OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER'S reign at Manchester United is hanging by a thread, SunSport can exclusively reveal.
The question is when not if he will be sacked by the club.
And Brendan Rodgers is reportedly the favourite to take the job should Solskjaer be dispensed with.
This comes after Tottenham snapped up Antonio Conte and Zinedine Zidane privately ruled himself out of contention.
In another SunSport exclusive, Paul Pogba could have played his final game for United.
Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger has revealed he TURNED DOWN the chance to manage Manchester United.
The legendary Arsenal boss, whose rivalry with Sir Alex Ferguson was infamous, could have gone to Real Madrid or Barcelona as well.
Follow all the latest Man Utd news, transfer and gossip from Old Trafford below…
- Jack Figg
THIERR JERKER
Sir Alex Ferguson claimed Thierry Henry's reinvention from winger to striker at Arsenal turned the Old Trafford atmosphere 'toxic'.
The United legend enjoyed a fierce rivalry with Arsene Wenger's Gunners in the early 2000s as the two sides often went head-to-head for the title.
And Fergie has revealed Wenger's masterstroke decision to play Henry through the middle after he arrived in North London shifted the atmosphere at United.
Ferguson admitted, via The Mirror, in the documentary 'Arsene Wenger: Invincible': "It became toxic for a while.
"The big change that made Arsenal was reinventing [Thierry] Henry. And the goals… he was fantastic.
"You're always looking in the rear-view mirror to see who's coming up behind you, and when you see someone you accelerate.
"Arsenal were catching us up, and their team was good enough to go above us, there's no question about that."
- Justin Lawrence
GRAVE NEWS
Dutch sensation Ryan Gravenberch has dealt a blow to Manchester United and Liverpool – by declaring his aim to sign a new contract with Ajax.
The Holland midfielder, just 19, has become one of Europe's most-wanted players after helping his club to a league and cup double last season.
The nine-cap international, an Ajax academy product, said he is in no hurry to leave his hometown club.
Gravenberch told Voetbal International: "I am very happy at Ajax, and I don't yet want to leave.
"I am in talks with the club about a new contract. Things are progressing, and hopefully they will turn out well.
I don't feel like this is my last season with Ajax. I feel that I can still learn a lot here, and I still want to win a lot of trophies with the club.
"I'll never forget the magical atmosphere at our Champions League games in the 2018-19 season, which I watched from the stand.
"And now I'm playing in these games myself. The fans' support truly drives us on."
- Justin Lawrence
RON BOD
Manchester City ace Ferran Torres has revealed he looks to Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo as his physical and nutritional inspiration.
Torres reckons Ronaldo changed how footballers treat their bodies which has led him to get a personal trainer and nutritionist.
Speaking to El Desmarque, Torres said: “He [Ronaldo] is my point of reference.
He has changed football in terms of nutrition, taking care of yourself, investing in your body.
“This is a long-term process in which what you do today has repercussions for tomorrow. Football is more physical, and you have to be prepared."
- Justin Lawrence
STONE THROW
Manchester City star Josh Stones has backed Harry Maguire to bounce back from his rough patch at Manchester United.
Maguire's come under fire for his recent performances for United who have been in a poor run of form.
But Stones reckons Maguire's got the right character and mentality to make things right at Old Trafford.
Stones told talkSPORT: “Harry is an incredible person, first and foremost, and a strong character at that, so I have no doubt that he will come good for Manchester United.
“I don’t want to say that he’s not playing well, because I actually think he’s doing so many things right, but it’s just gets magnified and sometimes taken out of proportion.
“I am not passing the blame or anything but as a character and person that I know, I do believe that he’ll be the incredible player that he is and be back to that very soon.
“He’s got that character and mentality to get back to how he was and I believe he will.”
- Justin Lawrence
BARGAIN MOVE
Man United will be able to sign AC Milan star Frank Kessie on a free transfer next summer, according to reports.
There has been considerable speculation about the midfielder's future with Kessie yet to agree a new deal.
t has been reported that Milan are yet to meet Kessie's wage demands of £150,000 a week, according to Fichajes.
Instead, the Italian giants are offering a salary of around £100,000.
The report suggests United are still in the race for Kessie, with the free transfer possibility said to be "delighting" the Red Devils.
- Justin Lawrence
HOPE UTD
Marcus Rashford says lack of education is to blame for the racist trolling he and other players get on social media.
