MANCHESTER UNITED goalkeeper Dean Henderson is reportedly a target for Dutch giants Ajax.

The England stopper has been unable to displace David De Gea as No1 at United and is keen for first team opportunities.

Meanwhile, Ralph Rangnick will have to continue his search for an assistant elsewhere after Man Utd's approach for Gerhard Struber was unsuccessful, SunSport can reveal.

The New York Red Bulls boss – who is a close friend of Rangnick – has turned down the approach as he doesn't want to drop back to being an assistant.

And Manchester United will host Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round after the draw was made on Monday evening.

The Red Devils last won the competition in 2016 and Rangnick will be keen to win silverware in his time at the club.

On the transfer front, we've the very latest on John McGinn plus an update on long-term target Ousmane Dembele.

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Get all the latest Man Utd transfer news, gossip and updates here.

• Jack Figg15 minutes ago

  JOHN TOP OF THINGS

  John McGinn is still on Manchester United’s radar as they prepare for a new future under Ralf Rangnick.

  SunSport previously revealed United’s interest in the summer of 2019, with Sir Alex Ferguson a big fan of McGinn.

  Villa would not have considered a bid of less than £50m back then — and would want even more now.

  McGinn has three and a half years left to run on the deal he signed at Villa Park last December.

  The Scotland international, 27, has scored three goals and provided one assist in 13 Premier League games so far this term.

  His ability on the ball plus coolness under pressure is something United scouts are understood to have noted.

  That’s in addition to his ability to play a high pressing style so valued by new boss Rangnick.

  

• Jack Figg49 minutes ago

  NEXT UP

  Let’s take a look at United’s next five games…

  

• Jack FiggToday, 12:36

  RED RECRUIT

  Ralf Rangnick has reportedly made his first appointment at Manchester United by recruiting Chris Armas.

  German coach Rangnick took charge of the Red Devils last week on an interim basis until the end of the season before beginning a role as a consultant.

  Michael Carrick, who assisted the sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, was placed as caretaker but left the club last week after the win over Arsenal.

  That left Rangnick, who led United to a victory over Crystal Palace in his first game in charge yesterday, needing to add to his staff.

  The 63-year-old interim manager is understood to have contacted New York Red Bulls coach Gerhard Struber regarding a role at Old Trafford.

  Now ESPN’s Taylor Twellman has claimed that Rangnick has turned to American coach Armas.

  It’s claimed the 49-year-old is joining United’s coaching team, and he could potentially be No.2.

  He has been granted a work permit and will travel to England in the next few days to take up the position.

  

• Jack FiggToday, 12:15

  TOON TARGET

  Jesse Lingard could become Newcastle’s highest-paid player as they line up a January transfer, according to reports.

  The Manchester United midfielder, 28, is out of contract at Old Trafford next summer.

  And the Red Devils risk losing him for free at the end of season after negotiations over an extension broke down in November.

  But according to The Times, the Toon have made him their No1 target and would be prepared to offer a ‘substantial transfer fee’.

  They would also want to make Lingard the top earner in their history.

  Miguel Almiron currently holds that title with his £100,000-a-week package at St James’ Park.

  However, following the club’s Saudi takeover, they have cash to spend.

  And they need players who will hit the ground running.

  

• Jack FiggToday, 11:49

  ULTI-MANE-UM

  Barcelona have issued an ultimatum to Ousmane Dembele until December 31 to decide on his future, reports suggest.

  Dembele’s contract with Barca expires in June and the club needs to know whether he will commit to a new deal by New Year’s Eve.

  According to Sport, negotiations between the Blaugrana and the winger have hit a snag over the player’s financial demands, while other clubs are keeping tabs on him.

  The France international’s agent has already met with Manchester United, Chelsea, Bayern Munich, Tottenham and Juventus to discuss their offer, while Liverpool also appear to be interested.

  The 24-year-old claims he wants to stay put at Barcelona but his representative hint this will only happen for the right price.

  Dembele has struggled to stand out at the Nou Camp ever since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 due to a raft of injuries.

  The Frenchman has also been rather inconsistent with only 30 goals and 21 assists in 122 appearances across all competitions to his name.

  However, the Catalan giants would find it much easier and cheaper to renew the forward’s contract rather than finding a replacement amid their ongoing financial woes.

  

• Jack FiggToday, 11:30

  DAL IT IN

  Diogo Dalot returned to Man United’s starting line-up on Thursday’s match against Arsenal, during Michael Carrick’s last game as caretaker manager, and is now offering fresh competition for Wan-Bissaka.

  The Portuguese defender is putting together quite a comeback as he was frozen out by former boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and spent last season on loan at AC Milan.

  Dalot recently said: “It’s what I’m here for.

  “It’s not easy when you’re outside [the starting line-up] and you don’t play as much.

