The World Cup and transfers are on the agenda in a fresh episode of The Devils' Advocate, from BBC Sounds.
Join Gaz and Joe as they round up the summer showpiece and look to the future at Old Trafford.
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Opta have named their World Cup Team of the Tournament.
A host of familiar names feature, including Manchester United's Lisandro Martinez. Key names to depart both Arsenal and Chelsea this summer also make the list.
Opta explained the selections as follows:
Martinez - "Martínez led his country's backline in passes (460) and accurate passes (427) while he became the only Argentine defender on record to score and assist in a FIFA World Cup game (v Cabo Verde)."
Cucurella - "Cucurella led the way for full-backs for successful final third passes (142) and successful passes (382) and was second for touches in the opposition box (19)."
Rodri - "The Spanish midfielder registered the most accurate passes (756), most carries (164) and most line-breaking passes (122) in the competition while that haul of 756 successful passes is the most ever in an edition of the World Cup on record."
Trossard - "As well as scoring two and assisting two, no player created more chances from open play than Trossard (17) at the 2026 FIFA World Cup."
Haaland - "Haaland averaged a goal every 17.1 touches at the 2026 World Cup (120 touches, 7 goals), the second fewest on record (since 1966) for a player to score five or more at a single tournament after Oleg Salenko in 1994 (16.7 – 100 touches, 6 goals)."
Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesManchester United have signed teenage winger Tynan Thompson from Tottenham in a deal that could be worth £8m.
The 18-year-old England youth international scored 13 goals and contributed six assists last season across Under-18 to Under-21 level.
The initial fee will be £4m with a further £4m in add-ons related to the first team and there is a 15% sell-on clause.
It is unclear which squad he will join yet and whether he will be part of United's squad in Norway for Friday's pre-season game against Rosenborg.
Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesThe most concrete World Cup news for Manchester United was Manuel Ugarte's knee injury.
Ugarte is going to be out until 2027 after having surgery to repair cruciate ligament damage. Given the Uruguay midfielder was likely to be sold this summer, it has added an extra layer of complication around United's recruitment plans.
The 21-year-old shrugged off the disappointment at being continually overlooked by Ruben Amorim to deliver excellent performances over the second half of last season, which suggests he can bounce back from not playing for England at the World Cup.
However, Michael Carrick, who experienced the same thing under Fabio Capello in 2010, might need to put an arm around his shoulder.
Argentina defender Lisandro Martinez went off injured in the World Cup final with what looked like a muscle injury, and United will be hoping the damage is not serious when he is fully assessed.
Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesTom Heaton is backing Manchester United team-mate Senne Lammens to emerge as a stronger character from his World Cup disappointment.
Lammens had been back-up to Thibaut Courtois throughout the tournament until the veteran Belgium goalkeeper was injured 19 minutes from the end of the quarter-final against Spain.
The 24-year-old had barely touched the ball before he spilled Pau Cubarsi's shot late in the game, which allowed Arsenal's Mikel Merino to steer home and give Spain a 2-1 victory.
Lammens was distraught at the final whistle and Heaton has spoken to the youngster, who was outstanding at United last season after arriving as a relative unknown from Royal Antwerp in preference to Argentina's Emi Martinez, for £18.1m.
"Yes, I spoke to him," said Heaton after Manchester United's opening pre-season defeat by Wrexham in Helsinki.
"It was obviously a challenging moment for him, but that's the life of a goalkeeper.
"As soon as you put the gloves on and go between the sticks, you have to be ready to deal with that.
"He'll be stronger for it. I think his personality is fantastic for a goalkeeper, so no issues there. As I say, I honestly think it can help him in the long run."
Lammens is now on a three-week break before returning to pre-season training.
"I highly doubt Senne will be going into it with fear or worrying about what may happen," added Heaton.
"That can happen at any point. Literally every time you cross the foot over the earth. If that was your mindset, I'd be inclined to say it's more likely to happen.
"Goalkeeper is a position where if something goes wrong, it's going to end in a goal. Goals can change games and cause you to lose. You have to be realistic about that.
