made contact with Manchester City and England forward Raheem Sterling, according to the Telegraph.

– Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain have opened talks over a deal for Neymar amid Chelsea's interest, per AS.

– Leeds United are preparing a £26million (€30.2m) bid for Club Brugge's Charles de Ketelaere, the Daily Mail reports.

Manchester United's owners must invest to make the club attractive to potential signings amid a reported battle with Brentford to sign Christian Eriksen.

That is the message from United great Gary Neville, who is frustrated with how the Glazer family run the club.

Eriksen is said to be considering a move between Brentford and United, which might seem unusual given the contrasting statures of the two clubs.

The offer from United is reported to be far more financially lucrative, but the Denmark midfielder may repay the faith shown in him by Thomas Frank, who gave him a chance to prove his fitness – and quality – a little over six months after Eriksen had collapsed on the pitch at Euro 2020 due to a heart problem.

Eriksen scored once and assisted four goals in 11 Premier League games to help Brentford maintain their top-flight status, having joined the Bees in January after being released from Inter due to Serie A rulings preventing players from featuring with a cardioverter-defibrillator fitted.

The 30-year-old also created 30 chances following his Brentford bow in February, with only Martin Odegaard (38) and Kevin De Bruyne (42) providing more opportunities in the Premier League over that period.

As Erik ten Hag looks to rebuild at United, Neville urged the Glazers to invest to make the club appealing for transfer targets again.

"That's why dividends have to stop for a period," Neville posted on Twitter in response to recent reports that Eriksen is yet to make his mind up.

"Every penny has to go back into the club until it becomes attractive again. The club has become a graveyard for players.

"Culturally for owners to take cash out of a poorly performing business is demoralising."

Jurrien Timber and Antony have also been linked to reunite with their former Ajax coach Ten Hag, but Christopher Nkunku will not be joining United after penning a contract extension with RB Leipzig.

Wayne Rooney has resigned as Derby County manager after a "rollercoaster" reign, the former Manchester United and England star said on Friday.

Rooney took his first role in management when he was appointed at Derby in November 2020, and faced a difficult challenge as the club were blighted by off-field issues.

Derby were relegated from the Championship at the end of last season after having 21 points deducted, 12 for entering administration and nine for historical financial breaches under former owner Mel Morris.

The Rams will be playing in the third tier for the first time since the 1985-86 season, yet Derby had hoped to keep Rooney.

American businessman Chris Kirchner expressed an interest in acquiring the club and was named preferred bidder by administrators in April, but he pulled out earlier in June.

Rooney, who was linked to Everton before Frank Lampard was named manager, says he has kept a close eye on Derby's ownership developments but has decided to resign.

"Over the course of the summer I have been closely following developments regarding the ownership of Derby County," Rooney said, in a statement released on the club's website.

"Today I met with the administrators to inform them of my decision that it was time for me to leave the club. In fairness to them, they tried tremendously hard to change my decision, but my mind was made up.

"My time at the club has been a rollercoaster of emotions, both highs and lows, but I have to say that I have enjoyed the challenge. Personally, I feel the club now needs to be led by someone with fresh energy and not affected by the events that have happened over the last 18 months.

"I will remember my time at Derby with great pride and affection and would like to thank all my staff, players and of course the fans for their incredible support. I will never forget you and hope to see you all again in the near future and in happier times.

"Finally, I am aware that the club still have interested parties who wish to take over the running of the club. To them I say this, Derby County is a great club with a great history and great fans. I wish you all the best and much success for the future."

Ajax head coach Alfred Schreuder believes Jurrien Timber will remain at the club amid interest from Manchester United – and hopes to keep Antony too.

Both players have been reported as transfer targets for United following their appointment of former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag, who is said to be keen to reunite with the pair.

Netherlands boss and former United manager Louis van Gaal has reportedly told defender Timber that should he move and not be an automatic first-team pick, it may affect his chances of making the squad for the World Cup.

Schreuder is optimistic the 21-year-old will stick with the Eredivisie side.

"I think this guy is very smart. He knows very well what is good for himself to develop. And I don't think he's finished at Ajax," Schreuder told ESPN.

Asked whether Timber would remain at the club, the coach added: "I hope so and I assume that."