  “But our job [is] to keep [being] ready and I think I was doing a fantastic job outside the pitch being ready.

  “When the opportunity comes, I now feel I need to keep going and give everything when I’m on the pitch too.”

  

• Jack FiggToday, 11:12

  HELL AND BACK 

  Rio Ferdinand claims Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Luke Shaw have a “hell of a job” getting in Ralf Rangnick’s team.

  New interim United boss Rangnick experienced a successful debut with a 1-0 win on Sunday against Crystal Palace and dropped Wan-Bissaka to the bench whereas Shaw is still recovering from a head injury.

  The German head coach opted for Diogo Dalot at right-back and Alex Telles on the other side and Ferdinand believes that is because they are more adept with the ball at their feet.

  That is why the legendary defender believes Wan-Bissaka and Shaw are facing an uphill battle as they need to find a way to adjust to Rangnick’s high possession style.

  Ferdinand said on his FIVE YouTube channel: “I’ve got to be honest, Wan-Bissaka has got a hell of a job getting back in this team. The same for Luke Shaw.

  “They’ve both got one hell of a job. One thing this manager likes is full-backs who can actually play and get on the ball.

  “As well as doing the other stuff like pressing, he wants output with the ball.

  “That’s the weakest part of Wan-Bissaka’s game, there’s going to be a big fight for him to get back into this team.”

  

• Jack FiggToday, 10:53

  NICKED HIM AWAY

  Man Utd are set to appoint Sascha Lense as a sports psychologist.

  Chris Armas is also set to arrive at Old Trafford as a coach as Ralf Rangnick continues to build his influence at the club.

  Lense, 46, arrived at Carrington on Monday but he is unable to start working with the squad until he receives his work visa.

  Armas, 49, is also awaiting a work visa – which delayed Rangnick’s arrival – but will soon team up with colleagues Mike Phelan and Kieran McKenna.

  Rangnick is said to be keen on adding three new coaches or analysts after the departure of Michael Carrick.

  And the German is happy to have the new men on board, having worked with Lense previously.

  Lense spent six years at RB Leipzig between 2015-21, working as a mental coach during Rangnick’s two spells at the club.

  

• Jack FiggToday, 10:29

  CUP FOR IT

  Manchester United will play Aston Villa at home in the FA Cup third round.

  

• Jack FiggToday, 10:09

  RANG-ING RIOT

  Ralf Rangnick admitted Manchester United could have run riot against Crystal Palace in their 1-0 win.

  He said: “I’m more than happy.

  “First of all, most importantly, we won the game. Second, we had a clean sheet, third I think we no doubt deserved to win, because we had control of the game.

  “The first half hour was amazing. I felt it was extremely high tempo, high intensity, always on the front.

  “The only thing that was missing in this first half hour was scoring one or two, if not three, goals.

  “But it was clear that you cannot play the whole game, 90 minutes, on this kind of intensity level.

  “But, still, even after that we had control of the game. Second half, we started the game well and, in the end, we deserved to win.

  “I am more than happy with the clean sheet. Beautiful goal with his weak right foot from Fred.

  “It was about gaining control and we had control most of the time of the game.”

  

• Jack FiggToday, 09:50

  HAPPY RALF

  Ralf Rangnick was ‘positively surprised’ by how good his new team were against Crystal Palace.

  The German led the Red Devils to a 1-0 win over the Eagles on Sunday in his first game in charge and admitted he did not expect such a high quality performance.

  Man-of-the-match Fred scored the only goal – looping a right-footed effort beyond Vicente Guaita in the second-half.

  And it was enough to earn all three points for the new manager who revealed his delight at what he saw after the final whistle.

  Rangnick said: “To be honest, I was positively surprised by the physical state, intensity and performance of the players.

  “Not only did we play in the late kick-off on Thursday, but we also had two days fewer than Crystal Palace to recover.

  “I didn’t expect us to play at that level after only one-and-a-half training days together with them.

  “It’s always easier to build on things when you’re successful.

  “I want the players to believe in this kind of football.

  “We continue in this direction, produce further clean sheets, and get better at creating chances ourselves.

  “There is still space for improvement but today was more important for me to see how they played against the ball.”

  

• Jack FiggToday, 09:29

  TAKING THE MIC

  Despite the widespread criticism of the former Borussia Dortmund star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Gary Neville also took aim at Mikel Arteta.

  Speaking as a pundit on Monday Night Football, he added: “He’s flip-flopping between doing a good job and being under pressure, there’s no in-between.

  “When you look at average age of the squad: if you’re going to Old Trafford or Goodison Park some players won’t have experienced it many times and it’s tough.

  “I remember my first few games at Anfield or Highbury, you need really good experienced players to get you through those difficult moments.

  “You need comfort in there and that spine to be really strong and Arsenal’s senior players are not really massive characters or massive leaders.

