Man Utd Transfer News: Rachel Riley's Greenwood THREAT, Romano on Gravenberch RACE, Hojlund BOOST

Updated: 17 Aug 2023 23:21 BST
5 min read

Rachel Riley says she will no longer support Man Utd if Mason Greenwood plays for the club again. — © ProShots

There is STILL no decision from Man Utd on the future of Mason Greenwood, and now we have TV celebrities weighing in on the hugely controversial topic.

Greenwood has not figured for United since early 2022, after being charged with attempted rape, assault occasioning actual bodily harm, and controlling and coercive behaviour.

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Those charges were later dropped, but the talented striker still remains out in the cold at Old Trafford with no decision yet about whether he will be allowed to play for the Red Devils again.

Now, following a statement by the club detailing their thorough investigation into Greenwood's past but claiming no final decision has been made, TV star and celebrity United fan Rachel Riley has weighed in on the subject.

The Countdown star responded to the latest update with a Tweet which read: "Won’t be able to support United if Greenwood remains at the club.

"As an example, when it comes to VAWG, less than 1% of rapes reported to police lead to conviction.

"We’ve all seen and heard enough.

"Pretending this is ok would be a huge part of the problem."

Man Utd and Liverpool CHASE Gravenberch - Romano

Man Utd are already fearing being gazumped by Liverpool in the race to sign Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina, and they could face competition from their bitter rivals in the race to sign another big-name star this summer.

According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, United are very much interested in Bayern Munich's young Dutch midfielder Ryan Gravenberch. But the Italian says Liverpool are also very much in the hunt.

Erik ten Hag of course coached Gravenberch when he was honing his talents at Ajax, but that is no guarantee that he will end up at Old Trafford.

The latest, per Romano, is that Bayern have no intention of selling the 21-year-old, but that could of course yet change after the Bavarian giants have spent big to bring in Harry Kane from Tottenham.

Man Utd get Hojlund BOOST as striker hints at RETURN

Man Utd fans are still waiting to see their massive new striker signing Rasmus Hojlund in action - but it may not be too long now.

The 20-year-old Dane was carrying an injury when he completed his big-money move from Atalanta recently.

United revealed that the promising hitman would not be ready for a little while to make his debut for the club.

But on Thursday Hojlund sent football's biggest fanbase into a frenzy by sharing a picture of him training for United, along with the word 'SOON' and a devil emoji.

Watch this space...

Ten Hag target Pavard 'SEDUCED' by Man Utd dream

Benjamin Pavard is said to be 'seduced' by the prospect of joining Manchester United - but that may not be enough to sign him.

The 2018 World Cup winner is a long-time target of Erik ten Hag and a particularly attractive defensive option due to his versatility, being able to play on the right and centrally.

However, Manchester United have thus far been unable to move for the Frenchman. Bayern Munich, somewhat surprisingly, told United that he isn't for sale despite being out of contract next summer and having no intention to sign a new deal. Moreover, the Red Devils are hamstrung by the failure to get Harry Maguire off the books.

It took until the final stretch of the transfer window to find a suitor for the erstwhile club captain which elicited some anxiety around Old Trafford because it makes getting a replacement in tough, so his decision to reject the Hammers may be a blessing in disguise, but Erik ten Hag is still frustrated that the 30-year-old has not yet been offloaded.

L'Equipe reports that Ten Hag has promised Pavard an important role in the squad and the player is said to be 'seduced' by the size and ambition of United.

Bayern head coach Thomas Tuchel, meanwhile, downplayed reports of Pavard's desire to leave, stating: "Benji hasn't communicated to me that he really wants to leave. As of now, there hasn't been an offer. He's our player and gets full support. Until that changes, we're fully counting on him."

This quote is already outdated, however, as Inter have just launched their first bid for Pavard, according to Fabrizio Romano. The offer is said to be worth €25 million, which seems to be a long way short of Bayern's valuation of €40-50m.

It will be interesting to see if and how Man Utd will respond to the Italian club's approach.