Manchester United

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

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Tyler Fletcher's unexpected World Cup call-up by Scotland further underlines Manchester United's commitment to youth, according to academy director Stephen Torpey.

Nine former United youth team players have been selected for the 48-team tournament, including the likes of Hannibal Mejbri for Tunisia and Zidane Iqbal for Iraq.

Three members of Thomas Tuchel's England squad – Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford and goalkeeper Dean Henderson – came through Old Trafford's youth ranks.

Fletcher was the least expected selection given he had played just 17 minutes across two substitute appearances in senior football before making his Scotland bow against Curacao at Hampden Park at the weekend.

Torpey feels it proves United's desire to develop players is more than just words.

"Ultimately, what Manchester United does is give an opportunity to every young player in our environment," Torpey told BBC Radio Manchester.

"Our fans demand it. The history and heritage of the football club has been built on youth.

"It is something of a higher power for all of us in the club. It will outlive me and any other staff member, I am sure. It should give great confidence to any young player that this club believes in youth."

That belief has been fuelled by Michael Carrick taking over as head coach, initially on an interim basis.

Carrick has been a regular at under-21 and under-18 games in the second half of the season and handed Fletcher his United debut against Tottenham in February.

"You couldn't wish for anything more than we have right now with Michael," said Torpey.

"It goes without saying he attends games along with the rest of his first-team staff; plus Jason Wilcox, our director of football. It just shows how aligned our football club is and how important youth development is.

"What you don't see are the training sessions they attend. We are all on the same site and Michael and the team will often wander over and watch our under-12s or under-14s.

"It is not just the latter stages of the academy they are interested in. It is something that makes me really happy and proud."

Listen to BBC Radio Manchester's interview with Torpey on BBC Sounds

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Tom Heaton has extended his Manchester United contract for a further year and says he can "feel the determination and ambition of everyone throughout the club to keep pushing for success".

The club said Heaton, who will enter 21st season in professional football, will continue "playing an important leadership role in the dressing room".

Heaton, 40, came through the ranks at United but returned to the club after over a decade elsewhere in 2021.

"It is a huge honour to continue to represent Manchester United," he said.

"I am really excited to play my role in driving us forward and helping the group to compete for the biggest honours."

Director of football Jason Wilcox added: "Everyone is well aware of the importance of his leadership and professionalism within the group.

"Tom has played a key role in helping to support Senne [Lammens] throughout his first season in the Premier League.

"His constant dedication and mentality set a fantastic standard for our goalkeeping group."

The 2026-27 Premier League season will be here before we know it, with the first matches taking place on Saturday, 22 August.

We have a simple question for you - what one thing needs to change at your club before the new campaign and why?

It can be a player, manager, ticketing issue, owner, or wider change.

Let us know in detail here

Manchester United have shelved contract talks with midfielder Bruno Fernandes after being assured the club captain wants to stay at Old Trafford for the long term. (Mirror), external

Meanwhile, Roma are interested in Marseille forward Mason Greenwood, with former club United set to benefit from a sell-on clause in the deal that took him to France. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United's academy director Stephen Torpey has spoken of the immense pride felt at Old Trafford over Tyler Fletcher's shock World Cup call.

Fletcher was picked in the Scotland squad by coach Steve Clarke despite having just 17 minutes' experience of senior football prior to making his international bow in the friendly victory over Curacao at Hampden Park on 30 May.

Regardless of whether he plays at all in the United States, it means the 19-year-old will get this major tournament experience his dad, Darren, missed out on despite winning 80 caps for his country.

Fletcher elected to play for Scotland, while twin brother Jack has plumped for England, where the pair were born.

It means instead of going to the World Cup as a fan, Tyler will be among the United contingent playing in it – and Torpey couldn't be more delighted.

"There is an obvious pride there," he told BBC Radio Manchester. "As a parent myself, anytime your children do something they desire, you feel immense pride.

"But I am sure the family are as proud of Tyler today as they were before this opportunity came around because he is a lovely young person and great to have around our training ground, which is a credit to the family.

"Of course, it is not something you take for granted. It is a fantastic opportunity for him but hopefully, it is not the last one.

"How he conducts himself is really important but how he represents his family, his nation and his football club is something we are very confident about.

"Hopefully he gets a chance to show what he is about."

Hear more of BBC Radio Manchester's interview with Torpey below or listen on BBC Sounds here

Tim Vickery
South American football writer

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Ederson was part of Carlo Ancelotti's World Cup long list of 55 players, but the midfielder - who turns 27 in July - did not make Brazil's final 26.

With only five midfielders in the squad, the Selecao could yet regret not taking him to the tournament - although his country's loss could be his possible new club's gain.

Ederson would seem to have plenty to add to Manchester United, who are looking to bolster their midfield options.

