Manchester United

Manchester City has reportedly pulled out of the race to land superstar striker Cristiano Ronaldo in a transfer from Juventus.

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, Manchester City has made it clear that it is no longer in on Ronaldo, and it never agreed to terms with Ronaldo or on a transfer fee with Juventus.

Romano also reported that Premier League rival Manchester United is now preparing an offer for Ronaldo, and the club is "confident" it will be able to land him.

News of Manchester City dropping out and Manchester United swooping in comes one day after Goncalo Lopes of the Daily Mail reported that Man City and Juventus had come to terms on an agreement involving Ronaldo.

It was also reported by Gianluca Di Marzio of Sky Sports Italy on Thursday that Ronaldo was hoping to be moved by Juventus prior to Tuesday's transfer deadline:

🔹 Man City want to sign Cristiano Ronaldo for free
🔹 Juventus asking for around €25m
🔹 Ronaldo keen to leave Juventus before deadline
🔹 No other club in position to make the move @DiMarzio has the latest from Italy on Cristiano Ronaldo's futurepic.twitter.com/vJH4cywe1E

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 26, 2021

Di Marzio mentioned Manchester City as the only club positioned to secure Ronaldo, but he noted that Man City wanted to get Ronaldo for free, while Juventus was asking for a €25 million transfer fee.

Rumors of a Ronaldo transfer heated up Sunday when he came off the bench in the 60th minute of Juventus' 2-2 draw with Udinese rather than starting the match.

After the match, Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said it was his own decision to bring Ronaldo on from the bench: "Ronaldo is feeling well. I had talked to him before the game, telling him he would start on the bench. He made himself available, he did well when he entered the pitch."

Juventus vice president Pavel Nedved later said it was a "shared" decision between Ronaldo and Allegri, and he said he could "absolutely confirm" Ronaldo would remain with Juve throughout the season.

If Ronaldo does land with Manchester United, it will mark a return to the club with which he first achieved stardom.

After spending one season in the senior ranks with Sporting CP in his home country of Portugal, Ronaldo arrived at Manchester United in 2003 and spent six seasons with the club. He scored 118 goals across all competitions in 292 matches and 84 goals in 194 EPL matches.

Ronaldo also helped lead Manchester United to three EPL titles and one UEFA Champions League title.

After that, Ronaldo reached even greater heights in nine seasons with Real Madrid and has spent the past three seasons with Juventus.

All told, the 36-year-old has 674 goals across all competitions in 897 career matches, making him one of the most prolific goal scorers of all time.

Securing Ronaldo would go a long way toward helping Manchester United win its first EPL title since 2013.

Manchester United has reportedly decided to challenge Premier League rival Manchester City in the race to sign Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo, who played at Old Trafford from 2003 through 2009.

Ed Aarons and Fabrizio Romano of the Guardian reported Friday that United have opened talks with Ronaldo's agent, Jorge Mendes. City have been heavily linked to the forward but haven't made a formal offer ahead of Tuesday's summer transfer window deadline.

Although Ronaldo started his career with Sporting CP in his native Portugal, his transformation into a football legend kicked into overdrive after his arrival at United in 2003.

The dynamic attacking threat recorded 118 goals across 292 appearances for the Red Devils, including 42 during the 2007-08 campaign, providing a glimpse of what was to come at Real Madrid.

Ronaldo joined Los Blancos in 2009 and proceeded to score at least 50 goals six times during his nine-year stay at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner remained a force following his move to Juve in 2018, scoring 33 goals in 39 appearances between Serie A and the Champions League last season.

Now the question is where the 36-year-old will land after Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri revealed Friday that the forward had expressed his intention to leave the club.

"Yesterday, Cristiano told me that he no longer has any intention to play for Juventus," Allegri told reporters. "For this reason, he will not be called up for tomorrow's game."

Romano reported City had stopped negotiations with the Portugal international, and he also noted United are growing "confident" in securing a reunion.

It would be quite a coup for the Red Devils, who would not only land a player who's still capable of carrying an attacking unit on his shoulders but also keep him away from their crosstown rivals.

