Man Utd 'miss Rice opportunity', 'block' Henderson move, why Lingard is staying

Manchester United players want Old Trafford bosses to step up their pursuit of unsettled Paris Saint-Germain boss Mauricio Pochettino.The Express report several senior members of the United squad are understood to be keen on working under the former Tottenham manager. And while interim boss Ralf Rangnick remains a fan of Ajax’s Eric Ten Hag and will have the biggest say in the recruitment of the next manager, the players’ views have been noted.

Cristiano Ronaldo has become such a popular figure on Instagram that he can triple his current Manchester United wages on the app.Fresh data, supplied by betting experts OLBG, shows that the recently turned 37-year-old has had his follower count grow by 163 million over the past five months.His potential earnings for sponsored Instagram posts are £1,720,000 per post - and that’s a figure which is over triple his weekly wage of £480,000 with United.The superstar is now the most popular figure on the social media app - with some 400million accounts following the attacker.This means the former Real Madrid player has more followers than all 92 football clubs in the English Football League pyramid.Celebrity Kylie Jenner is just behind with 309million followers.Following United’s 1-1 draw with relegation strugglers Burnley, Scott McTominay has backed up Ronaldo’s statement that for it to be a good season the side must finish in the Premier League’s top three and win a trophy.It’s a tall order as United are currently fifth in the Premier League after their at Turf Moor on Tuesday night. Paul Pogba scored the opening goal for Ralf Rangnick’s side but then Wout Weghorst’s ingenious pass paved the way for Jay Rodriguez to draw the home side level.

The joy of August 31 when Cristiano Ronaldo made his long-awaited return to Manchester United feels far away now.

Manchester United's players must start performing for the full 90 minutes, rather than just in portions of games, if they are to finish in the Premier League's top four.

Sir Alex Ferguson was a disappointed spectator at Turf Moor on Tuesday evening as Manchester United were held to a draw by Burnley in the Premier League.The iconic former United boss, who led the club to 13 league titles between 1993 and 2013, was in the stands as the rain poured down in Lancashire.With Burnley hitting back through Jay Rodriguez after Paul Pogba's opener, the cameras focused on 80-year-old Ferguson after his former side had two goals ruled out.The Scot looked less than pleased with what he was seeing, with Ralf Rangnick admitting that his team need to improve if they are to secure Champions League qualification.He told MOTD: "I think we played a fantastic first half, couldn't have played any better. "We scored three goals, the second that was disallowed I cannot understand.

Manchester United fell out of the top four after failing to beat bottom of the table Burnley on Tuesday night, drawing 1-1 with Sean Dyche's side.Paul Pogba opened the scoring for the Red Devils in the 18th minute as he guided the ball into the top corner after being teed up just inside the box by Luke Shaw.The Clarets then equalised just two minutes after halftime through Jay Rodriguez after the Englishman dinked a neat finish over David De Gea following an excellent piece of skill by Wout Weghorst.West Ham's 1-0 victory over Watford on the night means that United are sat just a point out of the Champions League places.But despite the draw masking what was a fairly strong display by Ralf Rangnick's display - especially in the first half- so, what did the manager get right?English team mates Luke Shaw and Jadon Sancho caused the Burnley defence an abundance of issues down the left wing and the pair appear to be on the cusp of a forming a great partnership.Since his arrival from Borussia Dortmund, Sancho has struggled to adjust to the Premier League. However, forming a relationship with Shaw down the left could see him begin to justify his mega price tag.The pair were able to stretch the Burnley defence and cause overloads outwide, especially in the first half, which in turn led to Pogba’s goal.Discussing Sancho’s struggles so far, Rio Ferdinand told BT: “Jadon Sancho is a player who gets players off balance, play’s one-twos, follows passes, very good in that sense." "I think some people expected with the price-tag and he’s came to Man United he’s going to be someone marauding from box-to-box, he not like that.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s abilities after preferring Edinson Cavani for Manchester United tonight. The Red Devils face Burnley where both sides are in dire need of a win for different reasons.

Manchester United have wasted plenty of money over the last century, and it has revealed that they spent £908m on new signings.Since the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, the Red Devils have struggled in all competitions and continually looked to the transfer market to try and bring in players to reignite the team.But a large bulk of their acquisitions have flopped at Old Trafford.Angel Di Maria (£67.5m), Anthony Martial (£54m) and Harry Maguire (£78m) are just a few names amongst a plethora of players who have massively underperformed since joining United.Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane were purchased ahead of the start of the season for a combined total of £112.5m, and although neither have lit up the Premier League just yet, it is too early to completely judge either of the pair.According to CIES Football Observatory, the club have made the biggest loss on transfers in the past 10 years - £78m more than rivals Manchester City, who have trophies and a star-studded squad for their expenditure.United are currently sitting in fourth place in the Premier League and have been tipped by many to splash the cash again in the summer once a permanent manager is found. Current boss Ralf Rangnick went unbacked in the January transfer window, with the board keen to only buy players who are part of the plans of his successor.