His Brazilian compatriot Casemiro is leaving the Red Devils - and Manuel Ugarte could follow. Ederson offers more on the ball than the Uruguayan and is more dynamic around the field.

He is a midfielder in the mould of Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes. After three splendid seasons in Italy with Atalanta, Ederson would seem overdue for a move - and may blame his final season in Serie A for missing out on the World Cup.

Old Trafford calls for big personalities, and the good news for United fans is Ederson has dealt well with difficult circumstances.

He made his name in Brazil's first division with Cruzeiro, a huge club who - after a highly successful few years - were imploding under the weight of debts and off-the-field scandals.

The midfielder made his mark as a 20-year-old in 2019, standing out in a side that was hurtling towards relegation towards the second division.

More recently Ederson has been part of an Atalanta side that have consistently punched above their weight. Two years after their fine Europa League triumph the time has surely come for him to go in search of a bigger stage.

Read more here

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

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Manchester United have made the decision to try to get some deals over the line early this summer, following up what they did last summer when they got Matheus Cunha in from Wolves quite quickly and also managed to push through a move for Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford before the start of pre-season.

Ederson's deal isn't actually going to be completed until the beginning of next month. He still needs to have his medical but he will be around for the start of pre-season training, which I've been told is the second week of July.

Manchester United have their first pre-season fixture against Wrexham the day before the World Cup final, so they are starting their matches early and they want some of their new signings in place for then.

Ederson was clearly a deal they knew they could do and that is why they have moved as quickly as they have. They have been looking at him for quite a while.

When Sir Jim Ratcliffe came into the club, he was very critical about the data and metrics the club used. He didn't believe it was up to modern-day standard. That has changed now because Michael Sansoni, who used to work for Mercedes F1, has come in as head of data.

I assume his team are assessing all of the information, having chats with the recruitment department and director of football Jason Wilcox, before bringing the manager into the equation.

Michael Carrick has already made it perfectly clear that he has been involved in lots of recruitment meetings since being appointed in January. That is probably why Manchester United have ended up with Ederson as the first deal of what I suspect will be a number of deals this summer.

I would be surprised if the deal for Mateus Fernandes didn't get done. I believe the club are in a bit of a stand off with West Ham United at the moment, who are adamant they don't have to sell and want £80m.

However, that seems to be another deal that could be done reasonably quickly because Fernandes, like Ederson, didn't actually make the cut for the World Cup.

I also get the sense that if Manchester United could do a deal which would see Manuel Ugarte leave the club in some way, shape or form, then that would suit all parties.

People behind the scenes certainly feel that he isn't quite up to it and the reality is that he didn't play any football from the home defeat to Leeds United right to the end of the season.

Depending on how much money Manchester United can raise for him, they will then look to put it towards someone like Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson or Brighton's Carlos Baleba.

We asked for your views on the news that a deal has been agreed for midfielder Ederson as well as Manchester United's recruitment priorities for the summer ahead.

Here are some of your replies:

Tony: Ederson, 26, only three caps for his country, not even in the World Cup squad. Is he as good as Man Utd seem to think he is? You only have to look at the likes of Antony, Jadon Sancho and Manuel Ugarte to be reminded of the money wasted on over-rated and over-priced misfits that the club lumbered itself with. Time will no doubt tell. The players brought in this transfer window have got to be real quality and consistent.

Nick: Happy to have some midfield reinforcement with Ederson over the line early, it's certainly a change to the long sagas we were used to in previous years. As with any transfer from a European league though, it's pretty much a 50/50 as to whether he can perform in the Premier League, you can never be quite sure. The main target for me, if you can get him, would be Elliot Anderson. Do anything to get him to United. He is a ready-made replacement for Casemiro and I cannot see anyone else as a better replacement!

Fred: Great to be finally getting this deal over the line, he looks like a promising player and we now need to make sure we get two more solid midfielders as well as a left back, striker and back-up goalkeeper. Would love to see Marcus Rashford back, however not sure that's going to happen. Lewis Hall would be an amazing addition to our defence. A move for Ivan Toney would surely be a great move in terms of a striker - he's very good, still young and nobody else is after him so should be relatively straightforward as long as we can agree a deal. Finally, Robin Roefs as back-up/rotation goalkeeper for Senne Lammens, they've both had such a great season and he isn't expensive.

Kevin: May not be the most exciting signing but seems a good price for someone who will bring energy and decent technical skills to our midfield. No World Cup for him gives him some time to settle over here and a full pre-season. Nice to get our first signing done so early.

David: Feels like a good move for all parties. He arrives without the pressure of an inflated fee, and his energy and ability on the ball could be pivotal - will be interesting to see if he has been signed as a starter, or a desperately needed Ugarte replacement.

