The biggest stories on Saturday for the Red Devils.
Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says Manchester United are no better than last season
The Citizens boss has hit out at his great rivals ahead of the first Manchester derby of the campaign on Sunday.
United spent almost £150m on new players over the summer, but Pellegrini says they are no better than when they finished seventh last term.
“They are similar [to last year]. I think Manchester United have bought some very important players and they are in a moment where they have started with a new manager and new players and it’s not easy to start like that,” the Chilean was quoted by the Mirror.
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City could not afford to sign Angel di Maria because of Financial Fair Play
Pellegrini has also revealed that his side would have been interested in bringing di Maria to the Etihad Stadium over the summer, but couldn’t because of FFP.
The Argentina international instead joined their rivals in a British record £59.7m deal and the 60-year-old has reflected on what could have been.
“I think it is very easy. We had important restrictions about our budget this year. We cannot spend the money that United paid for Di Maria,” Pellegrini was quoted by Goal.
Former Red Devils boss David Moyes is wanted by Real Sociedad
Sociedad president Jokin Aperribay has flown to London to hold talks with Moyes ahead of the Scot taking charge at the Anoeta Stadium, according to the Daily Star.
Current head coach Jagoba Arrasate is under significant pressure following a poor start to the season and the ex-United man could get his first job back in football since being sacked in April.
Moyes spent an ill-fated 11 months at Old Trafford, in which time he guided them to their worst ever Premier League finish and no Champions League football for the first time since 1995.
Club legend Gary Neville has slammed modern levels of defending
Sky Sports pundit and England coach Neville has bemoaned how players defend in the modern game and says it is down to the coaching.
The Man United legend believes that not enough focus is put on defending in training and that as a result the standards have dropped in recent times.
“I look at some teams and feel: they don’t know how to defend. They struggle with crosses, they don’t deal with set-pieces, they don’t know how to work one on one. They have a weak understanding of the game,” Neville wrote in his Telegraph column.
Red Devils target Marco Reus plays down move from Borussia Dortmund
The future of the Germany international is under constant scrutiny ever since Bayern Munich revealed Reus has a £19.8m release clause that comes into action next summer.
Several English sides have taken up interest as a result, with Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City all keeping tabs, but the 25-year-old has played down the rumours.
“I would like to take this opportunity to say that other people are thinking more about my future than me,” Reus was quoted by the Mirror.