Manchester United

A court on the Greek island of Syros found Manchester United star Harry Maguire guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery, according to the Guardian's Helena Smith.

Per Sky News' Martha Kelner, Maguire has been sentenced to 21 months and 10 days in prison. The sentence will, however, be suspended due to the fact it was Maguire's first offense and the charges were misdemeanors.

The Telegraph's Mike McGrath shared a statement from Maguire:

Harry Maguire statement:
“Following the hearing today, I have instructed my legal team with immediate effect to inform the courts we will be appealing.
“I remain strong and confident regarding our innocence in this matter - if anything myself, family and friends are the victims.”

— Mike McGrath (@mcgrathmike) August 25, 2020

He was alleged to have been involved in a physical altercation on Mykonos that was "said to have erupted after rival fans publicly taunted the footballer on a day of heavy drinking in a beach bar on the famous party island," per Smith.

Maguire then allegedly shoved one officer who attempted to break up the fight and attempted to bribe officers in return for his release.

Maguire was on holiday following the end of United's 2019-20 season. The Red Devils lost 2-1 to Sevilla on Aug. 16 in the semifinals of the Europa League.

The club kicks off the 2020-21 Premier League season in less than a month, opening with Crystal Palace on Sept. 19.

The England national team also has the first of two UEFA Nations League matches Sept. 5 against Iceland. The Three Lions face off with Denmark on Sept. 8.

Even with the trial ongoing, manager Gareth Southgate named Maguire to his 24-man squad.

Here is your first #ThreeLions squad of the year! 🙌

Gareth Southgate has named a 24-man squad for next month’s #NationsLeague games against Iceland and Denmark.

— England (@England) August 25, 2020

"It's clearly a decision that is not straightforward and a decision I could only take on the information I have," Southgate said of the move, per ESPN. "I've spoken to Harry and I have the insight to the story, which is very different to what is being reported.

"You can only make decisions on facts you are aware of. If the information changes down the line, I will have to review that decision."

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire was released from custody on the Greek island of Syros on Saturday after pleading not guilty to charges of violence against officials, disobedience, bodily harm, insult and attempted bribery of an official.

According to Greek newspaper Proto Thema (h/t Jamie Jackson and Helena Smith of the Guardian), Maguire's trial was postponed until Tuesday. He was allowed to go free and return to the United Kingdom if he so chose.

Maguire and two friends are alleged to have been involved in a brawl inside and outside a bar on the neighboring island of Mykonos on Thursday.

Per Jackson and Smith, Maguire's legal team said Maguire reacted to someone attacking his sister with a "sharp object."

A source told the Mykonos Voice: "When that happened and he saw his sister in such a state [he] became incensed."

The 27-year-old Maguire is a Sheffield, England, native who serves as the captain of Manchester United. He has also made 26 appearances for the English national team since 2017.

Maguire began his senior career at Sheffield United before moving on to Hull City, Wigan Athletic and Leicester City. United purchased Maguire from Leicester last year for £80 million, a world-record transfer fee for a defender.

During the 2019-20 season, Maguire played every minute in the Premier League for his club while helping them to a third-place finish and qualification for the UEFA Champions League.

Manchester United captain Harry Maguire was detained and later arrested following a brawl on the Greek island of Mykonos on Friday and will face charges from a public prosecutor, according to a police official.

George Georgiopoulos and Lefteris Papadimas of Reuters reported the local police official said Maguire struck an officer during an argument. He was one of three people detained.

"The soccer player was verbally abusive to an officer and then hit him," the police official said. "The three were resisting when brought to the Mykonos police station."

Manchester United released a statement about the situation: "The club is aware of an alleged incident involving Maguire in Mykonos last night. Contact has been made with Harry, and he is fully cooperating with the Greek authorities. At this time we will be making no further comment."

Maguire's lawyer, Konstantinos Darivas, said his client denies the charges and expects to be released Saturday, according to Jamie Jackson and Helena Smith of the Guardian.

The police official said Maguire and the two other people detained will be transported to the nearby island of Syros, with the accusations later laid out in an announcement of a case file.

Harry Maguire is one of three arrested by the Mykonos Police Dept.

