Global football is currently on pause for the most part, but the Premier League will restart again on June 17, with matches to be played behind closed doors. Italy’s Serie A and Spain’s La Liga are drawing closer to restarting soon too.
United will recommence their season with an away fixture at Tottenham Hotspur. Until we have football matches again, we still have plenty of news items to cover and analyze. So let’s take a look at what the Manchester United community is talking about in cyberspace. For today’s MUFC news and notes part 2 go here.
Extending the Odion Ighalo loan deal to January of next season means that Old Trafford will call off their search to acquire another striker this summer. That’s according to ESPN FC today.
It all makes sense, as arguably the team’s best player, Marcus Rashford, leads the line at that position. Anthony Martial can also slot there with promising youngster Mason Greenwood on the rise. It is thought that the club will now instead focus the recruiting efforts for a forward on out wide players.
Jadon Sancho and Jack Grealish are the top targets, which transitions nicely to our next item. Borussia Dortmund deny the reports that claim the club made up an injury for Sancho to cover for the forward.
“For all we know, Jadon has been in Dortmund for the past few weeks and I read we put him into quarantine while using an injury as cover up,” BVB sporting director Michael Zorc said to reporters in an online press conference today.
“That’s completely wrong and incorrect in substance. Jadon had a calf injury for several weeks and that’s why he did not train.
“In this special situation we are all in with COVID-19, it is not only on the coach and the staff to ensure everyone’s disciplined, but also the entire club and its hierarchy. We talked to the players in the past. With Jadon too.
“We should not forget that Jadon is still a young player, testing his limits. I am not desire to defend him all the time. I have punished him occasionally if it had to be done.
“But, here, if it’s about the hairdresser, we talked to the hairdresser, to our players and they all assured us that, while cutting their hair the hygiene rules were followed and the hairdresser did not only wear a mask but also a protection shield and they took it off for the pictures.
“That’s not right, and we addressed this with the players. We are not defending the hairdresser visit. And I believe that in this DFL [German FA] paper important things are not forbidden. For instance, if I am driving my car and I run out of petrol, I can top up.
“And, for us, after months of waiting, it is also important to see a hairdresser. It all has to be within the hygiene rules.
“Both sides have said they did it. To post it on social media afterwards, I don’t get it. But that’s maybe part of it all. Maybe I am too old.”
“And that’s the breach that they did not wear masks.”
Added Dortmund manager Lucien Favre on the Sancho matter: “He is young, we have all been young. He shouldn’t do it, that’s clear.”
Finally, United defender Diogo Dalot spoke to the club’s website about his preferred position.
“Now I prefer to play at the back. Right-back is my position, it’s where I feel more comfortable,” he said, and in doing so effectively issuing a warning to the incumbant at the position, Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
“It’s where I want to be and where I want to build my career. I’m enjoying playing there and I want to be the best player that I can in that position.”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly contributes to WGN TV, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Now and SB Nation.
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