Manchester United fans were given plenty of reasons to be cheerful last night after Jose Mourinho's side beat Yeovil 4-0.
It was a tricky first half for United but their class shone through in the second as they eased their way in the fifth round.
One of the biggest highlights was Alexis Sanchez's debut.
The Chilean impressed in his 70 minute stint and showed why he will be the perfect fit at Old Trafford.
It was also a good night for Michael Carrick who was class on his return after four months out and there was an exciting cameo from Angel Gomes.
One player who had a night to forget was Matteo Darmian .
Plenty of the fans want Mourinho to get rid but with just four days left of the transfer window United are rapidly running out of time if they want to get any more business over the line.
Stick with us as we bring you all the news and transfer rumours LIVE from Old Trafford.
Key Events
Mourinho reacts to Sanchez's debut
Here’s what the United boss had to say after an impressive debut from Sanchez:
“I’m very happy,” Mourinho said of Sanchez’s performance. “I think no surprise for anyone, three years in the Premier League, playing every week and everybody knows what Alexis is, he’s the kind of player that to buy, you don’t put a question mark in front, you don’t think about adaptation or something like that in relation to the English football.
“So no surprise for us, fantastic player, he shows that for the last three years and the past three days where he was training with us.
“I think he needed to play, he spoke [to me], he needed to play, he didn’t play for Arsenal I think the last two or three matches, his training was not good, when you have half of your body in the Emirates and half of your body in Manchester, you don’t train well and he needed to play.
“I was not sure about 90 minutes, I wanted to go for the 60, 70 or 75, and was good because people starts understanding his game better and he can also understand his fellow players better.
“I was impressed with his attitude, I think I did also my job well in that I told my players to be ready for that [physical approach], and never react because sometimes the top players lose their head and lose their balance and sometimes they are the ones who are going to be punished.
“I understand referee Paul [Tierney]’s decision not to show the red card because this is a special day and 10 against 11 in that moment probably game over.
“But we love the FA Cup, we love to come to these stadiums, but the players needed a little bit of protection but the good thing with Alexis is he is a tough guy, has a good mentality and I am happy with everything he did.”
Ronaldo gives an update on his future
Ronaldo has been linked with a move back to United for months as reports continue to emerge that he’s unhappy in Spain.
Mourinho had his say on the potential rumours at his press conference when he said:
“To put some water on the fire, I would say Cristiano is the kind of player that every manager wants, every club wants, but only one manager can have and only one club can have - Zidane and Real Madrid. That’s my feeling.”
And now United’s former No 7 has outlined his plans for the future:
“Of course I want to stay here, I love this club,” he told Chinese football app Dongqiudi.
“I like living here. I’ve lived in this city since 2009 and I love the weather and the people. It’s close to Portugal and you can get there by car. Spain is a great country, I love it.”
Real Madrid planning £100m De Gea bid
It’s impossible to have a day of the transfer window without having a De Gea to Real Madrid rumour.
And today’s comes courtesy of the Daily Mail.
They’re reporting the La Liga giants are planning a £500m splurge on the Premier League in the summer and De Gea is on the hit list.
It’s no secret they’re admirers of the Spanish keeper and they nearly signed him in 2015.
And now they will bid £100m to land him at the end of the season according to reports.
United are currently in negotiations with him over a new contract.
The other two players Real ‘want’ are Eden Hazard and Harry Kane.
Darmian's performance didn't go down well last night
Poor would be a fair assessment.
Laporte on his way out
It seems like he is on his way out of Athletic. He’s been liking tweets wishing him luck. Another sign that the deal is on.
Gary Neville urged United to hijack the deal the other day.
He tweeted: “In my very short time in Spain we played them three times. This lad can play. Get in United.
“It’s really hard to get players out of Bilbao and costly but this lad is a very good player.”
But it sounds like United aren’t going to steal two of City’s targets this January. After already bagging Sanchez it sounds like Laporte is on his way to City.
Smalling, Young and Lingard showed their class
Brilliant.
Mourinho's message for the squad
He sent a message to the team on his Instagram as he celebrated his 55th birthday yesterday.
A 4-0 win isn’t a bad way to celebrate!
Yeovil weren't happy with the man of the match decision
Everyone else seemed to be ok with it.
Even if Keown had to give it out through gritted teeth.
Gomes impressed last night
Probably slightly tongue in cheek this tweet but the 17-year-old made a big impact when he came on in the second half.
More people laughing at his commentary
If that’s not enough there’s a whole load more tweets where that came from in here.
Martin Keown proving to be the most bitter person on the planet last night
He’s still not stopped crying about Sanchez moving to United and his commentary was laughable.
Even the official FA Cup Twitter was having a dig.
United 'haven't closed the door on a Ronaldo return'
Everybody knows Ronaldo isn’t happy in Madrid and is looking for a way out.
So, obviously he’s been linked with a move back to Old Trafford.
Mourinho’s comments in his press conference suggested that’s not on the cards but his ‘mate’ Duncan Castles believes the door hasn’t been closed on a return to Manchester.
Speaking The Transfer Window Podcast, he said:
“As far as he’s (Ronaldo’s) concerned, he’s been informed by the club that they will sell him in the summer and that he is allowed to talk to suitors.
“If you look at what’s been happening in the press in Spain there’s been a lot of reporting that Madrid want him out.
“There’s also been lots of reporting that the door was closed to him at Manchester United, as a result of the Alexis Sanchez signing and the great play made of Alexis Sanchez being given the No.7 shirt.
“I think you’ll see something from United saying that’s not the case and that the door remains open to him there.
“I think essentially his options in Europe come down to two options which are United and Paris St-Germain.”
Carrick reacts to his return
Everyone was delighted to see him back playing for the first time since September.
Paul Ince gives Jose Mourinho a transfer plan
Former United midfielder Paul Ince thinks Mourinho needs to sign four players this summer to really strengthen the squad.
He explained:
There’s a seriously big summer coming for Manchester United. When you’re a club like that, you’re always trying to improve. And sometimes, that means current players lose out, but that’s just how it goes.
“Come summer I’m expecting around three or four more players to come to Old Trafford. There are still issues to address, and it’s all Jose Mourinho forming his team.
Read our full interview with him here.
Angel Gomes reacts to his cameo
He was so close to getting on the score sheet.
Yeovil match report
What a night for Alexis Sanchez.
Player ratings from Yeovil
It was a real mixed bag.
A good night for United
It was a perfect start to the weekend last night as United booked their place in the fifth round of the FA Cup and Alexis Sanchez made his debut.