"It is tough, but Senne is very strong mentally. I saw that from him as a young goalkeeper coming into Manchester United and dealing with it unbelievably well."
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick picked all his most experienced players to start in the friendly defeat to Wrexham and changed his entire team at half-time - and there is obviously lots that cannot be learned from a single 45-minute outing.
However, it was clear what Andrey Santos' task was.
Starting on the left of a two-man midfield, with Mason Mount on the right and Jack Fletcher slightly further forward, Santos was the player who always dropped back the furthest.
It didn't happen often, but Santos was not scared to take up a position akin to a quarterback in NFL as deepest player; if anything goes wrong there, you are in trouble.
In formation terms, it was the role Casemiro has vacated since his contract expired at the end of last season.
Santos is clearly more mobile than his fellow countryman. Whether he can read a game anywhere near as well is another question.
He is alert, though. At one point early in the contest, he slid in to intercept a pass going to a player he had been marking but had let run into the area without being pursued.
Largely, Santos was effective.
There were not too many moments of genuine excitement for a crowd of 20,069 at the Olympic Stadium.
But the former Vasco da Gama man provided one as he spotted danger building around the Manchester United box and sprinted across to address it. The firm block of Smith's attempted cross drew appreciative applause from the fans who were invested in the game and knew what they were watching, which is not always the case in pre-season.
There was evidence, both in the warm-ups and the match itself, that Santos can deliver accurate first-time passes in short spaces, which could allow him to both play alongside or instead of Kobbie Mainoo, who was by far United's best at doing that over the second half of last season.
European champions Spain broke the resistance of 10-man Argentina in extra-time to win their second ever World Cup in New Jersey.
Barcelona's Ferran Torres was the difference maker in what was an overall disappointing final that was littered with interruptions.
Spain created the best opportunities against the defending world champions, who mainly resorted to spoiling tactics and had Chelsea's Enzo Fernandez sent off just before the game went into extra time.
Torres was the hero for Spain when he collected substitute Nico Williams' header to beat Argentina and Aston Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez with a powerful shot from close range after 106 minutes.
Seven Premier League players will now return to their five respective clubs for the new 2026-27 season having won the biggest honour in world football.
Liverpool are prepared to join Manchester United in the race for Roma's 25-year-old France midfielder Manu Kone. (Football Insider), external
Celtic have received a boost in their quest to sign Radek Vitek, with the United goalkeeper saying he is ready to leave Old Trafford. (Teamtalk), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column
Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty ImagesManchester United defender Lisandro Martinez will help Argentina's attempt for back-to-back World Cups against Spain - live on BBC One from 19:00 BST - while also bidding for his second title.
Martinez became the fifth player to win the World Cup while playing for United, despite being an unused sub in the victory over France at Qatar 2022.
Fast forward to 2026 and the centre-back has started six of Argentina's seven games at the tournament, scoring against Cape Verde in the last 32.
Can United's number six make it back-to-back world titles? Only European champions Spain stand in their way.
Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter in Helsinki
Image source, Getty ImagesRadek Vitek played for the second 45 minutes in Manchester United's 1-0 pre-season defeat by Wrexham in Helsinki
Manchester United goalkeeper Radek Vitek says he hopes to resolve his future quickly as he looks to secure a move away from Old Trafford.
After encouraging loan spells at Accrington Stanley and in the Austrian Bundesliga, Vitek excelled at Bristol City last season, winning three club player of the year awards.
While some United fans hoped that would signal a return to the club as deputy to first-choice goalkeeper Senne Lammens this season, that was never under consideration.
It had been expected that Vitek would find a new club before pre-season began.
That has not happened, and the Czech goalkeeper kept a clean sheet during the second half of the 1-0 defeat to Wrexham in Helsinki.
It remains to be seen whether Vitek will also be involved on 24 July when United travel to Norway to face Rosenborg.
However, he is clear that his current situation is only temporary.
"I'm ready to go somewhere again and hopefully be number one," he said.
Asked whether that would be another loan move or a permanent transfer, Vitek replied: "I'm ready for both, to be fair. It depends on what the club wants and also on the options.
"There has been a few interests on the table. We're hoping to choose the best one and hopefully it will happen soon."
