MAN UNITED CONFIDENTIAL: Sofyan Amrabat almost signed for Liverpool before a delay saw an Anfield switch collapse and Erik ten Hag’s family BBQ at Carrington goes down a storm with players
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Sofyan Amrabat could make his first Old Trafford appearance for Manchester United in Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Crystal Palace following a brief debut off the bench at Burnley, but it’s emerged that the Moroccan was just hours away from becoming a Liverpool player this summer.
Liverpool’s interest in Amrabat is no secret, with Jurgen Klopp said to have phoned the 27-year-old midfielder personally to try and persuade him to move to Anfield from Fiorentina to help fill the gaps left by Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and James Milner.
United Confidential can reveal that Klopp was a whisker away from getting his man until a last-minute hitch held up the deal and Liverpool signed Ryan Gravenberch from Bayern Munich for £34.2million instead.
The problem is believed to have arisen inside the Amrabat camp. Talks were put on hold for 24 hours and it was during this period that Liverpool decided to go back to Gravenberch who, at 21, was viewed as a younger and better fit for Klopp’s needs.
Amrabat is now in the process of changing agents from Stellar to Sports Entertainment Group, who were involved in his move to Old Trafford. United paid a £8.5m loan fee on deadline day to sign the Dutch-born player for the rest of the season with the option to buy him for £21.4m next summer.
Sofyan Amrabat (L), who could be set for his first Old Trafford appearance on Tuesday, nearly joined Jurgen Klopp’s (R) Liverpool during the summer window
The Red Devils are gearing up for a second-round Carabao Cup clash with Crystal Palace
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Unity has been the watchword at United during a bumpy start to the season, and Erik ten Hag organised a barbecue for the families of his players and staff at Carrington on Sunday.
The United squad turned up for the event which was well received by the players following an equally popular club-wide event at Old Trafford last month.
The families were treated to what was described as a healthy barbecue, with a number of activities laid on for the children including a bouncy castle, face-painting and entertainers.
Ten Hag wanted to recognise the effort put in by the club’s staff support network as well as the players, and is said to have made his way around the room chatting with family members.
The event is said to have been planned some weeks ago and Saturday night’s morale-boosting win at Burnley meant it went with a swing.
Manchester United stars – such as Luke Shaw (L) and Lisandro Martinez (R) – were pictured in good spirits as they attended a popular club-wide event last month
Red Devils captain Bruno Fernandes (R) sits with his two children and wife Ana Pinho
While Jadon Sancho continues to train alone in the naughty corner using United’s academy facilities, some of the youth-team players have moved in the opposite direction to work with the first-team squad this week.
Under-18s players James Nolan, Louis Jackson, Ethan Wheatley and Ethan Williams were involved in Monday’s session ahead of the cup tie against Palace.
Meanwhile, there appears no end sight to Sancho’s isolation with the £73m star frozen out after refusing to apologise to Erik ten Hag for publicly challenging his manager’s reasons for dropping him at Arsenal earlier this month.
Jadon Sancho continues to train alone amid his ongoing feud with manager Erik ten Hag
United fans are being surveyed on their views on the new Sunday 6.30pm kick-off time that is set to be introduced as part of the latest TV deal.
The Manchester United Supporters Trust has asked if fans are for, against or unsure about the Sunday evening slot in a poll on X, formerly known as Twitter, amid concerns it will cause yet more chaos for matchgoing supporters.
At the time of writing, nearly three-quarters of more than 3,300 responses are against. The Football Supporters Association said they ‘100 per cent oppose’ the Sunday 6.30pm kick-off time, describing it as a ‘shocking idea’.
United fans have been handed a kinder than usual schedule by the broadcasters this season, with five of their opening seven home Premier League games kicking off at the traditional time of 3pm on a Saturday.
But supporters heading to Sheffield United for the clash at Bramall Lane at 8pm on Saturday, October 21 will face a race against time to catch the last train to Manchester, which leaves around 25 minutes after the match is due to finish.