Schreuder had a similar assessment regarding Antony as he expressed his desire to retain the winger who scored 10 goals and contributed eight assists for Ajax last season.

"It is clear that we want to keep that boy. I think he still has a contract until 2025," Schreuder added.

"I really want to work with him; he knows that, and the club knows that too."

Having finishing 15 points behind champions Real Madrid in LaLiga season, Atletico Madrid are in a bit of a rebuilding process.

While Hector Herrera, Luis Suarez and Sime Vrsaljko head for the exit, Saul Niguez and Alvaro Morata return from loans, with Belgium midfielder Axel Witsel potentially also signing on a free transfer.

Reports suggest that Atleti are also particularly keen on keeping one of Witsel's international team-mates.

TOP STORY – ATLETI TO WARD OFF CARRASCO INTEREST

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone is unwilling to let go of Yannick Carrasco amid growing interest from Premier League clubs, according to Diario AS.

Although Carrasco's contract expires in 2024, his reported release clause of €60million reportedly makes him an attractive prospect to the likes of Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

Simeone has apparently ordered the club to not field any offers for the 28-year-old, who he considers fundamental to his future plans.

Though the player is reportedly happy at the Wanda Metropolitano, offers from elsewhere could potentially play a role in any contract negotiations.

ROUND-UP

– Cristiano Ronaldo is considering a departure from Manchester United in response to a lack of recent transfer activity under Erik ten Hag, Record reports.

– Barcelona have finally made a bid for Robert Lewandowski, with an opening offer to Bayern Munich of €40m, according to the Telegraph.

– The same publication is also reporting that, with one year remaining on his contract, France international Adrien Rabiot has requested a transfer from Juventus to the Premier League.

– Milan are considering making an offer for Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, per TuttomercatoWeb.

Christopher Nkunku has signed a new deal with RB Leipzig, extending his deal with the club until 2026.

The two-year agreement for the France international comes amid recent reported transfer interest from a number of clubs, including Chelsea and Manchester United, but cements his immediate future to the Bundesliga side.

Signed from Paris Saint-Germain in 2019, Nkunku has excelled at Leipzig, and broke a club record last season for most goal contributions in a single season with a direct hand in 54 goals.

Nkunku was also a part of the Leipzig side that won the club's first ever DFB-Pokal last season.

Despite reported interest from elsewhere, Nkunku has committed his future to the German side and is targeting further honours.

"I’m pleased to continue wearing the RB Leipzig shirt. After our great achievement in winning the DFB-Pokal, it remained clear that my story here isn't over yet – we want more!" He told the club's official website.

"I was really impressed with the club's efforts to keep me, so a big thanks goes to those responsible for the trust in me and especially to [CEO] Oliver Mintzlaff, with whom I was always in close contact. 

"RB Leipzig have made a name for themselves on the international stage in recent years and have shown time and again that we can compete for titles. We want to build on that going forward and go one step further.”

Leipzig begin the new season with a DFB Supercup clash against Bayern Munich on July 30, with the new Bundesliga campaign commencing away to Stuttgart on August 6.

It is fair to say that Paul Pogba's time at Manchester United has been somewhat polarising.

The France midfielder ultimately struggled to consistently provide the football that made him such a sought-after player in Italy with Juventus, before his big-money move back to United in 2016.

Reports suggest with his contract at Old Trafford expiring at the end of the month, Pogba will be heading back to the Serie A giants to try and revive his reputation.

TOP STORY – POGBA SET FOR JUVENTUS RETURN

Paul Pogba is set have his wish granted and will return to Juventus, according to Fabrizio Romano.

With his contract expiring at Manchester United, his wage demands could only realistically be met by a select number of clubs in Europe.

Pogba had reportedly only wanted to return to Italy with the Bianconeri, where he left a four-time Serie A and two-time Coppa Italia winner in 2016.

The 29-year-old's agent will meet with Juve representatives on Thursday, with a medical to be completed at the beginning of July when his contract at Old Trafford officially ends.

ROUND-UP

– Ajax are set to make another offer for Steven Bergwijn meanwhile, with Tottenham not accepting offers below £25million (€29m), per Sky Sports.