Statement: 'A case file was opened against the trio for the occasional offenses of violence against officials - court officials, disobedience, bodily harm, insult and attempted bribery of an employee.'#MUFC https://t.co/uRvTFSGiwg

— BBC Sport Manchester (@BBCRMsport) August 21, 2020

According to Reuters, officers arrived at the scene after a brawl between two groups of tourists.

Maguire played every minute for United during the 38-game Premier League season after his world-record transfer for a defender from Leicester City in July 2019. He's also made 26 appearances for England's national team.

In July, Maguire told Sky Sports (via John Skilbeck of Goal) the Red Devils needed to keep making positive strides next term after finishing third in the table to earn a UEFA Champions League berth.

"As a club we expect to be in the Champions League, but the last few years have been tough," he said. "At the start of the season, the majority of people probably didn't expect us to be in the top four at the end of the season. We always had great faith in ourselves. Next season we've got to keep improving."

The Premier League announced fixtures for the 2020-21 campaign Thursday. The season kicks off Sept. 12, with Manchester United's first game set for Sept. 19 against Crystal Palace.

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford succeeded in persuading the British government to continue a voucher program that helps children from low-income families receive free meals, per ESPN FC.

I don’t even know what to say.
Just look at what we can do when we come together, THIS is England in 2020.

— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 16, 2020

🗣 to all MPs pic.twitter.com/Dc4weMvTHN

— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 16, 2020

The program was slated to halt in July when the school year ends. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an increased burden on families, however.

"About 5 million people in households with children have struggled to put food on the table each day during the coronavirus crisis, while a third of children on free school meals did not have adequate alternative options, according to estimates by the Food Foundation thinktank," the Guardian's Patrick Butler wrote.

Rashford shared a letter he had written to members of the UK parliament, recounting his family's financial hardship when he was growing up.

An Open Letter to all MPs in Parliament...#maketheUturn

Please retweet and tag your local MPs pic.twitter.com/GXuUxFJdcv

— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) June 14, 2020

"My story to get here is all-too-familiar for families in England: my mum worked full-time, earning minimum wage to make sure we always had a good evening meal on the table," he wrote. "But it was not enough. The system was not built for families like mine to succeed, regardless of how hard my mum worked."

The UK government reversed its original position and announced Tuesday the program would carry on.

"I talked to Marcus Rashford today and congratulated him on his campaign which to be honest I only became aware of very recently, today—and I thank him for what he's done," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, per the BBC. "Clearly free schools meals should generally apply in term time... but we have to understand the pressure that families are under right now."

Under the program, roughly 1.3 million students will be eligible to receive free meals this summer, based on the most recent calculation in January 2019.

Just as Manchester United fans were starting to become excited that they really were on the verge of a defining summer in the transfer market, Ed Woodward poured cold water over them.

Linked to star names include Harry Kane, Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish, and executive vice-chairman Woodward eluded to their situation on a United fans' forum, via conference call, and left the fanbase scratching their heads.

His message to supporters was pretty simple: Don't get too excited.

Here's what he had to say, per The Guardian: "Nobody should be under any illusions about the scale of challenge facing everyone in football, and it may not be 'business as usual' for any clubs, including ourselves, in the transfer market this summer.

"As ever, our priority is the success of [the] team. But we need visibility of the impact across the whole industry, including timings of the transfer window, and the wider financial picture, before we can talk about a return to normality.

"On this basis, I cannot help feeling that speculation around transfers of individual players for hundreds of millions of pounds this summer seems to ignore the realities that face the sport."

Since those words were muttered last Friday, United fans have desperately been seeking information on where their pursuit of new talent really stands.

So here, with the help of B/R sources, we take a look at some key storylines around players being linked to the club, to get an idea of how United's summer might play out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uzGsHIf_Ko

       

Jadon Sancho 

This has long been touted as one of the biggest deals of the summer, but insiders have told B/R that the idea of United spending six-figure sums on a single player is indeed unrealistic in this climate.

Borussia Dortmund placed a €120 million price tag on Sancho earlier this year, but much has changed since then.

The financial impact on every football club since the coronavirus pandemic took hold is an obvious factor, but built into that valuation of Sancho was also the fact he was expected to be one of the stars of Euro 2020 for the England national team.