Rashford was targeted along with Manchester United teammate Jadon Sancho and Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka after all three missed penalties in the Euros final shoot-out against Italy in the summer.
Rashford, said: “I think educating ourselves on, and championing other, cultures can only benefit our understanding. Discrimination usually stems from a lack of education. It’s a defence mechanism.
“Instead of stigmatising differences, we should be celebrating them. How boring would the world be if we were all the same?
“Books are a great source for us to highlight different characters and better understand background and journey.”
- Justin Lawrence
CROWN JULE
Manchester United are being heavily linked with signing Sevilla and France defender Jules Kounde.
The 22-year-old looked set to agree a deal to join Chelsea in the summer but it failed to get over the line.
And now Man Utd are leading the way in their pursuit of Kounde, who has been capped five times by Didier Deschamps' national team.
The ex-Bordeaux central defender could well be the final piece in the jigsaw for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to effectively carry out his back three formation.
- Justin Lawrence
MAT'S THE TICKET
Lothar Matthaus has picked his four favourites to win the Champions League and THREE of them are from the Premier League.
The former Bayern Munich and Inter Milan icon has backed Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool to go far in the competition but his comments do not make good reading for Man Utd.
All four Prem sides are in the qualification spots in their respective groups with Chelsea the only team who are not top.
However, United have looked unconvincing in most of their fixtures and relied on Cristiano Ronaldo to save them against Villarreal and Atalanta.
Matthaus said: "For me, the favourites for the Champions League are Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich.
"Barcelona have their problems and Atletico Madrid have always been a dangerous team, but they are not as good a team as Liverpool or Man City."
- Justin Lawrence
SCOT THIS TIME
Scott McTominay will miss Scotland's World Cup clash against Moldova tomorrow after picking up an injury.
It's been revealed that the Manchester United midfielder has picked up a throat infection that will keep him out of the tie.
However, reports suggest that McTominay could be back in the Scotland squad by the weekend if he recovers.
McTominay's absence will be a huge loss for Steve Clarke's side as the 24-year-old scored the winning goal in Scotland's previous World Cup tie last month against Israel.
- Justin Lawrence
SIGN POGBA
Liverpool legend Steve McManaman has urged Real Madrid to sign Manchester United ace Paul Pogba.
Pogba's contract runs out next summer so McManaman reckons the Frenchman won't be a gamble for Los Blancos.
And the 28-year-old will also bring a fresh pair of legs to Real's ageing midfielder, according to McManaman.
The ex-Real ace told Horseracing.net: "It’s an easy move for Real Madrid to take him. You’re getting him on a free so you’re really not taking much of a gamble.
"So you take into account what you have in the team -they’ve got Luka Modric who’s 36, Toni Kroos is into his thirties, Casemiro will be 30 in February.
"That’s what you’re looking at. Of course you’ve got a number of players in and around the squad as well. I don’t think it would be a big issue to bring Pogba in."
- Justin Lawrence
CHIL'D VIBE
Ben Chilwell has insisted that he and Manchester United star Luke Shaw are pals despite fighting for a spot in the England team.
The Chelsea defender and Shaw are both vying for the left-back position in the Three Lions set-up, but that hasn't caused any issues between the pair who are great friends, Chilwell explained.
He said: "I’m good friends with Luke (Shaw). When you’ve got someone in the same position as you, it doesn’t have to be ‘ah, your enemies’.
"You’re fighting for the same shirt but you can be friends."
- Justin Lawrence
EASY CHOICE
Borussia Dortmund ace Immanuel Pherai has revealed it was an easy choice for him to turn down Manchester United in favour of the German side.
Pherai joined Dortmund from AZ Alkmaar in 2017 when United were also interested in his signature.
The midfielder told Goal: “I had offers from Ajax and Manchester United at the time. Only after that, BVB were added. I was confident enough to venture into another country,” he said.
“I quickly decided against Manchester, even if the interest was concrete and I was invited there.”
“After I spoke to Dortmund for the first time, the decision was pretty easy, because they showed me a concrete plan and I felt immediately at home.”
- Justin Lawrence
'EXTRA HAPPINESS'
Cristiano Ronaldo has expressed his happiness at being back in Portugal ahead of the international weekend.
The striker, 36, has been able to put his Manchester United woes behind him while training with the national team.
On Twitter he posted a photo of himself posing with two thumbs up at Portugal training camp.
And alongside the photo, he posted the caption: "Good morning. It's always extra happiness when I'm back in my country!"
