Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has set up a fund raising page and pledged his own financial support to help children affected by the Coronavirus outbreak.
Premier League fixtures were cancelled this weekend due to the spread of the virus in the UK and Pogba used his 27th birthday to set up the fundraiser to help combat COVID-19.
The Frenchman said he will double the fund if the goal of £27,000 is met.
He wrote: "The impact of a large-scale outbreak, especially on poor and vulnerable children, can be immense.
"It's my birthday and I'm always grateful that me, my family and friends are healthy. Nonetheless, not everybody is in good health right now.
"At times like this we need to come together."
On the transfer front, Manchester United have been linked with a move for Fenerbache starlet Omer Beyaz.
Follow for the latest United news, rumours and updates throughout the day.
United in four club race for Bellingham
Manchester United have reportedly agreed a fee with Birmingham City for teenage star Jude Bellingham.
The Mirror have said that United and three other clubs have met Birmingham’s asking price - reported to be £15million, rising to £30million - with Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich all in the race.
It could now be down to Bellingham to decide on his future.
Rooney's verdict on coronavirus
Strong words from Wayne Rooney.
Post Ferguson award winners
Bruno Fernandes joins a select group.
How Bruno Fernandes has surpassed Zlatan Ibrahimovic
There can be absolutely no doubting Bruno Fernandes’ impact at Manchester United.
His January arrival from Sporting Lisbon coincided with United’s best run of form this season. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has regularly lauded his impact, with United’s output in terms of goals and assists boosted hugely by the Portuguese playmaker and the side going 11 games unbeaten before the coronavirus spread forced English football to halt for at least three weeks.
Fernandes has spoken about how Solskjaer asks for “perfection in training”. And the stats from his first nine games at United, in which he has been involved in seven goals (three goals and four assists), mean the Norwegian is almost getting that perfection.
Those numbers put Fernandes level with Robin van Persie’s first nine games for United, as a measure of the success he’s been as a signing. It’s also more goal contributions than Zlatan Ibrahimovic — another instant attacking hit at Old Trafford — could manage.
Read more about Fernandes’ stats here
United fans react to Fernandes award
They are impressed, to say the least.
Bruno Fernandes Premier League player of the month
Bruno Fernandes was awarded the PFA fans’ player of the month for February and has now added the official Premier League award to his collection too.
What a start for the Manchester United man.
This is what he said while collecting the award:
“Since I was a kid it was a dream to play for Man United, and to be there at Old Trafford is the biggest dream of my career.
“When you come to a new club you always want to score, and the first goal is special. It doesn’t matter how the goal is scored, but important is the goal’s worth.
“I’m happy with my start, but from now I need to give more, to be better.”
Denis Zakaria latest
One name that is doing the rounds in terms of a transfer link with United is Borussia Monchengladbach midfield star Denis Zakaria.
A number of outlets including The Sun have reported United’s apparent interest, though it’s also claimed Liverpool are in the mix.
Zakaria, 23, is among Europe’s hottest properties ahead of the summer transfer window.
Ighalo 'willing to take 50 per cent pay cut' for United stay
Odion Ighalo is reportedly willing to sacrifice £6million to remain at Manchester United.
That’s according to The Sun, who report that the on-loan Shanghai Shenhua striker wants to join United on a permanent deal. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has suggested United will consider that, with the report going on to claim Ighalo will take a 50 per cent wage reduction if he stays at Old Trafford permanently.
When will the next fixture be?
As it stands, Manchester United’s next game will be away at Brighton, in the Premier League, on Saturday April 4th.
However, indications suggest that the coronavirus outbreak will not have subsided by then and officials will already be discussing what happens if that round of fixtures doesn’t go ahead.
We’ll keep you updated on the latest implications on the world of football as the COVID-19 spread impacts all sport.
What a start by Fernandes
He’s ahead of Zlatan and level with RVP in terms of opening nine Manchester United appearances.
Leverkusen issue Havertz update
Bayer Leverkusen manager Peter Bosz has admitted the Bundesliga side are powerless to keep Kai Havertz in the summer amid speculation linking him with Manchester United and Manchester City.
Havertz has emerged as one of Germany’s brightest prospects, graduating from the club’s youth academy to become a key player for Leverkusen and a regular in the senior national squad.
As a result of the 20-year-old’s performances at such a young age, Havertz has been regularly linked with a move to the Premier League with various outlets crediting the likes of United, City, Liverpool and Chelsea with an interest in his signature.
After selling Julian Brandt to Borussia Dortmund last summer, Bosz conceded the youngster will leave the club at the end of the season but will cost an enormous amount of money.
Read what Bosz had to say here.
Ighalo names two United idols
Odion Ighalo named Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke when asked who his favourite Manchester United player was when he was growing up.
Cole and Yorke formed a formidable partnership during the 1998-99 season as United won the Treble. The pair were also influential in United’s 2000 and 2001 title wins.
Read what Ighalo had to say about the duo here.