The Manchester United Supporters Trust has asked if fans are for, against or unsure about the new Sunday 6.30pm kick-off time that is set to be introduced
Good to hear that Marcus Rashford and a 74-year-old grandmother escaped unhurt late on Saturday night along after their cars collided close to United’s training complex following the win over Burnley.
At least Rashford waited until the United squad got back from Turf Moor before climbing into his £700,000 Rolls Royce.
United Confidential is reminded of the story about Paul Pogba insisting on leaving Burnley in a chauffeur driven Rolls after United won 2-0 at Burnley in September 2018 – a game notable for the only red card of Rashford’s career so far for a headbutt on Phil Bardsley.
Pogba’s relationship with Jose Mourinho was already turning sour, and the United manager gave in to the Frenchman’s request to go home in his Rolls Royce for fear that falling out with the player might get him the sack.
Having asked that Pogba at the very least leave on the team coach and then switch vehicles 10 minutes down the road, Mourinho later recalled: ‘When I arrived at the team bus, parked beside it was a Rolls-Royce with his chauffeur. After all, the car was new and His Excellency would like to leave the stadium in his Rolls-Royce.
‘Now how do we deal with this? You (tell him) never go in the Rolls? You can go when I’m happy? Or you solve this thing in another way to get me “on vacation”.’
Marcus Rashford has been declared fit and available for Manchester United’s Carabao Cup clash with Crystal Palace – just three days after crashing his £700,000 Rolls Royce
Rashford is loyal to those who grew up with him at United so he will be encouraged that one of his best pals Ro-Shaun Williams is closing in on a comeback at the age of 25.
Williams, a pacy central defender who broke sprint records at school set by Olympic medallist Darren Campbell, was in European squads with Rashford at 17 but left Old Trafford in 2019.
After more than 150 games for Shrewsbury and Doncaster, he left Donny at the end of last season and has since been working with one-to-one coaches to recover from a shin injury.
He was Rashford’s guest at the Scotland-England game in Glasgow earlier this month and is now only a week away from being able to have trials at clubs.
Salford, whose Class of ‘92 owners know all about Williams, and Stockport are among the clubs keeping a careful eye on his progress.
United remain the most popular European soccer club among US fans by some distance, according to a new survey.
United, who played in New Jersey, San Diego, Houston and Las Vegas on tour this summer, got 18 per cent of the vote – well ahead of Chelsea and Man City who were joint second with eight per cent.
Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona were next on seven per cent, with Real Madrid further back on five per cent in the survey conducted by Statista and presented by CasinosEnLigne.com
United remain the most popular European soccer club among US fans by some distance
AL-Ettifaq will decide at the end of October whether to sign Jesse Lingard after the former United midfielder’s camp asked the Saudi Pro League club if he could train with Steven Gerrard’s squad.
Lingard also trained with West Ham this summer following his release from Nottingham Forest, having moved to the City Ground last year at the end of a 22-year association with United.
AT a time when right wingers seem to be disappearing at an alarming rate, United have great expectations for rising star Shea Lacey.
The club were delighted to sign Lacey, 16, to a new contract this summer which includes a number of clauses that will kick in further down the line.
Liverpool-born Lacey began playing for United’s Under-21s and Under-18s at the age of 15, and has been likened to Manchester City’s Phil Foden.
Like Foden, Lacey has progressed through the England age-groups and represented England Under-17s for the first time earlier this month in the Pinatar Arena Supercup in Murcia.
There are high expectations for 16-year-old Manchester United starlet Shea Lacey (Credit: Instagram @shealacey10)
He got an assist in the first minute of his debut against Portugal and then scored twice as England beat hosts Spain 4-1.
Lacey’s middle brother Luis players for Welsh club Flint Town, but he is mentored by older brother Paddy who once trained at United alongside Lingard and Ravel Morrison before choosing Liverpool.
Paddy was banned from football in 2017 after testing positive for cocaine, and served five months in prison after he was caught with Class A drugs and counterfeit cash at Glastonbury.
The 30-year-old played for Accrington Stanley and a number of non-league clubs but is now a professional boxer. Despite winning his first nine fights, he still thinks Shea would have made the best boxer as well.
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