Manchester United passed on the chance to sign Denis Zakaria last month, a decision they may well regret based on the midfielder's Juventus debut.

Ralf Rangnick thought Raphael Varane had his 'best game' for Manchester United in their FA Cup defeat to Middlesbrough and no longer has any injury issues.

Ralf Rangnick at the end of this season, along with Mauricio Pochettino and Brendan Rodgers.

West Ham - but it will be to boyhood club Chelsea and not Manchester United, according to reports. The 23-year-old has been rumoured to be leaving the Hammers this summer, with a number of Premier League clubs interested.United, who are in desperate need of bolstering their holding midfield position, are reportedly keen.

Manchester United have already decided on three midfielders who will be on their 15 strong list of summer transfer targets following a disappointing January window.Ralf Rangnick's side look in desperate need of a summer revamp following a string of inconsistent results, with a new manager set to come in before next season.And despite that uncertainty over who will be in charge, the club have already decided on three names who will make up some of the 15 potential midfield arrivals.With plans to turn that list of 15 into a potential 10 before the season is complete, two England internationals have already done enough at their current clubs to be included.ESPN reports details about the plan to outline 15 potential midfield arrivals, with West Ham's Declan Rice, Leeds United's Kalvin Phillips and Amadou Haidara of RB Leipzig all being considered.Hammers boss David Moyes has been firm on the future of Rice, and it could take a bid in the region of £100million to see the club part with their star player.Leeds on the other hand are well placed to tie Phillips down to a new contract, with the player pleased that they blocked deadline day interest from West Ham.Haidara, 24, has stood out in the Bundesliga over the past three seasons, and has now made 101 appearances for the club while scoring 10 goals.Who should Manchester United make their key transfer target? Give us your verdict in the comments sectionThat comes after United decided not to add to their squad in January despite their inconsistent form since the end of September.United might still be in the running for an unlikely Champions League victory, but crashed out of the FA Cup at the fourth round stage to add to their League Cup disappointment.In the Premier League the

Cristiano Ronaldo and Mauricio Pochettino could trade places this summer as Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain brace themselves for some serious changes.United will need to appoint a new permanent manager in the coming months with interim head coach Ralf Rangnick's temporary deal set to expire at the end of the season, and Pochettino has been the frontrunner for some time.Meanwhile, reports suggest that Ronaldo already wants out of Old Trafford despite only returning to the club in August, with a move to Paris now looking likely.The French giants are preparing for life without Kylian Mbappe, who has reportedly agreed to join Real Madrid in the summer, and are considering replacing him with Ronaldo, according to the Mirror.The switch would see the 37-year-old lining up in the same team as eternal rival Lionel Messi for the very first time.Speculation surrounding the Portugal international's unhappiness in Manchester has intensified ever since the Red Devils were dumped out of the FA Cup on penalties by Championship side Middlesbrough on Friday.Ronaldo missed a number of chances during the game, including a penalty, and has now failed to find the back of the net in four matches, and is now one game away from his longest goal drought in over a decade.With United out of the Carabao Cup and trailing league leaders Manchester City by 19 points, the only piece of silverware Ronaldo can now hope to pick up this season is the Champions League.Which club would benefit most from this swap? Let us know what you think in the comments section below...As for Pochettino, United made an approach for him in November following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, but prying him away from PSG mid-season was always going to be tough

FA Cup loss to Middlesbrough to declare life a "rollercoaster".The Man United forward missed a penalty in the first half which would have put his side ahead before Jadon Sancho netted to give the Red Devils the lead at Old Trafford.But Matt Crooks levelled after the ball appeared to strike Duncan Watmore's hand before he crossed for the equaliser and the match finished 1-1 after extra-time.That led to the match going to penalties, where 19-year-old Anthony Elnaga missed the crucial spot-kick to knock United out of the competiton.Ronaldo was seen with an arm around Elanga as they left the pitch at Old Trafford, and the Portuguese superstar has now broken his silence following the loss.Sharing a post on Instagram on Saturday night, Cristiano shared a photo from his birthday celebrations after he turned 37 the day after the FA Cup defeat.In the photo, Ronaldo is seen alongside partner Georgina Rodriguez and a "CR7" birthday cake.The Portugal international referred to "hard work, high speed, urgent goals, demanding expectations", but appears to have put the FA Cup loss behind him as he shared the things he think "make it all worth it". Have your say! Where will Manchester United finish in the Premier League this season? Let us know in the comments below... In the post he wrote: "Life is a roller coaster.