City don't lack star power in attack, with Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus and Ferran Torres among manager Pep Guardiola's options, but Ronaldo could have made the group borderline unstoppable as the club seeks its first Champions League triumph.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo would join Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial and Jadon Sancho in United's attacking unit if a deal is finalized.

It's unclear whether any other European giants plan to join the Ronaldo sweepstakes before Tuesday's transfer deadline, but it appears United are in the driver's seat.

Manchester United announced Saturday that manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has signed a contract extension through 2024.

Solskjaer released a statement about the new deal, which includes an option for the 2024-25 season:

Everyone knows the feeling I have for this club, and I am delighted to have signed this new contract. It is an exciting time for Manchester United, we have built a squad with a good balance of youth and experienced players that are hungry for success.

I have a fantastic coaching team around me, and we are all ready to take that next step on our journey. Manchester United wants to be winning the biggest and best trophies and that's what we are all striving for. We have improved, both on and off the pitch, and that will continue over the coming seasons.

I can't wait to get out in front of a packed Old Trafford and get this campaign started.

Solskjaer, 48, took over at United on a caretaker basis in December 2018 after Jose Mourinho was sacked. He was elevated to the full-time role in March 2019 after an initial run of success with the Red Devils.

The former United forward, who played at Old Trafford from 1996 through 2007, has compiled a record of 85 wins, 32 draws and 34 losses across all competitions as the club's manager. He led the side to the UEFA Europa League final in May, where it lost to Villarreal in a penalty shootout.

Although the club hasn't lifted any trophies during Solskjaer's tenure, United had "committed" to giving him a new contract even without a championship during the 2020-21 campaign, per ESPN's Rob Dawson.

Ed Woodward, United's executive vice-chairman, praised the club's manager and expressed confidence in their overall direction:

Ole and his staff have worked tirelessly putting the foundations in place for long-term success on the pitch. The results of that have become increasingly visible over the past two seasons and we are all looking forward to seeing this exciting team develop further in the years ahead.

What is especially pleasing is the way this progress has been achieved with a blend of young, homegrown talent and top-class recruits, playing attacking football in the best traditions of Manchester United. We are more confident than ever that, under Ole's leadership, we are heading in the right direction.

The extension comes ahead of Saturday's preseason friendly against Queens Park Rangers. United opened the preseason with a 2-1 victory over Derby County on Sunday.

Manchester United will start the Premier League campaign Aug. 14 when Leeds United visits Old Trafford. The Red Devils also qualified to take part in the term's UEFA Champions League, which is scheduled to hold its draw Aug. 26.

English forward Marcus Rashford released a powerful statement Monday following his disappointing finish at Euro 2020:

pic.twitter.com/bs9lksGM4q

— Marcus Rashford (@MarcusRashford) July 12, 2021

Rashford was subbed onto pitch in the 120th minute of the Euro 2020 final against Italy with the score tied 1-1, effectively only coming on for penalty kicks. The Manchester United player then missed his attempt while hitting only the left post.

Italy went on to win the title with a 3-2 shootout victory.

"A penalty was all I'd been asked to contribute for the team. I can score penalties in my sleep so why not that one?" Rashford said in his post. "...All I can say is sorry. I wish it had gone differently."

The three players who missed kicks for England—Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka—are all Black and have each received racial abuse following the loss. England's Football Association has condemned the abuse against the players.

A mural honoring Rashford in Withington, Manchester, was also vandalized.

Rashford, meanwhile, noted he has received numerous positive messages as well and shared some hand-written letters from kids.

"For all the kind messages, thank you," he wrote. "I'll be back stronger. We'll be back stronger."

England fell short of winning its first major trophy since the 1966 World Cup, but the team should be a top contender once again at the 2022 World Cup.

Rashford has also been a key player at the club level for Manchester United, appearing in 179 Premier League matches since debuting as an 18-year-old in 2016. 

A year after Manchester United first tried to pry Jadon Sancho away from Borussia Dortmund, it reportedly finally got its man. 