• Jack FiggToday, 09:08

  CAPTAIN’S CUT

  Harry Maguire has been spotted at Winter Wonderland with a horrible gash across his eyebrow following a head clash playing for Manchester United at the weekend.

  The Red Devils captain, 28, suffered the nasty injury during Man Utd’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday afternoon.

  Maguire went up for a high ball with Eagles forward Odsonne Edouard late on in the game but ended up in a heap on the floor after clashing heads with the Frenchman.

  Blood trickled down the face of the England centre-back, though he was deemed OK to finish the match after having a black bandage wrapped around his head.

  But the after effects of the injury remain as he was seen with the cut still clearly visible while attending Winter Wonderland with his family.

  Maguire wandered around with the gash evidently showing above his eye.

  Yet the injury did not prevent him from helping Man Utd to their first home clean sheet of the season against Palace.

  

• Jack FiggToday, 08:49

  RALF PATCH

  Interim manager Ralf Rangnick can guide Manchester United to the top four, according to Liverpool legend Mark Lawrenson.

  Lawrenson believes Rangnick’s experience will help United finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League.

  He told LFC TV: “To be honest with you, and as loathe as I am to say it, I think Manchester United will finish fourth.

  “I think this new guy coming in, I think he knows what he’s doing”

  

• Jack FiggToday, 08:30

  FER REAL?

  Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes revealed that new interim boss Ralf Rangnick wants “more pressure” and “more aggressiveness” from his players.

  Fernandes told Premier League Productions: “It depends on the game.

  “Sometimes you have to press a little bit more, sometimes you have to press less and everyone knows that it’s one of the things that the manager wants from us. More pressure, to be more aggressive. We tried to do it [today].

  “I think the first 25 minutes from us was unbelievable, great tempo and we don’t give any space to them.

  “We recovered a lot of balls high up the pitch. We could have scored many times in the first half I think, at least three times we could do a little more.

  “But we got the three points and that’s the most important thing”

  

• Jack FiggToday, 08:05

  VAN DE START

  Manchester United have already qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League, which allows Ralf Rangnick to heavily rotate his team.

  First-team stars could be handed a rest to allow bench and fringe players to get some minutes under their belt.

  Just TWO who started in the 1-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace could keep their place.

  Here’s how SunSport believes United could line up against Young Boys.

  

• Jack FiggToday, 07:45

  SAME OLD STORY

  Gary Neville opened up on the importance of building a proper structure at Old Trafford.

  Neville, 46, said: “It’s the one thing that surprised me a little bit out of his press conference last week, when he mentioned the idea of staying beyond the term.

  “When actually it was quite clear that he was going to take six months then have a two-year consultancy arrangement – which I called it coaching the club.

  “He coaches the team for six months, then coaches the club for two years in terms of the structure.

  “He’s done it at different clubs. Setting up a successful structure. He talked about a project before, so there’s a football project at Manchester United that has that clear ethos behind it.

  “I don’t think they’ve had that for the last eight-ten years. They’ve reacted to managers’ wants and wills, which Everton are doing at the moment.

  “You can’t run a football club like that nowadays, you’ve got to have a real strong thread.

  “What I would say is that maybe where it went wrong with Ole, you look at Ole having that brilliant six months, I think it was right to give Ole the job.

  “What maybe should have been decided between the partnership Ole had with the club, and he obviously had a great relationship with the club.

  “I suspect Rangnick will build that same relationship with the boardroom because of the fact he’s looking to consult beyond these first six months.”

• Jack FiggToday, 07:26

  NICK OF TIME

  Gary Neville ‘wouldn’t be against’ Manchester United extending Ralf Rangnick’s stint as manager beyond the end of the season.

  But the former Red Devils star has stressed that his old side must be ‘flexible’ and ‘agile’.

  The Sky Sports pundit said: “Let’s say there isn’t anyone available that we would call world class that can take over the club for four years, and Ralf Rangnick has a good six months.

  “I wouldn’t be against Ralf Rangnick staying on for next season as a Manchester United fan.

  “However, let’s say halfway through that season a world class manager became available, which I think happened with Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer) when (Mauricio) Pochettino became available when he left Spurs.

  “You might think ‘if one becomes available though Ralf, that can come in for four years for the right project, maybe at that point you go up to your upstairs role and at that point a manager comes in.’

  “If there is a world class manager available at the end of the season and Ralf Rangnick has done a good job, I would say then at that point, they should appoint the world class manager if that manager is available for the bigger project, which is the four-year long-term.

  “That’s how I would see it at the moment. Be flexible, be agile. If he wins the Champions League, the players absolutely love him, the football’s unbelievable, then you probably would just keep him going.

  “But, still be flexible and agile enough to know that he’s still got that ability to go upstairs and manage a great manager and a great coach that can come in for longer term when it occurs.