With that in mind, Dortmund were willing to sell him at €120 million before the competition—with a warning the figure would rise if he did well at the Euros.

With that competition now postponed, the premium has disappeared. 

And with post-coronavirus valuations on players set to see everyone drop by "at least 15 per cent" as one source explained to B/R earlier this month, it means Sancho's price tag should be heading below the €100 million mark.

United have been determined not to set a new transfer record, which currently stands at £89 million for Paul Pogba. So signing Sancho for a figure less than €100 million—which converts to £86 million—would be seen as a good result.

B/R has been informed there is a feeling that number may yet drop further, depending on how the situation looks by the time the transfer window actually opens.

Real Madrid and Barcelona are suddenly being linked with Sancho, but insiders around Old Trafford suggest the club are not concerned about those rumours at this stage. 

United are further down the road with their pursuit and remain in the driving seat if they want to push ahead with the Sancho deal. They may just have to be slightly cautious not to annoy Dortmund with low-ball bids.

      

Harry Kane

This potential deal does not carry much weight in the current climate. One source indicated that United were more annoyed by the £200 million Kane transfer stories than they have been about any of the Sancho rumours.

There is a feeling that Spurs would sell cheaper to, say, Real Madrid, but are angling to charge more for the player to move to another Premier League club.

So while Kane is a great striker, and one United would love to have, they will not pick him up at any cost.

This deal might be one they visit further down the road when finances in the game settle down.

In the meantime, it is worth considering they might strike a deal to keep Odion Ighalo at the club.

He is keen for that to happen, and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been impressed by his attitude and impact since arriving on loan.

       

Jack Grealish

At the beginning of March, we outlined how United would prioritise Grealish along with Sancho, and that could still happen.

As part of his talk with United fans, Woodward also suggested the club is in a better situation right now than most others. He explained: "We have always believed that our commercial model gives us greater resilience than most clubs, and we are grateful for the enduring support of our commercial partners."

United, and Woodward especially, have worked tremendously hard on building commercial revenue, and this is a time to be pleased with that success. 

United are still in a good position to enter the next transfer market, when others—such as Arsenal—are perhaps having to think twice.

Grealish should be attainable if the club decide to push on to the next level of discussions. The initial interest is there, and now they will have to negotiate with Aston Villa over a £60 million valuation.

With Villa facing relegation, and the player keen to remain in the Premier League, they should be in a strong position to strike a deal if the club decide he is still a priority. 

      

Declan Rice

United have a longstanding interest in the midfielder, and links re-emerged when The Sun's Andrew Dillon reported West Ham United would be open to offers for him.

This potential deal has been slipping down the Old Trafford club's priority list, though, and the latest stance—according to sources—is that the Red Devils would not be willing to go anywhere near his £70 million valuation.

Even without the impact of a pandemic, it would be a big price tag. So during these times, it's pretty much a no-go.

      

Kai Havertz

This 20-year-old creative player is on the radar of pretty much every top European club as he ponders his next club after Bayer Leverkusen.

He has been valued by the club's hierarchy as a €100 million player, though—and this is exactly the type of speculation United and Woodward are trying to distance themselves from right now.

Leverkusen chief executive Fernando Carro insisted recently, per Sky Deutschland (h/t Goal), that "market value losses will not be reflected in the transfer fees for top players."

So there are two things to consider here. The obvious one is that United would not meet that valuation at the moment. The second is that German sources have told B/R over the past few months that they feel he might stay in Bundesliga and join one of the bigger clubs there anyway, before considering a club in another country. 

       

Jude Bellingham

It has been reported that United have competition from Dortmund to sign the 16-year-old midfielder from Birmingham City.

No decision has yet been made over which path he wants to take with his career, but Sir Alex Ferguson's involvement in talks and showing him the club's training ground has helped United's cause.

Dortmund were confident about this deal before the coronavirus break, but we must wait for the next round of talks before discovering which way the player and his family feel is best to progress. 

Listen to Dean on the B/R Football Ranks podcast. New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe here.

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This is going to be a strange summer. We don't know when the transfer window will open, when it will close or how heavily the coronavirus pandemic is going to affect the market.

There is a belief within the game that player valuations will take a hit. Many deals that were being lined up will collapse as clubs are forced to look at their finances more carefully.