According to David Ornstein of The Athletic and Fabrizio Romano of the Guardian, United has agreed to a transfer fee with Dortmund. Ornstein reported that it was an "initial €85 million (£72.6 million)" fee, while Romano had it at "€90m with add ons."

Romano reported that the "agents fee and personal terms" have been agreed upon, with a contract until 2026, and the deal will be finalized pending Sancho undergoing a medical examination. 

Per Ornstein, "Dortmund had a 'gentleman's agreement' with Sancho and told the forward he would be allowed to leave this summer if a club meets his valuation."

United pursued Sancho a summer ago, but Ornstein, Raphael Honigstein and Laurie Whitwell of The Athletic reported in October that the club did not take Dortmund's €120 million valuation or the Aug. 10 deadline the German club set for the potential transfer seriously. 

What followed was a summer of rumors instead, with The Athletic reporting that United's failures to take Dortmund's initial demands seriously—and attempts to slow play the negotiations in an effort to drive down the price—left them "embarking on a long-running game of poker without realising that the Bundesliga club weren't even at the table," an approach that "annoyed Dortmund's executives."

In the end, The Athletic reported that United ultimately made a bid of £80 million with add ons in late September, which was rejected. 

Sancho remained at Dortmund, where he posted eight goals and 11 assists in 26 Bundesliga appearances (24 starts). He added two goals and three assists in six Champions League appearances (four starts). 

Jadon Sancho has been directly involved in a league goal once every 87.4 minutes since the start of the 2018/19 season.

◉ 6,819 minutes
◉ 41 assists
◉ 37 goals

Outrageous output. pic.twitter.com/C5hnu3Vv6k

— Squawka (@Squawka) June 30, 2021

⏱️ Best mins per goal contribution (25+ starts) in Europe's top 5 leagues last two seasons:

1️⃣ Luis Muriel - every 53.6 mins
2️⃣ Lewandowski - 60.8
3️⃣ Kylian Mbappe - 68.5
4️⃣ Leo Messi - 69.5
5️⃣ Erling Haaland - 72.3
6️⃣ Neymar - 82.8
7️⃣ Jadon Sancho - 83.9

🤯 Sancho is 21 pic.twitter.com/4OlTAIBhsI

— WhoScored (@WhoScored) June 30, 2021

Despite the janky negotiations a year ago, United and Dortmund reengaged on Sancho transfer talks again following the 2020-21 season, with the Premier League giants this time fully engaging much earlier in the summer.

Re: Sancho

After the second offer the parties have been working hard and professional to build a financial foundation.

As I have said before: Didn’t have the feeling he would go last summer, had it this summer. Now time to congratulate OGS and Man UTD with a great signing https://t.co/ECcssMn8i4

— Jan Aage Fjørtoft 🇳🇴 (@JanAageFjortoft) June 30, 2021

The result is that Sancho will be joining a scary United attack that accounted for 73 goals last season, second in the Premier League, as the team finished second on the table behind champions Manchester City. 

Sancho will join players like Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Mason Greenwood and Edinson Cavani in United's front line, giving manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer a scary blend of talent to utilize this upcoming season. 

The six English clubs that attempted to join the failed European Super League—Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur—have reportedly agreed to pay more than $31 million in combined fines to the Premier League for their actions.

Matt Slater of The Athletic reported Wednesday the agreement also includes a $35 million fine and a 30-point deduction in the table for any future effort to join a conglomerate similar to the ESL. The money collected will be used for grassroots football.

It's the latest punishment for the clubs that swiftly abandoned the Super League idea after it was met with resistance from UEFA and fans. The ESL was suspended April 20, just two days after it was announced, because of the mass exodus of teams.

In April, Der Spiegel (via Max Winters of MailOnline) reported ESL contracts included a $184 million "break-up fee" for backing out of the project.

UEFA then announced in May that nine of the 12 clubs that pulled out had agreed to "reintegration measures" that included a combined $18.3 million donation to grassroots football, a five percent hold on revenue from their next UEFA competition and major penalties for any future breakaway effort.

