Manchester United

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

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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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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Manchester United academy graduate Tyler Fletcher has received a late call-up to Scotland's World Cup squad.

The 19-year-old made his international debut as a half-time substitute at Hampden Park on Saturday, as Scotland beat 10-man Curacao in their send-off match.

He will replace Napoli midfielder Billy Gilmour, who picked up a knee injury in the first half of the friendly, in Steve Clarke's 26-man squad for this summer's tournament in North America.

Fletcher, who is the son of former Scotland captain Darren, has played more minutes for his country this season than for his club.

When asked about the teenager's performance against Curacao, Clarke told BBC Scotland: "Everybody was impressed. The players were impressed, the coaching staff were impressed, so I had no doubts."

Norwich City midfielder Kenny McLean, who played with Darren Fletcher at the start of his international career, also spoke highly of the young debutant.

"I said to the lads after his first [training] session that I could see something special in him," McLean said. "In my first session with Scotland, Darren stood out a mile - and, fortunately for us, his son is pretty similar."

Scotland are set to fly out to Florida for the World Cup on Sunday.

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester United fan Jordan Smith says the "trust" the dressing room have in new permanent head coach Michael Carrick allows him to "let them get on with it".

He told BBC Radio Manchester's The Devils' Advocate podcast: "Can you imagine if we'd been poor for 12 years and we have someone who's come in and basically taken us from 16th to third and then said goodbye?

"I just watch players that wouldn't be playing well last season now fighting and getting me excited going into next season.

"Carrick must be going in with confidence that the dressing room love him. If you look at the past few managers we have had, you can tell halfway through that they are losing the dressing room and the big players.

"The trust they have in Carrick has allowed him to let them get on with it, like Fergie [Sir Alex Ferguson] did. They are elite footballers so let them do their job. Players like Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire are like second managers on the pitch.

"I also can't remember the last time we had three summer signings that actually worked. I'm buzzing, I can't wait for next season."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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We asked for your views on which players Manchester United should sign from the three relegated Premier League sides Wolves, Burnley and West Ham United.

Here are some of your suggestions:

Daniel: Mateus Fernandes from West Ham is an easy one and so is Joao Gomes from Wolves, especially since Manchester United need an overhaul in midfield this summer. However, Malick Diouf should be a big target for United. In many people's opinion, the club need a left-back, so why not get a great deal on a young left-back with a great injury record with a year of Premier League experience on his CV?

Max: Got to be Jarrod Bowen. Get him in to give Bryan Mbeumo a rest after Champions League games!

Sol: Fernandes [West Ham] would have to be the pick of the bunch. Mateus Mane [Wolves] could also be a good attacking midfield option. Joao Gomes [Wolves] could be worth signing depending on how our hunt goes for other central midfielders. No players from Burnley are worth signing in my opinion.

Aaron: I'd take Bowen and Fernandes from West Ham. We need numbers and both would push to be part of the starting XI, whilst adding depth.

Joe: We could do worse than look at Sam Johnstone from Wolves as a new number two keeper. The club will surely look to move on both Andre Onana and Altay Bayindir, and Radek Vitek's development will be best served playing regularly on another loan. Johnstone has Premier League experience and knows the club from his days in the academy, much like Tom Heaton. He will be another leader in the dressing room and support Senne Lammens.

Tony: Crysencio Summerville from West Ham as a left wing reinforcement. Fernandes could also help plug the gap in midfield, although we could do with more experience to help Kobbie Mainoo's development. Gomes from Wolves could fit the bill.

Image source, Getty Images

The most significant moment of the season - good or bad - was...

Ruben Amorim's dismissal. No-one can know for certain what would have happened if he had stayed, but Manchester United had drawn two games against relegation candidates and could have slid into the bottom half of the table. Instead, Michael Carrick came in and secured a return to the Champions League.

The season has been a success or failure because...

In August, virtually every United fan would have accepted a place in the Europa League next season. That was the target from the hierarchy but, instead they finished third. There is no way to describe it other than a job well done.

The unsung hero of the season is...