Speaking to BBC Sport in March, Vitek said his main objective was to play regularly.
Nothing has changed.
"My mind is the same," he said. "I want to play every week and that's the goal for next season."
Minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has previously complained about United's inability to generate significant funds through the sale of academy players.
They may be able to achieve that with Vitek, which is why a permanent transfer remains a possibility despite the goalkeeper having two years remaining on his contract, rather than another loan spell.
However, any deal would almost certainly include a substantial sell-on clause and a buy-back option.
Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter in Helsinki
Image source, Getty ImagesManchester United have played down fitness concerns over striker Benjamin Sesko and new goalkeeper Karl Darlow.
The pair were notable absentees from the 25-man squad named by head coach Michael Carrick for the opening game of United's pre-season campaign against Wrexham in Helsinki on 18 July.
Sesko missed the final three games of last season with a shin problem that flared up during the home victory over Liverpool on 3 May.
Wales and former Leeds United keeper Darlow has had what is being described as a "procedure" at the end of last season.
"Both players are expected to be fully fit and available for the start of 2026-27," said the club.
Andrey Santos, a £48m signing from Chelsea, is included, but Youri Tielemans is missing, along with United's other senior players who have been at the World Cup.
There is no Matthijs de Ligt in the squad as he recovers from back surgery.
Defender Tyler Fredricson is not involved either before what is expected to be a permanent summer move away from Old Trafford. Europe is seen as a likely destination for the 21-year-old, whose proposed switch to Celtic in January fell through after he was injured before it could be completed.
Fifteen-year-old forward JJ Gabriel is not involved as he only returned to training less than a week ago.
The Wrexham game marks the start of a six-game pre-season for United, who have opted to stay in Europe rather than venture to the United States or Asia.
They also play Rosenburg in Trondheim on 24 July before facing Atletico Madrid in Stockholm (1 August), Paris St-Germain in Gothenburg (8 August), Leeds in Dublin (12 August) and AC Milan in Wroclaw (15 August).
Travelling squad: Heaton, Vitek, Mee, Maguire, Dorgu, Yoro, Shaw, Heaven, Amass, Kamason, Armer, Mount, Santos, J Fletcher, T Fletcher, Collyer, Gore, Devaney, Thwaites, Zirkzee, Mbeumo, Chido Obi, Wheatley, Lacey, Williams.
Image source, Getty ImagesWith pre-season officially in full swing, we asked you to tell us what you're looking forward to about club football returning.
Here are some of your replies:
Beth: I can't wait to see Matheus Cunha, Bruno Fernandes and Youri Tielemans play together. Hopefully it's our year!
Nigel: Simply looking forward to seeing Manchester United compete in all competitions. We have not seen this for a while.
Paul: I am hoping that United can get closer to the top teams this season, have a reasonable Champions League campaign and maybe win a trophy (League or FA Cup).
Peter: I long for United to once again be a force in the Premier League. However, they never will be as long as they miss out on players such as Elliot Anderson because of the cost. United must be one of the richest clubs in the world but are being run as a business and not a football team.
Andrew: For the first time in a long time, I'm optimistic about the season. United have made a couple of key signings. I'd like to see Harry Amass as back-up to Luke Shaw and integrate some youth players into the squad. We have to develop these players! Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City all do this. You can't solve everything by spending, and bringing young players through will encourage others to sign.
Mark: The youth making an impact on the first team - JJ Gabriel, Shea Lacey and Jim Thwaites all getting first-team minutes. Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans combining well, or alongside Kobbie Mainoo or Mason Mount. Benjamin Sesko getting 20 goals in a season - he should play more regularly.
Dom: Watching Kobbie actually getting to play football.
Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesIn the immediate aftermath of Ruben Amorim's dismissal in January, Manchester United let it be known their search for a new boss would be widespread – and would likely involve managers who were committed to countries competing at the World Cup.
However, a good source quickly told me such an approach was impractical, certainly if it involved one of the countries predicted to have a long run in the competition.
Managers could not risk the backlash that would inevitably follow if they committed to go elsewhere once the tournament ended as it would deflect attention away from the task in hand.