– Barcelona boss Xavi is hopeful Ousmane Dembele will sign a new contract to ward off Chelsea interest, Goal reports.

– Goal also report that winger Antony is determined to join Manchester United from Ajax.

– Leeds United have valued Brazil international Raphinha at £65m (€75.3m) amid interest from Tottenham, Chelsea and Barcelona, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Manchester United overlooking Antonio Conte hurt Patrice Evra, who has no doubt his former Juventus boss could have turned things around at Old Trafford. 

Conte was linked with United ahead of the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last November, but Ralf Rangnick was given the nod as an interim boss with a view to changing the club from the top down as a consultant at the end of the 2021-22 season. 

Rangnick averaged 1.5 points per game and a win percentage of 42 in the Premier League – both of which were record lows in the competition for a Red Devils manager – as United failed to qualify for the Champions League. 

Conte ended up at Tottenham instead and steered them from ninth to a top-four finish, leaving Evra to wonder what might have been. 

"It hurts my heart because I think Conte, [Jurgen] Klopp, [Pep] Guardiola – all those managers are the best in the world right now and we could have had him at Manchester United," Evra told The Mirror. 

"But some people at the club, they said: 'It's not our style, it's not what we’re looking for.' 

"So let's see, now we have Erik ten Hag. Let's see what he's going to do. He has my support. But then, even if you brought a chef in, as the manager of Man United, he'd have my full support." 

Evra added: "It's a massive disappointment because he [Conte] could have done something at Man United. 

"And you can see with Tottenham, he helped them to qualify for the Champions League spot. They have the same players, so that's why this manager is a genius. 

"When I arrived at Juventus, every player told me: 'Patrice, this guy is a genius. He's addicted, he's so passionate about football. So you're going to run really hard. He's going to make you sweat.' 

"But if you look at the Tottenham fans, they are so happy because when they see the players now, win or lose, they give everything. That's the mentality of Antonio Conte. 

"That's why I say it hurts. Not because it's Tottenham – I love every team – but it's just because Conte could have done something." 

England legend John Barnes has warned Manchester United that their issues stem deeper than the squad at their disposal, as the club enters the Erik Ten Hag era.

United axed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer midway through last season and drafted in Ralf Rangnick on an interim basis until the end of the 2021-22 season – which ended with disappointment as the club failed to secure a top-four finish and Champions League football.

Ten Hag was lured to Old Trafford from Ajax to take the club into a new direction, becoming the fifth permanent managerial appointment at United since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013.

The arrival of the Dutchman comes amid further changes in the United hierarchy, with Ed Woodward departing and Richard Arnold coming in as chief executive officer.

While fans are hoping for new signings, having seen rivals Manchester City land Erling Haaland and Liverpool capture Darwin Nunez, Barnes isn't convinced that additions will solve their problems.

"I don't know whether other players coming in is going to be better because Man United have spent money and brought players in and it hasn't worked," he told Stats Perform.

"So, it's not a question of just buying players in and automatically it's going to work because you know, everybody has their problems, adjusting when a new manager comes in when new players coming in. 

"What I do know is they've spent money and they've had players. So, I don't know anything about the institution as to how an institution should be run. But what I do know is they’ve got good players. 

"If they have good players and they're not performing, I don't think you can blame the hierarchy, blame the owners for them not playing well on the pitch. 

"Because what they have on the pitch, the players they have on the pitch, the money they've spent, they shouldn't be where they are. And they shouldn't be in the turmoil that they are. 

"I think it's too easy to blame that rather than looking at the players who should take responsibility for performances."

Barnes also made it clear that Ten Hag needs to establish himself as more powerful than the players in the United squad, as Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel have done.

"Once you don't have a manager who you give the power to make decisions, you will then keep changing the manager and then the players get very complacent. Because they know they're not going to get blamed," he explained.

"I can think of the three clubs in England who don't blame the manager and who the manager is more powerful than the players, Klopp, Guardiola, Tuchel, there's not one player at those clubs who could undermine the manager.

"I suppose you could put Conte and now Arteta in that position after the decision with Aubameyang where he [Arteta] won that battle, and that has to happen at any football club to be successful.

"Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened at United for the last four or five managers. So that for me is the issue, not the manager."