Manchester United transfer news RECAP Zidane Iqbal offer accepted plus Martinez injury update

We’ll end today’s United transfer blog at this point – thanks for sticking with our coverage throughout the day.

As ever, we’ll be back first thing tomorrow morning with another live blog throughout the day to bring you all the latest transfer-wise concerning Old Trafford and what developments are made.

Until then, have a good night and see you tomorrow morning, Reds!

Daley Blind has lifted the lid on how the United dressing room learnt that Louis van Gaal was sacked.

Van Gaal brought Blind to the club in the summer of 2014 and oversaw the club winning the FA Cup in 2016. United beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Wembley to lift the famous old trophy.

Speculation built before and after the game that the final was going to be Van Gaal’s last in charge. That proved to be the case and he was relieved of his duties in due course and was replaced by Jose Mourinho.

Blind has now lifted the lid on how the players discovered their boss was getting the chop and that they learnt the news in a party after winning the FA Cup.

Here’s what the defender had to say.

Erik ten Hag has said Lisandro Martinez will be back for pre-season and he looks to be making good progress with that aim here.

Premier League clubs have voted in favour of reforming the Under-21s league which will have an impact upon United’s youth teams.

At the moment, Category One clubs compete across two divisions in the Premier League, with 14 teams in the top-tier and 11 teams in the bottom-tier.

But things have now changed with a so-called ‘Swiss model’ brought in which will see sides seeded into five pots of five teams and will see teams play each club in their own pot plus four or five teams from the other pots, with a knock-out phase to follow.

Find out what the specifics will be here.

United defender Brandon Williams has linked up with former teammate Jesse Lingard as the pair continue their fitness work in Los Angeles through the off-season.

A long injury lay-off restricted Williams to just five minutes of first-team football last term, and he looks to be taking his summer break seriously in order to avoid a repeat.

Williams has linked up with Lingard, who left United last summer and moved to Nottingham Forest. Lingard is now a free agent after being released by the City Ground side after the club survived to drop in their first season back in the Premier League.

Here’s what the duo have been getting up to.

United supporters are far from happy it seems after hearing about Zidane Iqbal’s imminent move to FC Utrecht.

The midfielder is set to move to the Dutch side after an offer believed to be around €1million was accepted by United from the Dutch outfit.

He is set to sign a four-year contract at the Eredivisie side after having a medical.

But United fans have reacted angrily to the move and highlighted a key point.

It did not take long for United fans to take notice of Declan Rice’s reaction to Luke Shaw’s picture with Bukayo Saka.

The United defender posed with the Arsenal man after his hat-trick for England last night against North Macedonia. West Ham United midfielder Rice commented on the post too, but United fans were quick to jump on his response.

Rice is expected to leave West Ham this summer as he only has one year left on his deal at the London Stadium. Arsenal have had a bid of £90m turned down for the midfielder, but United have also been linked with a move for him.

United fans had a clear message on the matter.

Gary Neville has labelled the Glazers as “embarrassing” in his latest rant against United’s owners, slamming them for their lack of communication amid the takeover process.

No direct update has been given by the club’s board since November’s sale announcement. Aside from the two parties interested, there is little clarity on the issue which has been rumbling on for more than seven months.

The takeover process is now in its seventh month and Neville has not held back in his criticism of the Glazers for taking so long to reach a conclusion.

Here’s what the former United defender said

Gary Lineker has named Manchester United as one of the three clubs with the greatest pulling power in world football.

The former England striker believes that United along with El Clasico duo Real Madrid and Barcelona are the top three sides in terms of stature within the game.

United were also said to be open to facilitating a move for Jude Bellingham, but the England midfielder ended up making the move to Real.

Match of the Day host Lineker has had his say on the transfer and explained why United are in his top three sides in world football.

Here’s what he had to say.

For all he’s achieved at Tottenham, for all he is the local boy done good, he is going to end up with a medal haul unworthy of his abilities unless he gets out of there quickly.

This is the summer he has to be forceful. He has to go public in telling Levy he wants out and if it comes to it he has to submit a transfer request.

He can’t allow another opportunity to pass him by. United won’t win the treble next season, but over the remainder of Kane’s career it is almost a certainty that they will win more trophies than Tottenham.

Read more of our senior football writer Tyrone Marshall on the potential of Kane joining United this summer.

United legend Gary Neville has urged the Premier League to look into Saudi Arabia’s heavy investment in players this summer.

Ruben Neves and several Chelsea players are in the process of finalising moves to the Gulf state. It follows the move in winter of Cristiano Ronaldo from United to the area.

Neville has now demanded that the Premier League take a closer look at Saudi’s investment attempts in Premier League players.

Here is what he has had to say on the matter.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has suggested that Manchester United target Victor Osimhen has verbally agreed to extend his time at the Italian club for another two years.

The Nigerian is out of contract as things stand in the summer of 2025 and is on the list of targets for United this summer as they seek to strengthen their options in the centre forward department.

But De Laurentiis has claimed that Osimhen will extend his time at Napoli until 2027, and that only an offer the club “could not refuse” would change the Serie A champions’ intention to keep hold of him.