Meanwhile, over on Instagram CR7 shared a snap of himself working hard in training.
He also posed for the camera alongside long time team-mate and friend Pepe, and captioned his post: "Ready for tomorrow! #letsgowitheverything."
- Justin Lawrence
BIG BUCKS
Paul Pogba is reportedly demanding to be on more money than Cristiano Ronaldo to stay at Manchester United.
The French midfielder, who may have played his last game for the Red Devils, becomes a free agent in the summer and has been linked with both Juventus and Real Madrid.
He is allegedly banking around £290,000-a-week at Old Trafford and is willing to sign a new contract.
L’Equipe even states that Pogba ‘has made no secret’ of his desire to extend his deal at United.
However, the midfielder is ‘clear’ with his demand that he is made the highest-paid player at the club and ultimately the Premier League.
That means Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side would need to offer him more than Ronaldo's £480,000-a-week package.
- Justin Lawrence
THE HEND IS NEAR
Dean Henderson wants to quit Manchester United at the end of the season if he can't reclaim the No1 spot from David De Gea, according to reports.
If he is still not in the United team by the end of the season, he will seek a move away from Old Trafford to make it happen, according to the Mail.
And Newcastle are reportedly willing to swoop for the £120,000-a-week goalkeeper.
Henderson, 24, played 26 times for the Red Devils last season.
But he tested positive for Covid in July and missed pre-season after it took him longer than expected to recover from the virus.
- Justin Lawrence
RON PRACTICE
Former Bayern Munich chief Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has revealed that Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo practices his goal celebrations before games.
Rummenigge says he once saw Ronaldo when visiting Juventus' changing room before the Portuguese ace returned to Old Trafford.
Rummenigge told Football Italia: “He was preparing the gestures for a goal celebration and we started laughing.
"I told him: ‘What are you doing?’ and he said: ‘How will I celebrate when I score the next one?'”
- Justin Lawrence
NOT HAPPY
Gary Neville has slammed Premier League bosses for decision to not support homeless charity Shelter.
Top-flight clubs were hoping to back Shelter’s #NoHomeKit initiative by all wearing their change kits on Boxing Day.
However, while the Football League has confirmed their support, the Premier League has said it goes against their rules.
Their stance infuriated Neville who raged on Twitter: "Imagine refusing a request to raise money and awareness for homelessness."
But the ex-United star reckons Prem sides can change the league's bosses mind and force them to 'u-turn' like prime minister Boris Johnson.
Neville added: "A Johnson-like U-turn on its way if the clubs push hard!"
- Justin Lawrence
SHAW'S IDOL
Manchester United ace Luke Shaw has revealed that ex-Chelsea star Ashley Cole was his idol growing up.
Cole was the Blues' No.1 left-back when Shaw was a kid, and the sight of him bombing up and down the wing at Stamford Bridge was a huge inspiration for the United defender.
Shaw told Fan Nation: "With Ashley Cole, I looked up to him. He was one of the best left-backs in the world for a number of years.
“(He) obviously played for England and I used to go to Chelsea games when I was younger and watch him and with me being a left-back.
"I always looked up to him and wanted to be like him because if I could be anything like him then you know you are doing something right."
- Justin Lawrence
LIN WIN
Manchester United star Victor Lindelöf isn't phased by the criticism aimed at the club.
United have been under scrutiny for their poor displays this season but Lindelof expects such pressure when playing for a big club such as the Red Devils.
He told Aftonblade: “When you play for United, there will always be a lot of media coverage. It goes up and down in football.
“We have performed very well in football as well. If you get some bad results, clearly a lot is written. Internally, we’re just trying to work hard and try to reverse the bad results.
“We have not got the results and performed as we wish. It hasn’t been the best possible, but that’s the way it is in football. It’s about coming back and working harder.”
- Justin Lawrence
TOP BOY
MANCHESTER UNITED have made Brendan Rodgers their top target to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it’s been claimed.
The Norwegian’s long-term future at Old Trafford is still in major doubt, despite the brass’ seemingly unwavering faith in him.
But embarrassing defeats to rivals Liverpool and Manchester City have reportedly prompted the Red Devils to identify potential replacements for their former striker.
And the Daily Star claims club chiefs want Leicester City boss Rodgers to take charge of the Old Trafford dugout.
And they’re said to be confident of acquiring his services.
It’s claimed a release clause in Rodgers’ contract – which permits him to leave for a Champions League club – has given United confidence in landing their man.
