MUFC Daily News

Lukaku, 24, has scored four goals in his first three Manchester United starts but is set to face competition from 35-year-old Ibrahimovic when the Swede returns from injury later in the season. United's decision to re-sign Ibrahimovic has bolstered Mourinho's attack but could also provide him with a dilemma as to who starts up front during the run-in, when United will hope to be challenging for the Premier League. Mourinho had already fielded over half-a-dozen questions on Ibrahimovic's return before he was asked about whether Lukaku and Ibrahimovic could form a successful axis. "No," Mourinho replied, refusing to take any more questions on Ibrahimovic. "In this moment they can speak on the phone that is all they can do, not even face-to-face because he [Ibrahimovic]’s not here." Earlier, Mourinho said: "If we progress in the Champions League and if we progress in one of the two cups, I don’t even say both, if we do ...

Jose Mourinho does not expect Manchester United to clinch their fourth priority target before the transfer window closes. MUFC Daily News understand that Mourinho had settled on signing a centre-back, a defensive midfielder, a winger and a striker ahead of the new season but United have failed to recruit a wide player so far. Victor Lindelof, Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic have arrived but the club had bids rejected by Internazionale for Ivan Perisic and Danny Rose's flirtation could not persuade United to bid for the Tottenham left-back, despite their interest. Mourinho said "Everyone knows I would like a fourth player and I can’t hide that because I had it in my mind," Mourinho reiterated during his press conference on Friday. "But I am happy if I am not going to have [a fourth player] and I don’t think I am going to have. "And I was the first to tell my board not to feel any kind of pressure from me in that respect, but probably n...

  United's decision to re-sign Ibrahimovic until the end of the current campaign has bolstered an already enviable attack which has walloped West Ham and Swansea 4-0 this month, while £75million signing Lukaku has hit four goals in three games. The prolific Lukaku has started with Marcus Rashford, Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata in attack but Anthony Martial has struck twice as a substitute and Paul Pogba already has more goals than he had in mid-October last year. Mourinho rarely plays two up front and Ibrahimovic's return could provide him with a dilemma as to whether the 35-year-old, who has made just six substitute appearances in league and Champions League matches throughout his career, plays second fiddle to Lukaku. "I see Zlatan as important for the team," Mourinho said. " I just say that my squad is better for sure, he is one more option, he is one more striker, he is one more experienced player, he is one more player tha...

The 22-year-old left-back had not played in any sort of match since damaging ligaments against Swansea City at Old Trafford in April, but he gladly made his return to action at Leigh Sports Village as Ricky Sbragia’s youngsters secured a 1-1 draw, coincidentally against the Swans' youth side. Shaw played for 59 minutes on Monday and so too did Ashley Young, who had also been sidelined through injury since picking up a serious hamstring problem in last season’s UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg tie at Celta Vigo in Spain, rendering Monday an important night for the duo. “I’m feeling really good and I only push on from here,” a smiling Shaw told MUTV after the final whistle. “I’m looking for the first-team spot now, I’m going to keep pushing, and when the manager needs me I’m going to be ready. Whenever that is, I’m really looking forward to it. I’d rather it was sooner rather than later, but I’m feeling good and whenever I’m called upon, I’m ready. ...

Manchester United can win the title this season because they have the experience and balance in their squad to go all the way, according to club legend Ryan Giggs. Following two consecutive 4-0 wins, against both West Ham and Swansea, Jose Mourinho's side have made their best start to a league season since 1907. New signings Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku have hit the ground running and already caught the eye at this early stage of the season. And Giggs feels that with Mourinho in charge, and a squad filled with power and creativity, his former side can finally end their title drought. "I think it was documented when the fixtures came out, while there’s no easy games in the Premier League, it was a pretty good start for Manchester United and the team have delivered with two 4-0 wins," he wrote for Sky Sports. "When Jose Mourinho’s sides get going they are very difficult to stop. He’s done in the past and, while it’s important dea...

Anthony Martial believes his Manchester United team-mate Paul Pogba is “probably the best midfield player in the world”, who could become a Ballon d’Or winner within five years. Martial made that claim while speaking to MUTV last month for an upcoming documentary about Pogba, who has since made an excellent start to the season by scoring two goals and setting up four others in the consecutive 4-0 Premier League wins over West Ham United and Swansea City. The stage is certainly set for Pogba to enjoy a successful second season under Jose Mourinho's management, following a 2016/17 campaign that yielded 53 appearances, nine goals and three trophies.  Martial feels his friend has all of the physical and mental attributes that are needed to become the world’s best player, as he told us: “Paul is very mentally strong and he is very sure of himself. “He is a big guy, he is very technical on the ball and he has lots of endurance,” Martial continued. “I ...