The governing body of European football also said the cases of the three remaining holdouts—Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid—would be sent to its disciplinary bodies for review and possible sanctions.

In addition, Premier League owners will now be required to agree to a new rule "committing them to the core principles" with the top division of English football or face "significant" penalties, per Slater.

The Super League was a failure of colossal proportions, and the six Premier League clubs involved continue to face the ramifications for the effort to create a lucrative Champions League alternative.

A full announcement from the Premier League about the newest punishment is expected later Wednesday.

Cristiano Ronaldo is keeping his options open this summer with Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Manchester United reportedly among those contacted to "gauge interest in a transfer, according to Rob Dawson of ESPN.

The 36-year-old has one year remaining on his contract at Juventus and is holding talks with the club about his future. He has reportedly already spoken to new manager Massimiliano Allegri.

A move away from Juventus is possible, per Dawson, although the new club would have to match the club's asking price. The Italian club initially spent £105 million to acquire Ronaldo from Real in 2018.

The forward has thrived individually in his three years with the club, scoring 101 goals in 133 matches. He had 36 goals across all competitions this past season.

Ronaldo also helped Juventus win Serie A titles in 2018-19 and 2019-20, although the club dropped to fourth in the table this past season. The team has also struggled in the Champions League, losing in the round of 16 in each of the last two years after a quarterfinal loss in 2019.

The Portuguese superstar could be looking for a new location where he can add to his five Champions League titles. He won four with Real Madrid during his nine years with the team and one with Manchester United, where he spent six seasons earlier in his career.

A return to either of these clubs would likely make them contenders to win the European title in 2021-22.

Real Madrid reached the semifinal this past year before losing to eventual champion Chelsea. Many of his former teammates remain with the club, including Luka Modric, Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos.

Manchester United lost in the Europa League final on penalties to Villarreal, but qualified for the Champions League after finishing second in the Premier League. He could create an exciting pairing alongside Portugal teammate Bruno Fernandes.

Paris Saint-Germain would be more unfamiliar, but an attack that includes Ronaldo, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe would arguably be the best in the world. It could help PSG finally get over the top after coming close to a UCL title in the past two years.

Liverpool and Chelsea secured the last two Premier League berths in next season's UEFA Champions League during Sunday's final matches of the 2020-21 EPL campaign.

Manchester City, the previously crowned Premier League champions, and Manchester United had already clinched their UCL tickets in earlier weeks.

Leicester City and West Ham United, who finished fifth and sixth in the table, respectively, will head to the Europa League group stage for the 2021-22 season, while Tottenham Hotspur earned seventh place and will take part in the Europa Conference League playoff round.

The day started with a three-team race for the final two Champions League berths. Chelsea held a one-point advantage over Liverpool and Leicester.

While the Blues' 2-1 loss to Aston Villa left the door open for both chase clubs to leapfrog them in the standings, only the Reds took advantage. Liverpool scored a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, but the Foxes allowed three goals in the final 20 minutes in a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Spurs.

The victory by Ryan Mason's side was crucial in their own pursuit of European football next season as Arsenal scored a 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion, which would have pushed the Gunners into seventh place if Spurs didn't make their comeback against Leicester.

Let's check out the full list of results from Sunday's action:

And breathe 😅 pic.twitter.com/AJXvCksnhA

— Premier League (@premierleague) May 23, 2021

And here's a look at the final Premier League table:

The 2020/21 #PL season: ✅ pic.twitter.com/n34hMYHwHi

— Premier League (@premierleague) May 23, 2021

Fulham, West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United were the relegated clubs.

Spurs' Harry Kane finished the season with both the most goals (23) and assists (14) in the league. It's just the third player in history to lead the Premier League in both categories, joining Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (1998-99) and Andy Cole (1993-94), per ESPN Stats & Info.

Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson paced the EPL with 19 clean sheets.

The 2021-22 Premier League season is scheduled to get underway Aug. 14. The fixtures will be released June 16.

