Manchester United still have “conversations ongoing” during the final hours of transfer deadline day, sporting director Dan Ashworth has confirmed.
The Red Devils appear to remain in the market for further new signings as the summer market ticks into its closing stages, having already welcomed Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee and Noussair Mazraoui to Old Trafford in recent weeks.
United are expected to announce the £51million arrival of Uruguay midfielder Manuel Ugarte from Paris Saint-Germain on Friday, while they continue to be linked with a host of other players.
The club held talks with Chelsea over a potential deal for Raheem Sterling earlier this week and have also been linked with team-mates Ben Chilwell and Carney Chukwuemeka as the Blues push to sign Jadon Sancho before the deadline.
There were also discussions with Brentford over England striker Ivan Toney, who is now set to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli in a £40m deal instead.
Further exits are expected from Old Trafford, including Scott McTominay completing his £30m switch to Serie A giants Napoli.
It could be a busy evening ahead for United, with Ashworth admitting that talks are ongoing when he was pressed on transfers following the Europa League draw in Monaco on Friday that saw Erik ten Hag’s side handed fixtures against Rangers, Porto, PAOK, Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, Bodo/Glimt, Viktoria Plzen, FC Twente and FCSB in the new-look competition.
“I had a few missed calls (during the draw). I kept getting nudged from [Ineos head of sport] Sir Dave Brailsford. My phone was vibrating,” Ashworth told the Daily Mail.
“Let’s see what happens, the window is still open and we have some conversations going on.”
Ten Hag addressed United’s latest transfer situation in a press conference held on Friday afternoon ahead of Sunday’s home Premier League showdown with fierce rivals Liverpool.
He said that he expected Sancho to stay put as things stood then, also admitting mixed feelings over McTominay’s exit and criticising Premier League financial rules that lead to sales of homegrown players counting as pure profit in club accounts.
Quizzed on if United would add further to their squad before the deadline, he said: “I don't have to go into this because it is already said. We are always looking for opportunities to have the best squad.”
On why he was signing Ugarte, the Dutchman added: “We had three No10s, we didn't have any more holding midfielders, we had one. So that is the idea behind [signing him].”