Phil: If Ederson is worth £40m, why isn't he in the Brazil World Cup squad? Same with Mateus Fernandes - £80m for a player relegated in successive seasons with two different clubs and omitted from the World Cup. It looks like United are paying way over the odds again.

Taylor: From what I've seen he's a talented footballer, hopefully he can settle in and adapt to the Premier League quickly. Definitely a couple more midfielders needed and some players to leave!

Nathan: Will we ever learn? Buying from Serie A does not work. We need to buy proven Premier League performers.

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Rasmus Hojlund has completed his permanent move to Napoli.

The 23-year-old forward spent the 2025-26 campaign on loan with the Serie A side who had on obligation to sign him for a fee of £38m should they qualify for the Champions League

Hojlund joined United from Atalanta for an initial £64m in the summer of 2023 and scored 26 goals in 95 appearances, winning the FA Cup despite struggling at times for form and consistency.

He has enjoyed life more since returning to Italy, scoring 16 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions for Napoli as they finished second in Serie A.

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Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo says he was focusing on his "dream" of playing in the World Cup, despite struggling for game time under previous head coach Ruben Amorim.

Mainoo was not fancied as United toiled under Amorim and did not start a Premier League match until Michael Carrick took charge in January. Since then he started all 16 games he was available for, playing the full 90 minutes on 15 occasions as the Red Devils stormed to a third-place finish.

"At the time it wasn't coming as often as I'd like so when I was getting a game for United that's all my focus was on," Mainoo told media from England's pre-World Cup training camp.

"Obviously you know the World Cup is at the end of the year and that is a big dream and big goal for any player.

"But, I try to just keep my focus on the games ahead of me."

Asked what he has learned over a difficult campaign at times, Mainoo added: "I think patience, just trying to take things a day at a time and just doing the best at controlling the things I can control and now worrying about the things that are out of my control. Keep my head down and keep working."

The 21-year-old played a key role in the Three Lions' run to the Euro 2024 final, and believes he can carry his fine late season club form into the summer with his country.

"Try and do what I've been doing for my club, trying to control games and dominate games," he responded when asked what he brings that sets him apart from the other midfielders at Thomas Tuchel's disposal.

"It's my dream to be here so I'm going to be working as hard as I can and hopefully I can get on the pitch."

Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds

Manchester United have agreed a £35m (40.5m euros) deal with Italian side Atalanta for Brazil midfielder Ederson.

The 26-year-old will sign a four-year deal at United, with the option to extend it by a further 12 months.

It is the first of what could be up to three central midfield additions to Carrick's squad this summer.

United are prioritising that area of the field, which has been weakened by the exit of Ederson's compatriot Casemiro, 34, whose contract expires at the end of the month.

Ederson, who has three internaional caps, was named in Brazil's 55-man expanded World Cup squad but missed out on manager Carlo Ancelotti's final selection.

United are also keen on West Ham's Mateus Fernandes, although the relegated London outfit are looking for a substantial profit on the Portugal midfielder who cost them in excess of £40m when he joined from Southampton last summer.

United also covet England's Elliot Anderson, although the Nottingham Forest player would prefer to join Manchester City.

In addition to strengthening their midfield, United are also looking to bring in a left-sided player, with Newcastle's Lewis Hall among the players on their radar, and striking support for Benjamin Sesko.

What do you think about the Ederson deal and recruitment priorities?

Get in touch with your views here

Barcelona boss Hansi Flick, sporting director Deco and president Joan Laporta remain keen to sign Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford on a permanent basis amid interest from Bayern Munich, Newcastle, Tottenham and Aston Villa in the 28-year-old England international. (The I), external

Meanwhile, Manchester United have scouted Juventus and France defender Pierre Kalulu and the Turin club might be forced to sell the 25-year-old to balance the books after failing to qualify for the Champions League. (Corriere dello Sport - in Italian), external

Also, Portugal midfielder Mateus Fernandes, 21, has been cleared to leave West Ham after contact from Manchester United and Arsenal, while Liverpool and Paris St-Germain are also monitoring developments. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

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Wayne Rooney has picked his Premier League team of the season.

You can listen to his reasoning for selections and find out who he thought was the Premier League's best player by tuning into The Wayne Rooney Show.

Watch The Wayne Rooney Show on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

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BBC Radio Manchester's Joe McGrath and Gaz Drinkwater have selected goalkeeper Senne Lammens as Manchester United's signing of the season after an impressive debut campaign succeeding the struggling Andre Onana.

The 23-year-old has looked assured in his 32 Premier League starts since his summer move from Royal Antwerp, keeping eight clean sheets as the Red Devils finished third.

