The Manchester United writers Samuel Luckhurst and Richard Fay recorded the latest episode of the Manchester is Red podcast, where they revealed the latest happenings around the club.
With the transfer window in full swing and United's preparation well under way in pre-season, there were plenty of topics to discuss even if MEN Sport currently expect a "quiet week" for the club in the window.
Raphael Varane is set to be officially unveiled, and there was much to discuss about the latest news surrounding Harry Kane 's potential departure from Tottenham.
The conversation focusing on Varane and looking ahead to the club's next pre-season game, the first against Premier League opposition, in Everton.
Samuel Luckhurst (SL): "Hopefully Varane will be in Manchester by the time that game [against Everton] comes along.
"He will hopefully have done his promo shots and medical. I think with those things sometimes the transfer shots and the promo trailers are more taxing than the actual medicals!
"But it’s not quite as bad as Sanchez and the piano or Pogba and Stormzy. The hype went far too far. I think United realise these days that the unveilings should be a bit more low-key than they used to be.
"I suspect it will be a pretty quiet week on the United front unless something sudden happens. Harry Kane is obviously dominating the news agenda at the moment, so the focus transfer-wise seems like it’s going to be on Tottenham and City this week. With what’s going on there and with what could happen with Jack Grealish as well.
"Whereas with United, it’s a nice situation for them to be in because they are not getting involved in the strikers market this year because they re-signed Cavani. They will be getting involved in it next year, of course, because they will need to, but they are in a position of luxury in that they have got two big signings done and dusted and the squad is shaping up quite nicely at the start of the season.
"They’re not going to have all their business done by the start of the season. There a lot of issues still to address in the outgoings and incomings. They have got a week’s worth of training now in Scotland at St Andrews, which was organised relatively late, because they decided not to go to Malta in the end because of all the difficulties that going there would have entailed with the pandemic.
"I suppose it’s a quite nice week for them still, for Solskjaer and his staff, in the sense that they are able to have a week’s worth of training with a lot of the senior players back."
The conversation drifted to the topic of Kane who is heavily linked with a move away from Tottenham, with United long-term admirers of the England captain.
SL: “It’ll be interesting to see how he is perceived in the media as well. There are certain players who, if they actually conducted themselves in the way Kane has, they would have got absolutely pilloried by now.
"As an example, and it’s a relevant one, Paul Pogba. Yes, he has wanted out from United for three-and-a-half years, but his professionalism has been pretty sound, widely appreciated by people at the club. He’s very likeable. I think he has just gone about it in a way that most players would go about it. There’s never been a situation that he has refused to train or play despite the odd mischief making report, usually from El Chirringuito in Spain, unsurprisingly.
"The problem for Kane next year is that Erling Haaland’s release clause becomes active. Kylian Mbappe will probably have run his contract down with PSG and I think, if you’re Manchester City and you’ve got a choice of those three, Kane is probably bottom of the pile. Haaland is a generational talent and so is Mbappe.
"It wouldn’t surprise me if in two years’ time Kane is still at Tottenham, because Kane probably won’t be as in-demand as he is this year because he will be a year older and not off a major tournament where he has done exceptionally well."
The conversation then shifted back to United and the upcoming pre-season preparation in Scotland.
SL: "It will be another intense week of training. I think Jose Mourinho called them close weeks where you have not got a midweek match and really Solskjaer should know, or have in mind, what his team is going to be for that Leeds game next week because it’s just under two weeks’ time and there is only one more friendly to be had.
"I wouldn’t be surprised if that had a behind closed doors game because of the cancelled Preston game at the weekend.
"The game against Everton is clearly a dress rehearsal because of the kick-off time, the stadium venue, the type of opponent in Everton, who finished just below or above Leeds last season. It’s an opportunity to gear up for next week.
"What is clearly of interest to us and supporters, just going by the first batch of photos, is there’s a welcome back for Maguire, for Lindelof, [as well as Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial]. There is not a welcome back for Pogba.
"As I understand it one player's case because of quarantine rules he could not fly out with the rest of the squad. I think Pogba was seen out and about in Hale on Saturday.
"You would imagine if United were arriving in St Andrews with their squad Pogba would be one of those pictured. But there is no sign of it. I think we are kind of as much in the dark as fans as far as the pictures are concerned. But more are expected to travel out during the week so we should await the next batch of training photos."
Our writers also discussed the latest situation at left-back for United amid the news of Alex Telles' injury.
SL: "From what I last heard, yes [Shaw will be available for Leeds]. Telles is in a protective boot because of the ankle injury he had. It has not changed the view on Brandon Williams wanting a loan and he certainly needs a loan. I would have been amazed if Williams himself thought, okay I, can find my way back into the team here. It would have been a knee-jerk reaction to that. But he is still being advised that a loan is the way forward, which makes infinite sense.
"And also, the cover is still there because Dalot can play there. Obviously, he was culpable for QPR’s goal last week, and he is not a natural player there, but for the time being he is reasonable cover.
"As I said, United are going to be doing dealings up until deadline, I would imagine, in this window, because of the way it has gone. They have done well so far to get two major signings done. But there will be outgoings and incomings until the final days of the window I would imagine."
The conversation then drifted back to transfers, and what United fans can expect with just less than a month to until the window is shut.
SL: "I’m sure most United fans saw the quotes Andreas Pereira gave to a (Brazilian journalist) Freddy Caldeira about his situation at the weekend. I really cannot recall a footballer who is more renowned for their pre-season form quite like Pereira is. I remember a goal he scored against San Jose Earthquakes and him doing well, so his pre-season form actually dates back about six years.
"He’s had a consistent run in actually always performing in pre-season. It’s quite reassuring that I have not seen a single United fan suggest that he should stay just because he can score a spectacular goal on the volley.
"I think the valuation by Freddy Caldera was €25million, which is absolutely crazy. It’s easily forgotten his last two loan spells have not been very successful with Valencia in Spain and Lazio in Italy.
"He has just under two years left at his contract and he has stayed at United for nearly ten years. But I think he is 25 now and you think of some of the United academy players and what they were doing by the age of 25. So it’s been known for quite some time that it’s not going to happen for Pereira and he is not at a required level to play for United.
"But I think if they were to sell Pereira, to sell permanently this summer, that’s a big if, because of his status. United would do well to get an eight-figure fee for him. I think he could feasibly end up in another loan spell."
The podcast then concluded about the potential line-up United fans could see against Everton this weekend.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST IN FULL HERE:
SL: "I don't think they will be able to field the same line-up we will see against Leeds in a week's time. Sancho is clearly not going to be at the training camp, for the start of it anyway.
"We can't talk to Solskjaer until Saturday. Already there are a lot questions about who is at this training camp. They will not be able to conceal it. It's interesting they have not bothered putting out a training squad, which is what they did after Derby (ahead of the Pennyhill Park camp). And it quite understandably aroused suspicions about one player's absence. So if they put out a training squad, and they might still, and there is no Pogba or Henderson, the questions are going to pile-up. All it does is delay the questions being asked on Saturday.
"I think they are quite conscious that it is a lose-lose situation, because they are damned if they do put something out and they are damned if they do not. People are going to ask questions and, just from an editorial perspective, they probably don't want to put out everything all in one go. That's how we operate quite often.
"I have not even mentioned Cavani or Fred even, who have been at the Copa America, I think it's not as much of a surprise because they have been on a different continent. I think if you're Pogba and you went out of the Euros nearly five weeks ago, people are entitled to wonder where he is. Particularly because he is back in England."
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