MANCHESTER UNITED have been linked with the biggest transfer deal in football history.
In the wake of his public spat with Barcelona, the Red Devils are reportedly keen to bring the one and only Lionel Messi in for free.
And he could be joined by Jack Grealish and Mauricio Pochettino.
Follow ALL of the latest news and gossip from Old Trafford below…
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN
CUP UPSET
The Carabao Cup is in danger of being killed off by proposed changes to the Champions League.
Premier League chief Richard Masters voiced his fear as Uefa try to increase the number of group stage games from six to ten.
That would put the EFL Cup in a vulnerable position in what is an already crowded fixture calendar.
Masters said: “In the end, there isn’t enough space.
“It’s not an absolute that if somehow the shape of the European competitions changes, the Carabao Cup is terminally damaged.
“There are some clever fixture people out there that may be able to slot the thing together. But I think it would fundamentally alter its trajectory.”
BALED IN
Gareth Bale “wanted to make Chinese football great” after receiving an offer that was “impossible to refuse” last August.
His agent Jonathan Barnett made the admission during an interview with AS – but he insists the rumoured Manchester United target won’t be going anywhere this year.
He said: “He got an offer that was impossible to refuse. But Real Madrid wouldn't sell him. They [the Chinese club] couldn't pay what Madrid wanted.
“He wanted to create a legacy. He wanted to bring Chinese football up. He had a vision that he could make Chinese football great. He's won everything that he can win, and he's done it many times.
“It was to create a legacy, his name, to be the first great player to go to China. But it wasn't to be… And the money was special too. It would have made him the highest paid player on Earth.
“He's not interested in going anywhere. China was a completely different thing. He plays for Real Madrid, you know.”
STAR-DOME
Marcus Rashford celebrated his sensational Manchester United goal-scoring debut by playing five-a-side at the Trafford Centre!
The England striker burst onto the scene almost four years ago with a Europa League double against FC Midtylland on February 25, 2016.
He told Bleacher Report in a Q and A with Ryan Giggs: “We used to go to the Trafford Centre at the Soccerdome and I used to play five-a-side against random people.
“It was fun. You don’t realise but you would be there for hours. Sometimes people would kick me but then my mates would kick one of them!
“But the year when I started playing was when we stopped.
“After I made my debut, we had a couple of days off and I went to the Soccerdome. That was our moment to get away from everything for me and my mates.”
BACK FOR MAUR
Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly hopeful of being Manchester United manager next season.
The Mirror claim that the former Spurs boss is still hovering on the Red Devils radar but the club will only sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer if they finish outside the top six.
The report adds that Pochettino, who has been out of work since he was sacked by Daniel Levy in November, has told friends he wants to resume his career in the summer.
The 47-year-old is prepared to be patient as he lines up his next move but is understood to be excited by the prospect of taking over the United dugout.
Source: Read Full Article