Then, there is the reality results would dictate whether the particular manager had succeeded or failed.
In United's case, the three most commonly mentioned were Carlo Ancelotti, Julian Nagelsmann and Thomas Tuchel.
None of that trio has enhanced their reputation in the United States this summer. If Tuchel had been preparing to take over at Old Trafford given the fall-out from his perceived tactical disaster against Argentina, the German would have found himself on the back foot from day one.
There was a lot of debate around whether Michael Carrick should have been given the job – given his results he was a clear and obvious choice – but as he flies out to Helsinki for United's first pre-season game against Wrexham on Saturday, United's hierarchy can be thankful they at least are starting from a solid base.
Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesManchester United coach Jonny Evans gave the club's approach for Youri Tielemans his seal of approval.
The pair were team-mates at Leicester for four years, from 2019, and were part of the Foxes' 2020 FA Cup-winning side.
Both players left King Power Stadium in 2023, Evans for United and Tielemans for Aston Villa.
The Belgium international has now made a £35m switch to Old Trafford himself.
Evans has kept in touch with the 29-year-old, who is expected to bring some creativity to United's midfield under Michael Carrick.
It was natural therefore Carrick should talk to Evans before pushing through with the deal.
"Jonny has been a big influence," Tielemans told United's in-house media. "I think he spoke to the manager about my character and personality."
Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesManchester United head to Finland on Friday afternoon to start their pre-season campaign against Championship side Wrexham in Helsinki on Saturday (16:00 BST kick-off).
United are not planning to announce their travelling party until just before departure, but with a combination of under-21 and under-18 group players on a separate trip to Germany for a couple of games on Friday, there have been some clues about who might be included in Michael Carrick's squad.
This week, United posted a series of pictures from training - 25 players were shown, including four goalkeepers.
Given Tyler Fletcher has returned to training this week as well after Scotland's World Cup campaign and Karl Darlow has joined United's goalkeeping ranks, that takes it to 27, which feels about right for a first pre-season game that will almost certainly see Carrick use completely different XIs in each half.
Star attraction was £48m midfielder Andrey Santos, who completed his move from Chelsea on 13 July.
Among the younger players pictured were defender Harry Amass, midfielders Jacob Devaney, Dan Gore and Toby Collyer, and striker Ethan Wheatley. They all spent at least part of last season away from Old Trafford on loan.
Midfielder Jim Thwaites, defender Dan Armer and striker Chido Obi were also pictured. They were part of the United side that lost the FA Youth Cup final to Manchester City in May.
Interestingly, JJ Gabriel wasn't shown and the fact the 15-year-old returned to training at Carrington less than a week ago may signal he is not quite ready yet for his first exposure with the senior squad.
Defender Matthijs de Ligt and striker Benjamin Sesko were not shown training on the actual pitches.
De Ligt had back surgery in May after missing the second half of the season, while Sesko didn't play again after being replaced at half-time against Liverpool on 3 May with what Carrick described as a "shin issue".
The World Cup has done a fantastic job of filling the Premier League void, but there is nothing quite like club football.
As the tournament in North America heads towards its climax and England supporters' disappointment sinks in, there is a Manchester United fanbase waiting for the 2026-27 season with anticipation.
So, it has got us thinking: what are you looking forward to most about club football resuming?
Manchester United will target West Ham winger Crysencio Summerville, 24, if Marcus Rashford leaves this summer, with the Netherlands attacker costing about £30m. (Guardian - subscription required), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Devils' Advocate: Reds World Cup Round Up. Audio, 26 minutes
Gaz and Joe rate the United's stars at the World Cup, discuss transfers and pre-season.
Parker: 'This is a golden opportunity' Audio, 17 minutes
Ex-Man Utd and England defender Paul Parker on the World Cup semi-final with Argentina.
The Fans View: Santos and Tielemans. Audio, 10 minutes
Man Utd fans react to the signing of Andrey Santos and links with Youri Tielemans.
Devils' Advocate: 'The sort of midfielder we need' Audio, 22 minutes
Joe and Gaz discuss the latest transfer rumours, new stadium plans and the World Cup.