Three Premier League goals in two matches for £75m striker Lukaku and a man of the match opening day award for the Serbian midfielder who has cemented his role as an influential on-field figure at Old Trafford. And Henrikh Mkhitaryan has pinpointed the reason why at least two of manager Jose Mourinho 's £140m summer investments have made a major impact immediately. But Mkhitaryan promised United were not getting ahead of themselves, saying: 'Let's not rush because it's only two games played. We still have 36 games to play in the Premier League. So let's go just step by step to try and win every game and at the end see where we arrive.'   Summer signings Lukaku and Nemanja Matic have both hit the ground running after making respective moves from Everton and Chelsea. Lukaku has scored three goals in two games and Matic has been a towering midfield figure in screening the back four and getting United on the front foot. Mkhi...

Roy Keane insists it was only his decision to appeal a fine that led to his Manchester United departure.  Then club captain, Keane left Old Trafford in acrimonious fashion in 2005, following a controversial interview with MUTV about a 4-1 defeat to Middlesbrough when he criticised the performance of a number of his teammates.  Although the interview was pulled, tensions had been brewing between Keane and Sir Alex Ferguson , and the midfielder had his contract cancelled in November 2005, and the following month he was confirmed as a Celtic player.  But Keane now insists that his exit from United was not to do with a row with Ferguson, but instead cited his decision to appeal the £5,000 fine he received for doing the interview. He told the Limerick Leader : “The only reason I ended up leaving Man United was I appealed a £5,000 fine.  “If I hadn’t appealed the fine I wouldn’t have left Man United. “Don’t be brainwashed by the prop...

A late Manchester United swoop for Inter Milan winger Ivan Perisic is fading fast. The Croatian's boss Luciano Spalletti said the 28-year-old has not shown any new signs that he wants to leave Inter, despite United manager Jose Mourinho being linked with him all summer. “Since the start, the club spoke with Ivan, as did I, he came and told us some things, because you need specific characteristics to stay here. We must all be ready to listen to how everyone else sees things,” said Spalletti. “Perisic is a great player, in the vein of Giacinto Facchetti, Javier Zanetti and Marco Materazzi, a leader who gives something more than an individual usually does. “After this initial discussion, I never had any more signals of a departure, in training or outside of it. “Ivan is someone who has his own training schedule after the session is finished, working in the gym, and is one of the most professional players I've met. “He does something that o...

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho speaking to BBC Sport: "During almost 90 minutes, I don't say 90 because there was a moment when they had a chance and we lost a little bit the confidence. They were waiting with class, calm and consistency for the moment to kill the game. "Swansea played with five in the back and they had a moment when they felt they had to change and when they did we had more space and killed the game. "I felt in control, if you had a chance to look at me and my body language I think you could see that. Football is football and when you make a mistake you can concede so I never felt totally relaxed. I had players on the bench who could help me."  "Happiness in our play. It happened to me so much with my teams, you winning 1-0 and you can can concede. There was no need to close the door, just let the horses run freely. "Anthony Martial is working hard. He is confident. The French language connection is t...

When asked by Sky Sports whether he thought he could have seen red, Pogba insisted he did not think he fouled Olsson.  "To be honest no," Pogba replied. "The second one, no, the first one, I saw it again it's a yellow card, we had a lot of pressure and we were not in the best moment and I was doing some stupid fouls. "But the second one I wasn't worried, so for me it wasn’t a foul. And that’s why I laughed with him when he talked to me, I said 'Are you serious?' So it’s okay. "I think it would have been very hard for us with a red card in the first-half. We had a very good result. Four-nil again with the clean sheet, so we carry on on this road and we want this and we have to carry on like that. "I think we’re more confident [than last season], we know each other more, now it’s the second year, in the first year, you have the first year with the manager, you have to change the team, it’s not easy, and we ...