Senne Lammens. The opening weeks of the season were dominated by a debate over United's goalkeeping position. Altay Bayindir wasn't up to it, Andre Onana made mistakes at Grimsby, but then in came Lammens and everything settled down. The Belgian was a huge calming influence.

If there is a player or staff member with more to do in future it is...

Amad Diallo. He flourished under Amorim and adapted to his preferred wing-back role really well. Under Carrick, he hasn't impressed. He had registered no goals or assists until he created a goal for Bryan Mbeumo on the final day. He must do better.

The major club issue or talking point lurking is...

Apart from getting summer transfers right, it is what's happening with the new stadium plans. United insist work is continuing behind the scenes and the wider regeneration project will continue, even if Andy Burnham no longer continues as Manchester mayor. It has all been a bit quiet.

The reason for hope going forward is...

The sense of calm settling on Old Trafford. After years of upheaval and discontent, it all feels quite serene. It is most unusual.

Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There were a couple of interesting bits of additional information in the wider third quarter statement that was released by Manchester United on Thursday night.

First, the club confirmed that since the reporting period ended on 31 March, they had paid off £110m on their revolving credit facility.

That is important because the facility is a key method of paying for transfers. It means they have £250m left to spend.

Then, United confirmed they had received £31.36m for a player sale, which is assumed to be Rasmus Hojlund, whose permanent move to Napoli was triggered by their qualification for next season's Champions League.

Also, within the accounts, United say they owe £405.75m in outstanding transfer fees, £171.14m of which is due after more than one year. Most clubs run transfer deficits like this these days. United's is at the top end of the list.

All this means the club are moving into a position where they can be active in the transfer market, albeit they are determined not to overpay for players.

Also, after a couple of years when revenue was reduced because of their absence from the Champions League, it would not be a surprise if the club were posting overall revenues in excess of £800m for the 2026-27 financial year.

Increases in broadcast revenue would be the major reason for this, but a new training kit sponsorship with Betway is expected to be announced. The previous deal with Tezos ended last summer.

Manchester United and Chelsea are considering a move for Bournemouth and England midfielder Alex Scott, 22, in the summer transfer window. (Teamtalk), external

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

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The curtain has officially come down on the 2025-26 Premier League season.

Players will depart and squads will be strengthened when the summer transfer window opens on Monday, 15 June.

With Wolves, Burnley and West Ham United all heading down to the Championship - would you be keen to poach any of their players?

Who would be good value for money and why? Which name would be best to avoid?

Let us know your thoughts here

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BBC Radio Manchester's Gaz Drinkwater says he does not believe Roy Keane "could care less" about the success of modern day Manchester United.

It comes in the wake of current United captain Bruno Fernandes firmly defending his character and achievements and accusing former Red Devils captain Keane of telling a "lie" about his pursuit of the Premier League assists record.

Keane described Fernandes as being at the centre of a "circus act" following United's 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest on the penultimate weekend of the season, suggesting he was prioritising individual assists glory over the team's interests.

"Roy Keane has no affiliation to Manchester United," Drinkwater told The Devils' Advocate podcast.

"The difference between him and Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and then Roy Keane is that I don't think Keane now at this stage actually wants United to do well.

"I don't think he could care less to be honest. When he had that shirt on he would have died for the club, but now why should he want Man Utd to do well? I know we gave him so much but he gave us so much. It's transactional, he grew up a Spurs fan.

"I just think he says things purposefully for a reaction."

Co-host Joe McGrath added: "Keane got that out of context, he got it completely wrong. Fernandes responded in a very calm and very mature way to those comments."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Simon Stone
Manchester United reporter

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What does Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon's impending move to Barcelona mean for England team-mate Marcus Rashford?

After all, the La Liga champions also had the option - and still do - of making the 28-year-old's loan move from Manchester United permanent for £26m.

However, Barcelona have prioritised a move for Gordon, who offers versatility on the left as well as through the middle, but is three years younger and on a lower wage.

Not that Gordon's arrival rules out a Rashford return - sources close to the United forward say the situations are separate.

There is a 15 June deadline for Barcelona to activate the transfer clause. However, sources feel it is unrealistic to think United could sell Rashford for more money to another club he would be prepared to join.