- Justin Lawrence
RADISH RASH
Marcus Rashford has teamed up with Aldi for its Christmas campaign as it pledged to donate £1.8 million meals to families over the festive period.
The ad, styled on A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, features returning favourite Kevin the Carrot alongside new character "Ebanana" Scrooge and the voice of Rashford.
Speaking on the ad, Rashford said: "As a family, we relied on the local food bank to get our Christmas dinner. To this day, I remember queuing outside that building with mum, mum feeling embarrassed that she might be recognised.
"It is with that in mind that I'm delighted to lend my support to the Aldi campaign.
"For many children in situations like mine growing up, there is very little expectation around this time of year; add the impact of the pandemic and the very least they deserve is a Christmas dinner."
- Chisanga Malata
MORNING, UNITED FANS
Anthony Martial is on Juventus' wish-list and Marcus Rashford insists United's under-fire players are as hungry for success as ever.
France frontman Martial is one of the players under a harsh spotlight after the Red Devils dropped to sixth in the Premier League.
And he's thought to be a back-up option for Juve, along with Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette, if the Italian giants lose the fight to sign Serbia superstar Dusan Vlahovic.
Edinson Cavani, 34, is reportedly under consideration by Barcelona.
Meanwhile, Rashford pledged United's squad will fight to transform their stuttering form as boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remains under pressure.
The England striker said: “I know at the moment we’re in a difficult patch but the desire and ambition never changes.
“The Man United team is the Man United team, and we all play for the badge and the club, something for me I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid."
Leicester chief Brendan Rodgers is now the 5/6 bookies’ odds-on favourite to succeed Solskjaer.
Finally, we put together a list of five clubs Cristiano Ronaldo could join should he decide to exit Old Trafford next summer.
Aside from Manchester City, old club Real Madrid and PSG, Ron's original club Sporting Lisbon and David Beckham's Inter Miami are possible options.
Credit: AP - Ian Tuckey
JUVE KEEN ON MARTIAL AND LACAZETTE
Anthony Martial and Alexandre Lacazette are both reportedly being targeted by Juventus if they fail to land Dusan Vlahovic.
The Old Lady are battling both Arsenal and Tottenham to sign the Serbian striker from Fiorentina.
The 21-year-old is out of contract in 2023 and has so far resisted penning an extension, leading to speculation he could soon be departing for £68million.
Juventus are desperate to snatch him from their Serie A rivals – however they have also allegedly drawn-up a list of five potential alternatives.
Calciomercato claims boss Max Allegri has identified both Manchester United outcast Martial and Arsenal’s Lacazette as other options.
- Ian Tuckey
ROD STEWART BLASTS 'DISRESPECTFUL' RONALDO
If footie fan Rod puts Celtic and Scotland first, he’s always taken a keen interest in Man United.
This goes back to the incredible Busby Babes, the young team nurtured by legendary Scots manager Matt Busby in the Fifties.
Eight players were killed in the devastating 1958 Munich air disaster.
So, what’s Rod’s take on the return of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo to Old Trafford?
“Oh, it’s wonderful, it’s everywhere you go,” he says.
“But I’m a little disturbed that he was on the touchline the other night, taking over from Ole (manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer).
“He’s got to stop that, it’s very disrespectful.
“One manager, one player!”
And it looks like Ronald is set to be snubbed for a 'dream' Manchester United coaching role – both now and in the future.
As revealed by SunSport earlier this season, the star wants to end his playing career at Old Trafford and then step into a backroom staff role.
Senior figures within the club insist he was brought back exclusively as a player – and recognise he could still have plenty more seasons in the tank which would see him play into his 40s.
- Ian Tuckey
5 CLUBS RON COULD JOIN
Cristiano Ronaldo has several options available to him if he decides to quit Manchester United at the end of the season.
The Portuguese, 36, is reportedly open to leaving if United fail to qualify for the Champions League next season.
And with the Red Devils struggling at present and six points off the top four, CR7 could be heading for an early exit.
But given he still has a burning desire to win the big trophies, that could mean he stays in Europe and possibly even England.
He was linked to Manchester City in the summer and could make a daring switch across the city, or perhaps return to one of his former employers.
Here are five clubs Ronaldo could join if he leaves Old Trafford:
MANCHESTER CITY
REAL MADRID
PSG
SPORTING LISBON
INTER MIAMICLICK HERE FOR OUR FULL LOWDOWN ON THESE POTENTIAL MOVES
Source: Read Full Article