• Find out who won the rest of the awards by listening to the full episode on BBC Sounds

"Across the board, on social media, on our emails, Lammens is number one for everyone," McGrath told The Devils' Advocate podcast, from BBC Sounds.

"They understand we had difficult seasons with Onana in goal. You look back at some of the mistakes from last year and scratch your head. He was never going to be our number one goalkeeper going forward if we had anything about us.

"Lammens seems to to have his head well and truly screwed on and he seems very calculated. Going forward, in build-up with a great team around him, I think he will just get better and better. It has been a remarkable season for all our summer signings but Lammens is our number one."

Drinkwater added: "Lammens has had a fantastic season.

"He's an 8.5 out of 10 signing. He's my signing of the season."

Explore all Manchester United content on BBC Sounds

England forward Marcus Rashford, 28, may have to join up with Manchester United during pre-season as a move to Barcelona, where he was on loan last season, has stalled. (Times - subscription required), external

Manchester United want to offload Rashford to help new head coach Michael Carrick's transfer budget and, while Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle and Tottenham are monitoring the situation, the club are reluctant to sell him to one of their top-flight rivals. (Mirror), external

Nottingham Forest will hold talks with 28-year-old midfielder Ibrahim Sangare over a new contract amid interest in the Ivorian from Manchester United and Besiktas. (Football Insider), external

Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, 23, is a target for Manchester United, whose manager Michael Carrick is familiar with the English player having worked with him during a stint in charge of the Teesside club. (Northern Echo), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

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Young Manchester United defender Albert Mills enjoyed a goalscoring end to the season with England.

Mills is highly regarded at United and started both the FA Youth Cup and Premier League Under-18s cup final defeats at the back end of the season.

The Norwich-born youngster, who joined United as an eight-year-old after his family moved to the north-west , also made a breakthrough at Under-21 level this season and was called into first-team training by both Ruben Amorim and Michael Carrick.

He is likely to be one of the players in contention for the first pre-season game against Wrexham in Helsinki on 18 July.

Mills' claims have not been harmed by an excellent couple of appearances for England's Under-18 side against Greece and Cyprus over the past week.

Mills featured for the first hour in the 2-1 win over Greece, then scored the fourth goal after coming on for the final 30 minutes as England beat Cyprus 6-1 on Sunday.

Best goal? Best moment? Best signing? (Second) best player?

In a new episode of BBC Radio Manchester's The Devils' Advocate podcast, the team co-hosts Gaz Drinkwater and Joe McGrath, and YouTuber Tom Cooney, hand out their end-of-season awards.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Manchester United content on BBC Sounds

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

It is amazing how life works out sometimes.

The Fletcher family were due to go to the World Cup as fans this summer. It was a chance to clear the mind after a frustrating end to the season, in which dad Darren's Under-18 team lost two major cup finals, and twin sons Tyler and Jack were beaten in another.

But, after just two senior substitute appearances totalling 17 minutes, 16 of which came on the final day of the Premier League season at Brighton, Tyler Fletcher has got the World Cup call from Scotland manager Steve Clarke.

The shock choice says everything about the professionalism, diligence and work ethic Fletcher has shown in training. That is what earned him a place on the bench for Saturday's pre-tournament friendly with Curacao, after he was called into Clarke's training camp last week.

Once there, Fletcher made a hugely positive impression on Scotland's coaches.

Then, when Billy Gilmour suffered a first-half injury, Fletcher was only held back as his immediate replacement through an element of caution.

His performance when he did come on at half-time was full of maturity, but this did not come as a surprise to any of Manchester United's youth coaches.

Those who know Fletcher say he is a confident and driven young man, but equally very low maintenance. "Polite and conscientious" is how he has been described.

Physically, United coaches feel in addition to his stamina and athletic prowess, which they still expect to grow, his all-round game has improved significantly.

They believe his ability on the ball, vision and understanding of the game means he will become more versatile as the years go on.

A week ago, the next stage for Fletcher was expected to be as one of the youngsters who will form the core of Michael Carrick's group on a pre-season trip to Helsinki and Rosenborg in July.

Those plans might have to be shelved though, because Fletcher may have even more pressing commitments in July.

"The best day of my life," was how Fletcher described his first-team debut back in February. That might have dropped down to number two in his rankings now.

Read the full article here

Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham, Liverpool and Newcastle are all interested in AC Milan's Portuguese winger Rafael Leao with the 26-year-old keen to leave San Siro this summer. (Calciomercato - in Italian), external

Manchester United are closing in on an agreement to sign Brazilian midfielder Ederson, 26, from Atalanta for a fee of around £35m. (Talksport), external

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has been offered to Inter Milan but the Italian club do not see signing the 33-year-old Englishman as a priority. (Gazzetta dello Sport via Football Italia), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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