Barcelona have been trying to renegotiate the terms of the clause, something United are unwilling to do.

It is, therefore, not beyond the realms of possibility that the deadline could pass without agreement, but negotiations could continue anyway.

Rather than an arbitrary point after the World Cup has started, the key period is the gap between the end of England's time in the United States, whenever that is, and Rashford's planned return to training, which will be about three weeks later.

That is the point at which some kind of deal needs to be done to avoid manager Michael Carrick having to decide if he is willing to bring back a player who club chiefs would far prefer was not there.

Read the full article here

Beth Tucker
Fan contributor

Hi Casemiro,

I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you. Thank you for everything you have done, and everything you have given to Manchester United.

It has been an absolute pleasure to watch you play on the Old Trafford pitch.

I still remember when you got announced as a signing, and I thought, 'wow, I'm going to see one of the best central defensive midfielders in my lifetime play at Old Trafford.'

You have brought so many amazing qualities to this Manchester United side - leadership, experience, quality, but the most important is character. Your character has been absolutely immense.

No matter what happens, you will always come back stronger. You have set an example to everyone in that dressing room and to fans as well.

You have been much more than a midfield signing. You have stepped up in massive moments - anyone would have thought we'd signed you as a striker with the amount of headers you've scored and goals in clutch moments.

You played a massive part in us winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, and what you'll be remembered for is an unbelievable final season where you've gone out on a high getting Manchester United Champions League football.

You have been pivotal, even though you've known you won't be playing those games for United, you gave your all every single week.

That shows how much of your heart is at this football club. For that, we all love you.

Thank you for never turning your back on us. Thank you for always demanding more for Manchester United and for knowing deep down the club deserve more. Thank you for always standing tall and never shying away. Thank you for the memories and for always wearing that shirt with pride.

This isn't just a goodbye, it's a thank you.

So thank you for everything and I wish you nothing but the best for the future, because you deserve it.

Once a Red, always a Red.

Find more from Beth Tucker at The United Stand, external

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Statisticians Opta have conjured up their Premier League team of the season based on data collected throughout the 2025-26 Premier League campaign.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has made the cut after playing a key role as the Red Devils improved markedly under Michael Carrick to comfortably secure third place and a return to the Champions League.

On Fernandes, Opta said: Without doubt the easiest inclusion for this season's best team, Bruno Fernandes broke the Premier League record for assists in a season with 21, overtaking Thierry Henry in 2002-03 and De Bruyne in 2019-20 (both 20) as the most creative player in a season in the history of the competition. The underlying numbers behind it were even more extraordinary.

Fernandes created 136 chances, which was far and away more than the next best (Dominik Szoboszlai, 78). That is a record gap between the two most creative players in a Premier League season Opta has on record since 2003-04.

And in that time, only Mesut Ozil for Arsenal in 2015-16 has created more chances in one season (146), with Fernandes' 136 the most in any of Europe's big-five leagues since De Bruyne also created 136 in 2019-20.

He led the way for open-play chances created (98), big chances created (33), expected assists (12.3), open-play expected assists (9.1), passes into the box (326), through balls (39), successful final third passes (662) and line-breaking passes in the final third (210). He also ended the season fourth for shots attempted (85).

From Michael Carrick's first game on 17 January until the end of the season, Fernandes created 37 more chances than any other player (80) and his per 90 minutes total of 4.7 chances created under Carrick is the best ratio of any player under one manager on record since 2003-04.

• Read about the rest of Opta's picks here - and cross-reference it with Troy Deeney's team of the season here

Manchester United are in advanced talks to make Atalanta's Brazil midfielder Ederson their first summer signing.

Multiple sources have told BBC Sport a deal is close to completion, with a fee £35m, plus £3m in add-ons, likely for the 26-year-old.

United are prioritising strengthening central midfield this summer after the exit of Casemiro and uncertainty over Manuel Ugarte's future.

Meanwhile, United have confirmed it cost them £16.7m to dismiss former manager Ruben Amorim.

United sacked the former Sporting boss in January, less than 14 months after they paid £11m to bring him to the club from Portugal.

The exact figure was contained within the latest accounts.

Read more on Ederson and Man Utd's accounts