Ronaldo out, Malacia in: Man Utd's stock has never been lower

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 11 Jul 2022 12:49 CDT
• 4 min read

Cristiano Ronaldo wants to leave Manchester United; Frenkie De Jong doesn't want to join. The only summer signing so far has been Feyenoord left-back Tyrell Malacia. The club's stock has never been lower.

There was a time in recent memory that Manchester United were the go-to destination in world football.

The Lancashire rain, so conducive to the local cotton industry, might not have appealed to players, but the chance to win trophies was enough for Robin van Persie to swap Arsenal for Man Utd as recently as 2012, his first Premier League title following in short order.

Pogba and Ronaldo disappointment

United still had the cachet to attract the likes of Paul Pogba and Cristiano Ronaldo in recent seasons: the former joining from Juventus for a then-world record €105 million fee in 2016; the latter snubbing Manchester City to return to the Red Devils last summer.

But unlike with Van Persie, the trophies haven't followed. United limped to a sixth-place finish last term, missing out on the Champions League. Pogba has returned to Juventus on a free transfer, and Ronaldo seems determined to follow the Frenchman out of Old Trafford, having failed to report for pre-season training.

Pogba may have flattered to deceive in his second spell with United, but that United are struggling to sign their top target as his midfield replacement - Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona - speaks volumes.

De Jong staying put?

Barca are effectively bankrupt. They only want to keep De Jong on reduced terms, else they are keen to cash in on their most saleable asset. United want him, their new manager Erik ten Hag won the Dutch double with De Jong in his ranks at Ajax in 2019. And yet he still won't budge.

"Frenkie De Jong believes that Manchester United have 'bad luck' and that joining them now, with no Champions League, would be a 'loss of prestige' compared to FC Barcelona," write Catalan daily Diario Sport.

"Frenkie De Jong's absolute priority is to stay at FC Barcelona, but if he were to leave, he'd have more chances of joining Chelsea."

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United used to sell players to Chelsea they deemed surplus to requirements: think Juan Sebastian Veron, who left for £15m in 2003 after failing to displace Paul Scholes and Roy Keane.

If you had told a United fan 10 years ago that the flagship summer signing in 2022 would be another Dutchman, but a left-back from Feyenoord who doesn't get his game for his country, they would have struggled to believe you.

Malacia malaise

Not that Tyrell Malacia is a bad player, but United used to steal players from their other top-four rivals, let alone Ligue 1 makeweights Lyon.

Tucked inside Malacia, and no doubt keeping the new recruit busy, will be Harry Maguire, he has been confirmed as captain for the coming campaign despite making no fewer than 16 errors that led to goals conceded last season.

Ten Hag said he "didn't know" how to make Ronaldo happy when pressed ahead of the cub's pre-season tour of the USA. The captain's armband might have helped, but the player seems determined to pursue Champions League football next season instead.

This has been a transfer window to forget for Man Utd, it threatens to get worse, and Ten Hag has an uphill battle on his hands if he is to turn the club around.