Whenever the 2019/20 season ends, though, the market will reopen. And it will remain that way for a prolonged period, sources believe. We may even see a situation wherein the transfer market stays open through the opening months of next season.

With that in mind, we are taking a look at six strong transfer rumours for 2020 to judge how they might play out.

                     

Expect It to Happen: Jack Grealish to Man United

Jack Grealish recently made an "embarrassed" apology for going around a friend's house just hours after making a public plea for people to stay home during the coronavirus pandemic, but trusted sources insist the moment will not lead United to turn to other targets.

All indications from B/R insiders around the club signal that the Aston Villa captain will continue to be a priority signing when the transfer window reopens and that United will probably get their man.

There has been some talk of £80 million being the trigger figure to get him, but it's expected that the price will be closer to £60 million.

               

Looking Likely: Jadon Sancho to Man United

Borussia Dortmund are being pretty firm on the fact that they want upwards of £100 million for exciting 20-year-old forward Jadon Sancho.

Nothing formal is happening in terms of a bid from United, but they continue to touch base regularly with Sancho's representatives, and every indication is that they will push to bring him back to Manchester.

United are ready to give him the No. 7 shirt and pay him £200,000 per week to help turn them into Premier League title contenders again. Sancho wants to be competing at the top level, however, so UEFA Champions League qualification could be imperative. 

If you take the league table as it is and presume Manchester City's ban from European competition is upheld, United will take the fourth Champions League spot anyway.

                            

Negotiation Needed: Leroy Sane to Bayern Munich

Bayern Munich still want to sign Leroy Sane, according to B/R sources, and the player himself has been very keen on the prospect of moving.

In normal circumstances, this deal was expected to accelerate in April, and Bayern were confident a deal would be tied up by the end of the season.

But things have obviously changed over the past few weeks, so the precise finances that were going to be discussed are now a grey area.

Bayern will still try to sign the winger, but he might not be offered the same terms as before—which could give Manchester City one more chance to make him a new offer to stay in the Premier League.

                       

Watch Out For: Moussa Dembele to Chelsea

The Blues have been in pole position to sign Moussa Dembele, convincing Lyon to put them first when it comes to negotiating a transfer for the summer.

The message out of France is that a £60 million deal is in the offing and that all parties were ready to move forward with talks.

There will be questions on Chelsea's side about whether they could now get the player for less, but they remain keen and have a healthy transfer budget thanks to selling Eden Hazard to Real Madrid last summer.

Sources told B/R that Chelsea are also in the market for a goalkeeper, a left-back and a wide forward, so now we need to discover what their priority will be.  

                      

Still Hope: Timo Werner to Liverpool

Timo Werner is up for grabs at around £53 million and should still hold value in a market everyone is going to struggle to get a grip on.

RB Leipzig sources remain adamant that no formal bid has landed for the player, so they are working on the assumption he will remain with them. Werner is contracted until 2023, but his get-out clause does make things interesting.

Liverpool have long been viewed as his most likely landing spot, but they are not pursuing any deals as they wait to see how COVID-19 leaves the football landscape.

Despite that, this deal might still go ahead and may even be seen as good business for the German club at such an uncertain economic time.

                             

Needs a Lifeline: Dayot Upamecano to Arsenal

Arsenal have been scouting RB Leipzig centre-back Dayot Upamecano closely and know he is keen on a move to a bigger club ahead of next season.

His valuation before the enforced break was around £50 million, but it is thought that figure will drop slightly. Leipzig have been preparing to replace him, mainly because the player's contract expires in 2021, so this year would be a good time to cash in.

However, Arsenal are not looking at progressing with any deals as they want to see out the pandemic before assessing where they are at.

A new route for Upamecano out of Leipzig could be needed unless Arsenal find a smart way to make the purchase.

Listen to Dean on the B/R Football Ranks podcast. New episodes every Wednesday. Subscribe here.

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Last year, Gilberto Silva packed his things and returned to London. The former Arsenal midfielder has two children finishing their studies at an international school in the city, but he was also driven by the desire, in his own words, to be in a more central part of the football world.

Having lived in London for six years between 2002 and 2008, the move was a relatively smooth one for the Brazilian FIFA World Cup winner and has helped him adjust to the demands of his new career as a football advisor.

