Manchester United icon Gary Neville has given his assessment after his side’s winning streak was ended by Nottingham Forest. The Red Devils managed to salvage a draw at the City Ground thanks to Amad’s late equalizer, after Sean Dyche’s side overturned an early deficit with goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Nicolo Savona.
United came into the game riding high after winning three games in a row. However, Ruben Amorim’s side did not do well against Forest, and Neville identified one player who failed to make a significant contribution to the game. Off the pitch, United are preparing for the upcoming January transfer window. Barcelona are reportedly mulling over the future of loanee Marcus Rashford, while the Red Devils are said to be considering a move for the highly-rated Real Madrid youngster.
Express Sport digs deeper into some of the headlines surrounding United.
Gary Neville’s verdict on Benjamin Sesco
Neville confessed that he remained skeptical about Benjamin Sesco. The young forward is one of three strikers brought in to strengthen United’s attack this summer, joining from RB Leipzig for a fee of £66.4m, which could rise to £74m.
Sesco has scored two goals in 11 games for United and made his seventh start in the stalemate against Forest.
Neville admitted there was immense pressure on the 22-year-old striker, but admitted he was underwhelmed by Sesco’s performance throughout the 90 minutes.
“I can’t go any further against him. The jury is out,” Neville told NBC Sports. “Compared to other summer signings in Manchester United’s front line, like Cunha and Mbeumo, he’s doing pretty well.
“He looks awkward, he had some really good chances in the first half, like when the ball was played over the top, and his touch wasn’t quite right.
“For £80m, you could say he’s young, he has a lot of potential and he’s only just settling in, but you’ll still want to wait and see.”
Marcus Rashford transfer updates
Rashford has improved since joining Barcelona this summer.
The United loanee had five goals and seven assists in 13 games up to the weekend, and the 28-year-old is keen to remain at the Camp Nou beyond this season.
Spanish newspaper Sport reports that Rashford’s agent has already held talks with Barcelona about the possibility of a permanent contract.
Rashford still has two-and-a-half years left on his contract with United, but Barcelona have a £27m option to buy him this summer. This could be a wise move for Barcelona given Rashford’s current form, but the Spanish club’s financial woes are no secret.
The proposed solution is for Rashford to sign a long-term contract until 2030, which would have reduced terms compared to his current salary at United, but would spread out his pay.
Endrik joins Premier League
United are reportedly in a tug-of-war with Aston Villa over the signing of Real Madrid prodigy Endrick ahead of the January transfer window. The high-profile Brazilian striker permanently joined Los Blancos from Palmeiras after turning 18 last year and has since made 37 appearances in all competitions.
However, Endrik had to wait until Sunday’s win against Valencia to make his first appearance of the season under new manager Xabi Alonso. The Brazilian’s lack of game time in the run-up to the World Cup has sparked rumors of a possible departure from Real Madrid.
The Daily Star claims United are monitoring the possibility of signing Endrick on loan in January. However, the Red Devils are likely to face stiff competition to sign the forward, with Villa and Juventus also said to be among the teams interested in Endrick.