United fans have had their say on the comments amid the club’s search for a new centre forward.

Atalanta forward Rasmus Hojlund is on Bayern Munich’s summer shortlist, according to BILD.

United have made signing a striker their transfer priority and Hojlund is a player of interest at Old Trafford, with Ten Hag having already spoken to the player over a video call.

Hojlund enjoyed a promising season with Atalanta and it’s claimed Bayern have also added the frontman to their shortlist, seeing him as a cheaper alternative with high potential.

• 12 July | Leeds, Oslo
• 19 July | Lyon, Edinburgh
• 22 July | Arsenal, New Jersey
• 25 July | Wrexham, San Diego
• 26 July | Real Madrid, Houston
• 30 July | Dortmund, Las Vegas
• 6 August | Bilbao, Dublin

Have you heard the one about the Scotsman, the Portuguese, the Norwegian and the two Dutchmen? It is not a snappy punchline or particularly funny if you’re of a Manchester United persuasion.

The aforementioned quintet of managers signed players over a 12-year period and they were assembled in the same squad for the club’s biggest FA Cup final in a generation.

United’s opponents 17 days ago? Only one City player was not recruited during Pep Guardiola’s seven-year reign (Kevin de Bruyne).

Read the full piece here.

United were the favourites to sign Kane just a few weeks ago…

Harry Kane next club odds

• Tottenham – 8/13
• Real Madrid – 15/8
• Manchester United – 13/2
• Bayern Munich – 16/1
• Chelsea – 16/1
• Newcastle – 22/1
• Paris Saint-Germain – 25/1
• Barcelona – 66/1

Odds via Betway.

Andy Cole has given his verdict on Antony after an indifferent first season.

“This inverted winger role that Antony plays, as a striker you want your wingers to create chances for you,” Cole told Genting Casino. “Antony has had two assists in the Premier League this season, and he’s only scored four goals. I know it’s his first season and Manchester United paid a lot of money for him, but if you’re a winger then you have to be creating more chances. Look at Manchester United’s former players like David Beckham and Ryan Giggs, look at their goals and assists, that’s Manchester United’s standards. Will Antony improve next season? I hope so, he’s young but we’ll have to see.”

The Glazers are ‘very slow’ at making decisions, according to the Financial Times.

Although United were put up for sale in November, uncertainty at Old Trafford remains eight months on, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim still locked in talks to buy the club.

A source told FT: “The Glazers are very slow decision-makers who are deliberate in how they think about things. Joel takes forever on any decision he makes [and] this is a huge decision.”

This won’t shock any supporters…

Napoli’s president has claimed bids for Victor Osimhen will be considered this summer, but suggested the Nigerian forward has already agreed to extend his stay with the Serie A champions until 2027.

The 24-year-old is one of the most sought-after forwards in the world after a brilliant season. Osimhen’s goals fired Napoli to their first Serie A title in over three decades and his displays in the Champions League were impressive.

Osimhen scored 31 goals in 39 appearances and he’s now attracting interest from the Premier League, with Erik ten Hag among the managers in the division actively considering a bid for the striker in the summer window.

Read what he said here.

Eintracht Frankfurt remain interested in Victor Lindelof, according to Football Insider.

The article claims Frankfurt are eyeing a move for Lindelof as he opens contract renewal talks with United, with just one year remaining on his deal (the club have an extension clause).

It’s said a well-placed source revealed that the centre-back ‘earned the trust’ of manager Erik ten Hag this season, but that Frankfurt are waiting in the wings if talks over a new deal collapse.

United want to sign a new first-choice goalkeeper this summer.

Figures at United have decided a new starting ‘keeper is essential amid doubts over David de Gea’s future.

The Manchester Evening News revealed last month there was uncertainty over De Gea’s No.1 role beyond this season and reported today that figures at United want to “move on” from the Spaniard.

Read more here.

David de Gea

There were matchwinning performances against West Ham (twice), Leicester and Fulham and no ‘keeper kept more Premier League clean sheets. Yet there were catastrophic errors against Brentford, Sevilla and West Ham, while he was culpable for Ilkay Gundogan’s FA Cup final winner. Shot-stopping is the sole strength of a ‘keeper who has metaphorically and literally stood still. 6

Diogo Dalot

One of the in-form right-backs in Europe going into the World Cup, Dalot’s injury in Portugal’s quarter-final defeat to Morocco had severe ramifications for the remainder of his club season. Dalot barely performed from January onwards and his regression was so acute Aaron Wan-Bissaka started ahead of him in the FA Cup final. 6

Read the full ratings here.

United want to sign a new first-choice goalkeeper this summer.

Figures at United have decided a new starting ‘keeper is essential amid doubts over David de Gea’s future.

The Manchester Evening News revealed last month there was uncertainty over De Gea’s No.1 role beyond this season and reported today that figures at United want to “move on” from the Spaniard.

Read the full story here.

Good morning all and welcome to our LIVE United blog this Tuesday.

There is plenty to digest so lets get right to it!