The Liverpool team bus has been blocked on the road ahead of the club’s scheduled match against Manchester United at Old Trafford Thursday.

Cars have blocked Liverpool's coach from arriving at Old Trafford #mulive [@RedIssue, @DTathletic] pic.twitter.com/igNhOwy3aj

— utdreport (@utdreport) May 13, 2021

There is another bus at team hotel but this is official one (and the tyres have just been let down) pic.twitter.com/w7CeeEXV06

— Daniel Taylor (@DTathletic) May 13, 2021

The match had already been rescheduled from its original May 2 date when Manchester United supporters held a protest against the club's ownership, with some fans breaking into Old Trafford stadium.

There was a heavy security presence outside the ground Thursday in preparation for more protests:

Scenes are pretty calm outside Old Trafford at the moment ahead of Manchester United V Liverpool #MUNLIV pic.twitter.com/4USNAaZAn2

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) May 13, 2021

Manchester United fans protesting against the club’s ownership outside Old Trafford ahead of the Premier League game against Liverpool https://t.co/fpQvvHL837 pic.twitter.com/6XRtbYliWf

— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) May 13, 2021

Daniel Taylor of The Athletic reported police have begun clearing the road where an estimated 50 fans had gathered.

The protests are directed towards the Glazer family, which have owned the Premier League club since 2005.

Manchester United fans storm Old Trafford ahead of the match against Liverpool in protest of the club’s ownership 📸 pic.twitter.com/kfTJJ3MgD6

— B/R Football (@brfootball) May 2, 2021

While the fanbase has long been frustrated with the club's ownership, United's brief inclusion in the European Super League—which was heavily criticized before the team withdrew from the league two days after the initial launch—was one of the factors behind the May 2 protest.

It saw the match against Liverpool postponed, creating a tight schedule for both clubs to complete before the end of the Premier League season on May 23.

This will be the third match in five days for Manchester United, which defeated Aston Villa Sunday before losing to Leicester City Tuesday with a lineup filled with mostly reserves. 

"To play Sunday-Tuesday-Thursday is a crime," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said of the fixtures, per BBC Sport.

Liverpool at least has an extra day of rest before facing West Bromwich Albion in its next match Sunday.

Of course, if the game is postponed again on Thursday, there will be few opportunities to rearrange it.

The matchup is an important one in the race to qualify for next season's Champions League, with Liverpool seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with two games in hand. 

Manchester United and veteran forward Edinson Cavani have agreed to a one-year contract extension for next season, the club announced Monday. 

"Over the season, I have developed a great affection for the club and everything that it represents," Cavani said. "I feel a deep bond with my teammates and the staff who work behind the scenes here. They give me extra motivation every day, and I know that, together, we can achieve special things."

"I have been touched with how much the supporters have wanted me to stay, and I will give everything to bring them happiness and joy with my performances on the field," he added. "I've not yet been able to play in front of the Old Trafford crowd, and that is something that I cannot wait to do."

The 34-year-old has had a solid season for Manchester United this year, posting nine goals and two assists in 23 Premier League appearances (11 starts). In 35 matches overall this year, the Uruguayan has accumulated 15 goals and five assists. 

Cavani has come on strong for the club down the stretch, with eight goals in his last seven appearances. Manchester United currently sit second in the Premier League table, 10 points behind Manchester City, and will face Villareal in the Europa League final on May 26. 

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spoke highly of Cavani in a statement:

"I said when Edinson signed, that he would bring energy, power and leadership to this group and I haven't been proved wrong, he has been everything I thought he would be and more. As coaches, we knew about his goalscoring record. However, it is his personality that has brought so much to this squad, he has a winning mentality and has an unequivocal attitude to everything he does. Edinson is one of the last to leave the training ground and sets the tone for the upcoming youngsters with his approach to his profession every single day."

With options in Cavani, Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial, the Red Devils possess one of the most dangerous attacks in the Premier League. Cavani's ability to lead the line made him a logical candidate to return for another season and will allow the club to address other needs in this summer's transfer window.