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."

Manchester United have announced the signing of highly rated 18-year-old centre-back Leny Yoro from Lille.

United are reported to have paid the French club an initial £52.2million (€62m), a fee that could rise to £58.9m (€70m).

The move, which is subject to registration, sees Yoro sign a five-year contract at Old Trafford, with the option for a further year.

"Signing for a club with the stature and ambition of Manchester United so early in my career is an incredible honour," Yoro said.

"Since my first conversations with the club, they set out a clear plan for how I can develop in Manchester as part of this exciting project and showed a lot of care for me and my family.

"I know about the history of young players at Manchester United and feel it can be the perfect place to reach my potential and achieve my ambitions, together with my new team-mates. I cannot wait to get started."

Yoro made just 46 appearances in Ligue 1, 38 as a starter, and had only a year remaining on his Lille contract, but Real Madrid were said to be keen on the exciting young defender.

So United, who have been looking to sign at least one centre-back in this transfer window, have made their move, pipping Madrid and other potential suitors.

Erik ten Hag's side have also been linked with moves for Jarrad Branthwaite and Matthijs de Ligt and could yet return to the market to further bolster their defence.

For now, United manager Ten Hag can look forward to pairing Yoro with Lisandro Martinez, who missed a large part of last season due to injury.

What will Yoro bring?

Martinez's absence impacted United's ability to play out from the back, having replaced long-standing goalkeeper David de Gea with Andre Onana in a bid to improve their build-up play.

Despite his inexperience, Yoro should be able to have an immediate impact in that regard, showing his ability on the ball last season as he completed 92.1% of his passes in Ligue 1.

Among United players to attempt multiple passes in the Premier League in 2023-24, only Martinez himself (92.2%) could top that mark.

Harry Maguire, who made more starts than any other centre-back (18) for an injury-ravaged team, trailed considerably in that metric, completing just 83.1% of his passes.

Yoro does not yet dominate physically like Maguire or Raphael Varane in a defensive sense, but he has been compared to the France World Cup winner by Lille's academy director Jean-Michel Vandamme.

Dan Ashworth, United's sporting director, said on Thursday: "He possesses every attribute needed to develop into a top-class centre-back."

Manchester United have confirmed Mason Greenwood's departure to Marseille.

Greenwood, who has not featured for United since January 2022, has joined the French club for a reported €31.6million (£26.6m).

The 22-year-old has signed a five-year deal with Marseille, who are now coached by former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.

Greenwood spent last season on loan at Getafe, scoring eight times across 33 LaLiga appearances.

The attacker was suspended by United in 2022 after he was arrested and charged with alleged assault, attempted rape and coercive control.

The case against Greenwood, who denied the allegations, was subsequently dropped.

Joshua Zirkzee feels privileged to have Dutch coaches during his first season at Manchester United, as he explained it is "special" to have Ruud van Nistelrooy offering a guiding hand.

Zirkzee joined Manchester United last week, signing for £35million (€42.5m) from Serie A club Bologna.

The 23-year-old Dutch international scored 11 league goals last season to propel Bologna into the Champions League.

And Zirkzee feels having compatriots like Erik ten Hag and, in particular, former United forward Van Nistelrooy in the coaching staff, can only be a benefit as he aims to adjust to life in the Premier League.

"Manchester United is a great, huge club so it's just an extra privilege and benefit for me," he said in an interview with the club's media channels.

"Having some Dutch people around obviously makes it a bit easier, [but] to be fair I'm an easygoing person, I'm not too difficult adapting.

"Obviously when I was younger, watching the Dutch national team, Manchester United, watching [Van Nistelrooy] play, he was one of the guys who you were pretending to be when you were out playing with friends.

"So having him out here is obviously a bit special, it's great."

Zirkzee is hoping to hit the ground running after impressing in Italy.

"Yeah, it's been a roller-coaster the past few weeks, but some very good experiences. I'm very happy to be here," Zirkzee said.

"Making a transfer to Manchester United is obviously something very positive, so yeah, I just can't wait to get started and continue what I basically did last season."

Zirkzee also offered a hint at what fans can expect to see from him.

He added: "As a young boy growing up, playing mostly with tougher, bigger guys who are older than you make you adapt, so I think that's something that you learn at a young age in Holland, especially where I grew up.

"[I'm a] creative player, good with the ball, I'm just a bit unpredictable at times."

Erik ten Hag slammed Manchester United as "by far not good enough" after their shock friendly defeat to Rosenborg on Monday.

The Red Devils suffered a late 1-0 loss at Lerkendal Stadion after Noah Holm's 93rd-minute winner.

An underwhelming performance in their first pre-season game was in stark contrast to their last outing before that, a 2-1 victory over rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final.

Rosenborg were denied by the woodwork on four separate occasions while attempting 22 shots to United's meagre five.

Ten Hag started the likes of Casemiro, Jonny Evans, Marcus Rashford, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Mason Mount, leaving the United boss somewhat furious with their efforts in Trondheim.

"The result is not secondary. We play pre-season but at Manchester United, there's a standard," said Ten Hag to MUTV after the game.

"You win games. Definitely, you don't lose games. If you can't win, don't lose the game as we did at the end, the last second of the game.

"The performance is more important. The performance was below standard."

Radek Vitek, United's 20-year-old goalkeeper, was forced into seven saves in a one-sided pre-season meeting as the only Red Devils player to impress.

"Let's say he got the opportunity from the team to make some very good saves because our performance as a team is by far not good enough," Ten Hag responded when asked about Vitek's showing.

"I have seen this is not the standard for top football. Top football, you have to achieve much higher standards. It starts with any individual, make sure you are fit.

"I know we can't be match fit in this moment, therefore, you need these games. I know we are playing an opponent who are in their league, they have a much higher fitness level.

"But still we are Man Utd and players and teams from Man Utd must perform better."

Ten Hag's only credit from the game was placed on the youngsters who came on at half-time in wholesale changes.

"They always listen, they try to transfer. We didn't succeed today," the Dutchman said of his younger players.

"But the attitude, they want to transfer the coaching play model, they are always willing to do it. But it is clear today we didn't transfer it to the pitch."

Manchester United have confirmed that defender Willy Kambwala has completed a move to Villarreal in a deal worth £9.9million. 

Kambwala, who joined United from French Ligue 2 club Sochaux in 2020, has signed a five-year deal with the La Liga side. 

United have a buy-back option for the next three years and a sizeable share of any sell-on fee.

Kambwala had 11 months left on his contract at Old Trafford but refused terms to sign a new one for the Red Devils. 

The 19-year-old made 10 Premier League appearances for the Erik ten Hag last season, with his debut coming in a 2-0 defeat to West Ham in December. 

United's decision reflects the club's policy of cashing in on academy graduates who are not going to be first-team regulars or are coming out of contract and could leave for nothing. 

Having confirmed the arrival of Joshua Zirkzee on Sunday, attention will now quickly turn to defensive reinforcements ahead of the 2024-25 season. 

The club confirmed that experienced defender Jonny Evans had signed a new one-year contract last week, but are looking to sign two new centre-backs. 

United have had two bids rejected by Everton for Jarrad Branthwaite, while they have also registered their interest in Matthijs De Ligt and Leny Yoro.