Now, at least twice a month, Gilberto heads to the north west to meet one of his clients, Manchester United's Fred, to catch-up and also, as he puts it, to brainstorm.

The two of them had plenty to discuss during Fred's first year at Old Trafford—and much of it more negative than they would have liked.  

Unable to make an impression for the Red Devils following his arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk in the summer of 2018, Fred became a regular target for ridicule and blame. 

Club legends such as Gary Neville and Roy Keane took aim at the 27-year-old, questioning his usefulness, while Gilberto's former Arsenal team-mate Martin Keown went even further, saying it was "almost becoming a joke" whenever the £52 million man got on the ball. 

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer compared Fred's situation with those of former South American stars Diego Forlan and Juan Sebastian Veron, whose spells at the club were not particularly regarded as successes.

It felt almost impossible for Fred to turn around his United career.

After such a turbulent debut season in the Premier League, he needed to shift the narrative quickly in order to avoid following in the footsteps of compatriots like Kleberson and Rodrigo Possebon, who struggled to shine at Old Trafford.

"He needed to show everyone that the Fred who impressed in his last season with Shakhtar was still there," Gilberto tells Bleacher Report.

Fred helped the Ukrainians reach the UEFA Champions League knockout stages, was outstanding in victories over Manchester City and Napoli, and had Pep Guardiola chasing his signature for months. Ultimately, his superb form convinced United to snatch him from the clutches of their bitter rivals and make him the fifth-most expensive footballer in their history.

It took him a while, but it finally appears the No. 17 has been able to replicate those Shakhtar displays on a consistent basis, with Fred establishing himself as one of United's standout players this campaign.

"In the beginning, I think that he struggled a bit with the physical aspect of the English game," Gilberto says. "We already expected it; other players had gone through the same, so we discussed what to do about that.

"Amongst other things, we spoke to the club on how to strengthen his build. Our intention was never to turn him into a muscular midfielder, of course, but to make sure he was better prepared. We wanted him to reach the same level that we understood had taken him to Old Trafford, the one he showcased with Shakhtar.

"That talent did not just disappear after his first campaign with United."

There seems to be little doubt that Fred has hit his stride this term; he has become a big player, with standout performances against the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City this campaign.

"I would go even further and say that this is actually an improved version of him. He's playing for one of the world's biggest clubs, with much bigger pressure and expectations," adds Gilberto.

"When he was criticised by some former players, we had a conversation about it. First of all, I told him to look into their analysis. What's their criteria? Why are they making those comments? Do they make any sense? We obviously do our own evaluation, too, every player does it—he knows if he's playing well, if he's not. He doesn't live in a bubble.

"He respects everybody's opinion and naturally takes them as lessons. He's fully aware of what he's doing, what he needs to adjust. He's now totally confident, though. I'm sure that this is the Fred fans were hoping to see at United."

Fred's confidence has always been an essential part of his make-up, but his morale hit rock bottom under Jose Mourinho.

For unknown reasons, the Portuguese boss acted as if he had never wanted the Brazil international, even though he had sent him text messages during the negotiations, luring him from City and saying that he would regularly feature alongside Paul Pogba and Nemanja Matic in United's midfield.

That promise failed to materialise, however, and the player found himself marginalised. By the end of the season, despite Mourinho's dismissal and Solskjaer's appointment in December, he remained on the sidelines.

"People ask me what changed, but we haven't done any magic here," Gilberto says. "He just needed to play more often, to start six, seven, 10 consecutive games, so he could find his balance and have everyone judge him fairly. He received some harsh criticism."

Despite his struggles, Fred was largely quiet and managed to stay away from any controversy—with one notable exception. 

When Fred welcomed a famous Brazilian football pundit, Ale Oliveira, to his home, he was unbelievably honest about United's dressing room.

At the time, he made some controversial remarks, questioning the togetherness of the team and suggesting not everyone was on the same page.

"What do United need to improve? Many things," he told Brazilian YouTube channel De Sola in January. He continued:

"We need to sort out midfield; we are missing a little creativity there. As a group, we need to improve in everything. Every group has some arguing here and there, a little vanity, most of the group have it—our team has a lot of it. We have to stop that, we have to stop talking and start running on the pitch.