  “So I think they should be agile, I was surprised it got mentioned and brought up in the conference last week – but I think they’ve got to make sure they’re open to all options.”

• Jack FiggToday, 07:06

  STRUB SNUB

  Gerhard Struber has turned down Manchester United as their search for an assistant for Ralf Rangnick goes on.

  The Austrian is currently head coach at New York Red Bulls.

  He was approached last week by United to join the backroom staff, as revealed by SunSport.

  Struber, 44, is close friends with Rangnick – who has just taken over at United for the next six months.

  They spent time together at Red Bull Salzburg as youth coach and Director of Football respectively.

  But SunSport understands Struber has decided to stay with the MLS side.

  

• William PughToday, 06:12

  GOOD MORNING RED DEVILS FANS

  Man Utd have been given a boost in bringing Erik ten Hag to Old Trafford after the Ajax boss declared he is ready for the next step.

  He said: “I think I’m ready for it [to move to a top foreign club].

  “I would be happy to take up that challenge.

  “But I’m not chasing it. If it turns out that that step will never come, I will not say that my coaching career has failed.

  “But I think I have sufficient competences to take on that challenge.”

  Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told fans ‘I tried my best’ after a chance encounter with a group of supporters at a sushi takeaway.

  Since getting his P45, Solskjaer has made the most of his extra free time and treated himself to some Japanese grub from a nearby Cheshire spot last Wednesday.

  And the Athletic claims United-supporting diners thanked him for his efforts during his three years in charge at Old Trafford.

  As he collected his food, Solskjaer waved to the fans and said: “I tried my best. Thanks, lads.”

  Finally, Gerhard Struber has turned down United as their search for an assistant for Ralf Rangnick goes on.

  SunSport understands Struber has decided to stay with New York Red Bulls as he does not want to drop down from head coach to assistant.

  Struber told Austrian Sky Sports: “There has been a request.

  “It’s no secret that Ralf Rangnick and us know and appreciate us well and appreciate very much.

  “At the same time I have in New York, which also makes me look very hopefully into the future and therefore I do not want to give up with New York overnight. 

  “I have a longer-term contract there and still have a lot of goals with an ambitious team.”

• Anthony Chapman6th Dec 2021, 23:00

  NEXT UP

  Let’s take a look at United’s next five games…

  

• Anthony Chapman6th Dec 2021, 22:55

  ‘OUTRAGEOUS’

  Man Utd legend Gary Neville has claimed Ben Godfrey purposely studded Arsenal star Takehiro Tomiyasu in the FACE.

  He said on Sky Sports’ coverage of Everton’s 2-1 win: “As a professional, he 100% means that.

  “I can see why VAR has said it is accidental, we couldn’t prove it but as a professional he meant it but I can see why it is not a red.”

  

• Anthony Chapman6th Dec 2021, 22:30

  EXCLUSIVE BY JORDAN DAVIES

  Gerhard Struber has turned down Manchester United as their search for an assistant for Ralf Rangnick goes on.

  SunSport understands Struber has decided to stay with New York Red Bulls as he does not want to drop down from head coach to assistant.

  Struber told Austrian Sky Sports: “There has been a request.

  “It’s no secret that Ralf Rangnick and us know and appreciate us well and appreciate very much.

  “At the same time I have in New York, which also makes me look very hopefully into the future and therefore I do not want to give up with New York overnight. 

  “I have a longer-term contract there and still have a lot of goals with an ambitious team.”

• Anthony Chapman6th Dec 2021, 22:00

  RALFA BET

  Ralf Rangnick is set to bring a top-rated sports psychologist to Man Utd.

  The Mail claims Sascha Lense has already been introduced to players at Carrington.

  The former midfielder has worked with Rangnick before, at RB Leipzig and Schalke.

  And he is now set to join his pal at Old Trafford.

• Anthony Chapman6th Dec 2021, 21:30

  NEVER SAY NEVILLE

  Gary Neville ‘wouldn’t be against’ Manchester United extending Ralf Rangnick’s stint as manager beyond the end of the season.

  He said: “Let’s say there isn’t anyone available that we would call world class that can take over the club for four years, and Ralf Rangnick has a good six months.

  “I wouldn’t be against Ralf Rangnick staying on for next season as a Manchester United fan.

  “However, let’s say halfway through that season a world class manager became available, which I think happened with Ole (Gunnar Solskjaer) when (Mauricio) Pochettino became available when he left Spurs.

  “You might think ‘if one becomes available though Ralf, that can come in for four years for the right project, maybe at that point you go up to your upstairs role and at that point a manager comes in.’

  “If there is a world class manager available at the end of the season and Ralf Rangnick has done a good job, I would say then at that point, they should appoint the world class manager if that manager is available for the bigger project, which is the four-year long-term.”

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