Mata and Hummels will collaborate off the pitch Mats Hummels has followed Manchester United player Juan Mata's lead by pledging one per cent of his salary to charity. Bayern Munich defender Hummels, who came close to joining United in 2014, messaged Mata after it emerged the playmaker had decided to donate one per cent of his wages to football-based charities. "It's time to celebrate a great news for Common Goal because last week I got an unexpected message from my phone and I'm going to read it to you," Mata said in a video message. "'Hi Juan, this is Mats Hummels, just wanted to congratulate you on your Common Goal, fantastic project. Would be great to discuss with you and your team how I can get involved.' "So obviously after that I was really, really happy, I put Mats in contact with our Common Goal team, and he eventually joined. He's a new member of Common Goal so, again, it's a great day for football. W...

Midfield ace Nemanja Matic has revealed he wants to be a Manchester United player for a long time after the Reds’ superb opening Premier League win over West Ham. Jose Mourinho’s men ran out 4-0 victors at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon courtesy of a fine brace from Romelu Lukaku, as well as late goals from Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba. However, it was Matic who stole the show as he was voted United’s Man of the Match, and, after the game, he admitted it was his team-mates’ warm welcome that helped him to settle in so quickly. “Thanks to the guys, they have accepted me from my first day and I feel their support,” he told MUTV . “Thanks to them, I feel very comfortable and I feel like I will be here a long time. They have helped me, and I am happy if I give them something back, and that I helped us to win. “We played good football, and I think our supporters enjoyed it as well. It’s good to start well with three points, the season is long but we have ...

Anthony Martial has set himself personal targets at Manchester United this season and is planning to win 'as many titles as possible' with the club. The Reds began the 2017/18 campaign with a superb 4-0 win over West Ham United at Old Trafford on Sunday, which has placed Jose Mourinho’s at the top of the table following the opening weekend. Martial scored one of three second-half goals against the Hammers with an excellent finish, and then set up another for Paul Pogba, capping his terrific 11-minute cameo appearance as a substitute. Speaking exclusively to Inside United magazine on the eve of the season, the Frenchman discussed his and the club’s aims for the term ahead. “As a squad, we haven’t really talked about specific aims for the season too much so far, but the goal is to win as many titles as possible,” said Martial. “That is what we tried to do last year and it's what we are going to try to do this year. Personally, my main goal is t...

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has explained that he will give Victor Lindelof time to adapt to English football following the defender's summer move from Benfica. The boss has explained how Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic are already well versed in the Premier League and that is why they were able to make instant impacts in the 4-0 win over West Ham United. As for Lindelof, he will be given time to settle at Old Trafford with Phil Jones and Eric Bailly starting at the back against the Hammers. "I think Real Madrid [in the UEFA Super Cup] was too early for him," said Mourinho. "He played because Jones and Bailly were both suspended. "I've had players coming from different leagues to the Premier League and, normally, it's not easy. It's different for Lukaku and Matic as they have had years and years in the Premier League. "I brought Ricardo Carvalho to Chelsea in 2004 and he was a phenomenal defend...

Mata is now looking to give something back Manchester United's Spanish midfielder Juan Mata tells us why he's giving something back... Today, I am launching something that I hope will help to change the world, even if only in some small way. And I hope that other footballers around the world will help me in this goal. But before I tell you about it, I must tell you what football means to me. To do that we have to start with something that I will never forget. I can still see the cross coming in. I can see the ball bouncing off Thomas Muller's head, looping over Petr Cech and then hitting the crossbar and going in. And then I remember the sound. I couldn't even hear myself think … it was just pure electricity. Bayern Munich had scored in Munich, in the 83rd minute of the 2012 Champions League final to go up 1-0 on Chelsea - my team. I don't know if I've ever heard a sound like that before. A few seconds later, I was standing...

Neymar has signed a five-year contract with the French club Neymar has completed his world-record transfer to Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona for £200m. Barcelona confirmed payment for Neymar's 222m euros buyout clause had been received earlier on Thursday, despite the transfer hitting a stumbling block when La Liga refused to accept the release clause. Neymar has now signed a five-year contract at the Parc des Princes, where he will face the media on Friday and be formally presented as a PSG player when the club begin their Ligue 1 campaign at home to Amiens on Saturday. "I am extremely happy to join Paris Saint-Germain," said Neymar. "Since I arrived in Europe, the club has always been one of the most competitive and most ambitious. "And the biggest challenge, what most motivated me to join my new team-mates is to help the club to conquer the titles that their fans want. "Paris Saint-Germain's ambiti...