"When everyone has the same objective, we start moving forward. But when one just player wants to play well and another wants to score a goal by himself, it's difficult to go forward."

Asked about those claims, Solskjaer played them down, insisting there was no problem inside the squad.

"I don't know how to interpret what he said, but I've got no issues at all, and I've got no issues with the group doing everything for each other," the Norwegian responded during a press conference in mid-February.

A smiling, cheerful figure, the man from Venda Nova, in the Greater Belo Horizonte area, is usually someone of bland quotes. He has typically canned sentences and is not exactly known for speaking his mind freely.

Despite those comments, Fred did have allies at United's Carrington training ground who helped him to pick up his form.

In his daily work, he has had the support of several people, including one of Solskjaer's right-hand men, Martyn Pert, a strength and conditioning coach who had previously travelled through South America and joined United in October.

"[Fred] struggled a bit with the language last season, but with Martyn coming in, he's fluent in Portuguese, so it's easier for them to communicate," Solksjaer said.

Though they never shared a locker room at Shakhtar, City rival Fernandinho also came to his aid after witnessing his difficult start to life in Manchester.

The 34-year-old stepped forward at his lowest moment with the sort of attitude that has unsurprisingly earned him the reputation as the stalwart of the Premier League's Brazilian community in the area. Fred has already publicly thanked his fellow countryman for his help.

---

      

Fred is used to adapting. When he arrived at Old Trafford, some even speculated that he had come to fill the No. 10 void United had been struggling with since last season.

However, the closest he ever got to being an actual playmaker was when he started making waves in Brazil as a youngster. Back then, he was represented by Roberto de Assis, Ronaldinho's brother, and even received some tips from the Brazilian superstar himself. But that was pretty much it.

"He usually played as a left-winger," Franck Henouda, the French-Algerian businessman who took him to Shakhtar, tells B/R.

Henouda has worked as the Ukrainian club's emissary in Brazil for almost two decades, having overseen throughout that time, he estimates, 17 transfers. Along with legendary Romanian coach Mircea Lucescu, he was the mastermind behind the Brazilian empire that was built in Donetsk.

He was never in doubt about Fred's potential.

"I still remember when Lucescu called me and asked for a young talented No. 8, a box-to-box-like midfielder, but not too expensive," Henouda recalls. "Back then, Fred featured in a more advanced role for Internacional. Even so, I mentioned his name to Lucescu, 'I have this boy, he's very promising, but he doesn't play in the position you want. You would have to push him further back.' He didn't see it as a problem.

"I also had two other players on my list—Corinthians' Willian Arao and Athletico Paranaense's Hernani—but after watching some videos, Lucescu decided we should go after Fred. It was a tricky negotiation.

"When we finally reached a deal with Inter, we went out for dinner, and I explained to Fred that the idea was to move him slightly backwards on the pitch. We had already successfully done that to Fernandinho, and so he was keen from the first moment. He was an immediate hit at Shakhtar.

"That's why I struggled to understand when I saw some pundits asking, 'Have United made a mistake with Fred?'

"I've known him for a long time—it was just a matter of adapting his game, the Premier League is a whole different world when compared to the Ukrainian league. But he has a strong character; he's not like some Brazilians who, at the first sign of a problem, rush back home. He's now United's most important piece—everything goes through him. He's a crack."

United fans might not go that far in their praise of Fred just yet, but opinions on the Brazilian are shifting as he keeps rising to challenges presented to him.

Despite Fred's early struggles, cutting short his spell at Old Trafford was never an option for a player nicknamed "Pastor" because of his religious posts on social media.

He has never lost faith in himself.

           

Follow Marcus on Twitter: @_marcus_alves.

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford took time to speak with Bleacher Report on Instagram Live as the football world remains at a standstill amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jadon Sancho is one of the hottest commodities in the game, with many wondering whether the Borussia Dortmund star will be on the move in the next transfer window. Goal's Charlotte Duncker and Nizaar Kinsella reported United have emerged as a favorite to land the 20-year-old.

Rashford and Sancho have played together on the England national team, and Rashford addressed the possibility of teaming up at club level as well to forge a dynamic trio including Anthony Martial.