Manchester United are set to hold recruitment meetings with interim boss Ralf Rangnick to discuss future signings, despite the fact he won't be in charge next season. That's according to ESPN, who report that detailed discussions will now take place each month following the closure of the January transfer window. United decided against adding to their squad last month because their top targets did not become available, with the club choosing instead to bide their time and do their business in the summer.

Manchester United were knocked out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough on Friday night in a historic victory, though Sol Bamba didn’t appear too overwhelmed by the occasion.After a 1-1 draw after extra time, the game was settled by penalties.Young winger Anthony Elanga blazed his spot-kick over the bar in sudden death which led to huge celebrations from the players and the 9,000 away supporters – bar Bamba.Instead of racing around the pitch in sheer joy, the defender simply stood with his hands aloft, emotionless after the 16-shot shootout – in which he coolly put away his penalty.The former Cardiff City was caught in the act, with the official Emirates FA Cup Twitter account tweeting the photos with the caption: “What a feeling! Not sunk in for Sol Bamba, though!”The 37-year-old then replied: “I’m too old for this s***,” with three laughing emojis. United’s chances of securing any silverware under Ralf Rangnick now look incredibly slim, with the Premier League title markedly out of reach and the club with a tough Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid on the horizon.

Manchester United fans spotted the ‘disgust’ on legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s face during their dire FA Cup defeat to Middlesbrough.The Red Devils lost on penalties to the Championship side and struggled to break down what was a stubborn Boro defence. It was yet another dreadful performance from United, who have rarely impressed this season under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer or his replacement Ralf Rangnick.

Manchester United youngster Anthony Elanga missed the decisive spot-kick as Ralf Rangnick's side were dumped out of the FA Cup by Middlesbrough on Friday night.Jadon Sancho's first-half opener was cancelled out by Matt Crooks, whose second-half strike was controversially allowed to stand despite a very clear handball in the build-up.Penalties beckoned when 120 minutes failed to separate the two sides, with the winner destined to advance to the fifth round of the cup.An incredible 15 spot-kicks were scored in a row, before Elanga stepped up and blazed his effort over the bar, sending the Middlesbrough supporters absolutely wild.A number of senior players including Cristiano Ronaldo, Juan Mata and Bruno Fernandes rushed over to comfort the teenager, who looked devastated to have cost his side so dearly.Ronaldo - who missed a first-half penalty himself - was spotted with his arm around Elanga for some time, no doubt offering some invaluable words of advice, and interim boss Rangnick also offered the youngster some words of support.How would you rate Ralf Rangnick's performance as Manchester United manager out of 10? Let us know in the comments section below...Want to be on the ball with all of the latest football news?Well then sign up for the brilliant Daily Star football email newsletter!From the latest transfer news to the agenda-setting stories, get it all in your email inbox - don't miss a thing.It only takes a matter of seconds.Simply type your email address into the box at the top of this article and hit 'subscribe'.And that's it, job done.

Former captain Roy Keane has accused Paul Pogba of failing to produce the consistency expected of him during his second spell at Manchester United.

Manchester United's squad for the remainder of the Premier League season includes no fewer than four goalkeepers.Clubs have been required to confirm their squad lists for the rest of the season following the end of the January transfer window, with squads of up to 25 permitted. Of these 25 players, at least eight must have homegrown status, meaning they played for a club in England for at least three years before the age of 21.United have comfortably met this requirement by including 14 homegrown players as they named 23 players on their squad list, of which four are keepers.Ralf Rangnick has included January player of the month David de Gea and Dean Henderson along with veteran stoppers Tom Heaton and Lee Grant.With four keepers included in the 23-man squad, just 19 outfield players have been registered for United's remaining 16 league matches.However, United will be able to call on more players, with those aged under 21 not required to be named in the squad, such as 19-year-old Hannibal Mejbri.Rangnick has confirmed that the Tunisian midfielder has been promoted to the first-team squad for the remainder of the campaign.Where will Manchester United finish in the Premier League this season? Let us know in the comments section below.Speaking ahead of Friday's FA Cup match against Middlesbrough, he said: "He will, from now on, regularly train with us.