Europa League quarters and semis could be one-off games
The coronavirus pandemic could force UEFA into playing Champions League and Europa League knock-out ties in one-off games in order to finish the competitions this season.
UEFA confirmed last Friday that all fixtures in the Champions League and Europa League had been suspended due to the outbreak. The governing body also announced that the draws for the quarter-finals of the Champions League and Europa League, planned for next Friday, have also been postponed.
All of Europe’s top leagues have faced widespread disruption, with the Premier League also postponing fixtures until the start of April at the earliest.
And now, according to a report in the Mirror, the governing body could be heading for a major revolution with quarter-final and semi-final ties being played over one leg when and if the competition finally resumes.
That is one of the proposals up for discussion at the UEFA crisis summit meeting next Tuesday, according to the report, which also says that there is a determination to still stand by the Champions League final date on May 30 in Istanbul with the Europa final in Gdansk three days earlier.
The UEFA summit will be done by a video conference with all 55 member associations taking part on Tuesday and moving Euro 2020 by a year until the summer of 2021 is also key to the rescheduling as it would enable domestic seasons to be played beyond May 30.
Pogba return date 'revealed'
Paul Pogba will return to United training tomorrow, according to The Athletic.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gave his players the weekend off following the suspension of the Premier League but Pogba is set to be involved in a full session on Tuesday - his first since an ankle operation in January.
United favourites for Van de Beek if Madrid backtrack - report
United will be able to complete a deal for the Ajax midfielder Donny van de Beek if Real Madrid backtrack on a pre-agreement to sign the Ajax midfielder.
Spanish outlet Marca say Madrid agreed to sign Van de Beek last summer but could not follow through with the transfer because they failed to sell both James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale.
It is claimed that Van de Beek’s future is still in Madrid’s hands but United will pounce if Los Blancos pull out.
United's training plans amid coronavirus pandemic revealed
Manchester United players are expected to continue training as normal amid the coronavirus pandemic.
United are not due to play again until their scheduled trip to Brighton & Hove Albion on April 4 but there is already mounting uncertainty the Premier League season will resume in just under three weeks’ time.
Despite the possibility of months without matches the MEN understands United players are currently expected to report for training, with days off spread out across the forthcoming weeks. United players are off on Monday and back due back in on Tuesday, and some have been spotted out on errands over the weekend. Former United manager Jose Mourinho gave the players fixed days off, regardless of results.
Bailly hints at preference for Solskjaer over Mourinho
Eric Bailly says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s experience as a former top-flight player has made a massive difference to life at Manchester United.
The manager is a club legend at Old Trafford and remains popular among match-going fans since replacing Jose Mourinho in December 2018.
Mourinho saw his time at United tainted by fractured relationships with members of his squad as well as public fall-outs with some of his star players.
His style of management is very different to that of Solskjaer, and Bailly believes this is down to the Norwegian’s own experiences as a player.
Read what Bailly had to say here.
Odion Ighalo reveals his two Manchester United idols
Odion Ighalo named Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke when asked who his favourite Manchester United player was when he was growing up.
Cole and Yorke formed a formidable partnership during the 1998-99 season as United won the Treble. The pair were also influential in United’s 2000 and 2001 title wins.
“I watched Andy Cole growing up,” Ighalo told beIN Sports. “Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke, they were two strikers at United who used to score goals. They were very strong and scored a lot of goals.”
Leverkusen issue Kai Havertz transfer update amid Manchester United and Man City links
Bayer Leverkusen manager Peter Bosz has admitted the Bundesliga side are powerless to keep Kai Havertz in the summer amid speculation linking him with Manchester United and Manchester City.
Havertz has emerged as one of Germany’s brightest prospects, graduating from the club’s youth academy to become a key player for Leverkusen and a regular in the senior national squad.
As a result of the 20-year-old’s performances at such a young age, Havertz has been regularly linked with a move to the Premier League with various outlets crediting the likes of United, City, Liverpool and Chelsea with an interest in his signature.
How Manchester United fans did the club proud during their lock-out in Linz
An omnipresent Manchester United supporter, his goatee dyed red and sporting a blinding green and gold jacket, scoffed at the sight: “He’s got his scarves.” Behind the stand marked Roseggerstrasse at the Linz Stadion, a few Mancunians were milling around, some clutching half-and-half scarves with two hours to go until kick-off. They were still peddling them with as much gusto as if they were outside Old Trafford.
Fans had already done their online reconnaissance via Google Maps and had discovered there was an open end at the stadium behind the goal United were attacking in the first-half. Their interest was piqued by the entrance gates to the opposite end - Roseggerstrasse. The pitch was visible through the glass and doors were punctured by see-through rows of dots.
On the walk to the accreditation booth, a colleague bumped into a United away-dayer who had still made a trip essential for anoraks. Once we had received our press passes, another travelling supporter - also a journalist - approached this correspondent and namedropped a peer from an outlet who would not be claiming a lanyard of honour in Linz. He had preferred to attend Liverpool’s Champions League capitulation the previous night.
Good morning
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