Friday’s biggest stories for the Red Devils.
Louis van Gaal to keep spending at Manchester United
Despite sanctioning more than £150m on new players this summer the manager has been given the green light to continue buying more in January, reports the Times.
The Red Devils are still interested in signing Kevin Strootman from AS Roma and Borussia Dortmund’s Mats Hummels and van Gaal will be given the money to do so.
This is despite the fact Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Angel di Maria and Radamel Falcao have arrived in the past few weeks.
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Yet Hummels will not be available to sign until 2016
United made attempts to sign the centre-back over the summer but were rebuffed by Dortmund.
With Hummels’ club teammate Marco Reus expected to leave the Signal Iduna Park in 12 months time it’s unlikely the defender can also go as well.
Therefore the Telegraph reports that the 13-time Premier League champions will have to wait until the summer of 2016 at the earliest.
Hopes of signing PSV Eindhoven starlet Zakaria Bakkali have been given a boost
The 18-year-old has been dubbed by many as the ‘new Eden Hazard’ for his performances in the Eredivisie in recent times and has attracted plenty of interest as a result.
As well as the Red Devils, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea and Liverpool are all interested in signing the teeneger.
They will have been given a boost as well as the Daily Express reports contract talks between Bakkali and PSV have broken down and his current deal expires in 2015.
Wayne Rooney will be a great England captain says Phil Jones
The defender has spoken out in support of his club and national teammate after being given the armband by Three Lions boss Roy Hodgson.
Rooney was criticised for another lacklustre performance in the international friendly with Norway on Wednesday, but Jones thinks that is unjust.
“I thought he was great. He is always calm and composed and will make a great captain,” the 22-year-old told the Manchester Evening News.
The academy is still important despite the sale of youth players
United came under fire this summer for their policy of spending big on foreign talent and allowing homegrown stars Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck to leave.
Van Gaal oversaw the biggest spending spree in a single window by any English side in history and former assistant manager Mike Phelan has said the club has lost their identity.
Yet the new manager is still keen to promote talent from the academy, according to the Mirror, and has been particularly impressed by James Wilson, Tyler Blackett, Reece James and Jesse Lingard.
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