"Obviously we'll be good," he said. "Sancho is a great player and you sort of, you know, it's like the new generation player and it's definitely exciting, to watch him become the player that is becoming so, um, you know, credit to him. Hopefully we can, we can all play together. That'll be, that'd be good.

The United forward also explained what he likes about Sancho's game: "He just plays off the cuff, you know. He's creative. He's imaginative, and I think they're the things that in this generation, that's what you need to be world class."

Rashford was also asked about a hypothetical five-a-side team of United players. He said he would rely mostly on players he watched at Old Trafford as a supporter, listing David de Gea at goalkeeper and then Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney as his outfield players.

Rashford had high praise for Bruno Fernandes, who made an immediate impact at the club after arriving in January.

"I think as a player that's like I mentioned before. He's creative and he's very forward thinking. He always wants to play the ball forward and create opportunities early. It's definitely going to be good to play with him and, you know, hopefully we can have some good times together. ...

"He's got such a positive attitude, and the vibe he brings to the team is just positive. Even when he does lose the ball or makes a mistake, he's always running, working out to win it back. I think that definitely rubs off on the other players. He's had a positive impact and, you know, hopefully he carries it on."

A back injury kept Rashford out of action before the Premier League went on hiatus, so he has yet to play with Fernandes.

Even if United strikes out in its pursuit of Sancho, the Red Devils' attack will undoubtedly be fearsome once the 22-year-old is back to full health.

Paul Ince has said Manchester United let striking sensation Erling Haaland "slip through the net" before he joined Borussia Dortmund. 

According to Charlotte Duncker of Goal, Ince said the Red Devils' failure to land the Norwegian striker in January from Red Bull Salzburg was "disappointing" because Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needs a prolific goalscorer in his squad:

"If they want to close the gap on Manchester City and Liverpool then they need a world-class striker.

"They had the chance with Haaland, the young kid who went to Dortmund, that was sad really. He is a very, very good young player who can improve and you can’t let people like that slip through the net.

"That was disappointing that they couldn’t get him. They have got to have someone in who gets 20-25 goals a season."

Solskjaer has an existing relationship with Haaland, with the 19-year-old featuring under the United boss at Molde.

However, United opted to not trigger the prodigy's €20 million (£17.7 million) release clause, per Duncker, and Haaland signed with Dortmund over the winter.

The Norway international has exceeded all expectations during his opening months in Germany. The teenager has netted 11 goals in just 10 BVB appearances in the Bundesliga and UEFA Champions League.

Solskjaer decided to stand by Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood as his forwards and introduced the mercurial Bruno Fernandes from Sporting CP in January.

Ince added he thinks Solskjaer will continue the overhaul of his squad in the summer, with United still significantly behind the Premier League's top sides:

"I think you have to get the right balance. You can’t always go too young. You need a right balance of experience and youth and there is still a long way to go to match Manchester City and Liverpool.

"They are going in the right direction and the quicker they bring in those players then the quicker that is achieved."

Before the coronavirus pandemic forced the suspension of top-flight football across Europe, United were displaying scintillating form with Fernandes at the heart of the action.

The Portuguese international has added a spark of genius to the team, providing essential leadership for Solskjaer's young guns.

United remain three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in the league, and they'll want to quickly chase down the Blues before the season concludes.

Manchester United are targeting Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Lemar and have reportedly met with his representatives. 

ESPN's Julien Laurens reported the 24-year-old is preparing to depart the capital, and the Red Devils see him as a potential addition in the summer, according to sources.

Laurens wrote of the player: "Man United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and his team will be in contact with a lot of agents and players in the weeks to come, and this is one to keep an eye on."

Lemar has remained on the fringes of Atletico's starting XI this term, often featuring off the bench for Diego Simeone.

The France international has started 11 games in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League but has come on as a substitute in 13 matches.

Lemar's ability to play in several different midfield roles should appeal to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the Norwegian intent on developing his squad.

Paul Pogba's future could dictate whether United move for Lemar. Pogba's defensive qualities are more advanced than his compatriot, but the former Monaco player would add width and creativity higher up the pitch. 

The emergence of Fred has provided United with a solid option in the centre this season, with the Brazilian developing into a valuable starter.

Solskjaer will need to decide in which position he prefers to play Bruno Fernandes, and Lemar could then be recruited to provide support for the attackers.