The coronavirus pandemic has brought all of world football down for the foreseeable future. The Premier League announced suspension of play until April 30, and at that point they will re-evaluate again. That said, there are still plenty of interesting Manchester United related news and notes to go over.
Let’s take a look at some of the news items trending in cyberspace right now during these very strange days and extremely uncertain times. (For today’s MUFC transfer rumors round-up, go here)
We begin by looking at potential destinations for winger Jesse Lingard, who has worn out his welcome to say the least.
It would be best for all involved that he and the club part ways, and his signing on with super-agent Mino Raiola has likely solidified his eventual exit. Potential destinations include…Arsenal! That’s according to The Athletic, and it raises the question “should United and Arsenal do business again?”
Will they do so here? What about with Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang? Chris Smalling? Italian publication Corrierre dello Sport says Smalling could be moving to Arsenal once his loan deal at AS Roma expires, but then again the Eternal City’s club may want to keep him beyond the end of the season.
Both players could reportedly be had for about £20 to 25 million, so the Gunners wouldn’t exactly have to break the bank here to make these moves.
And finally, United attacking midfielder Andreas Pereira, who made 37 appearances this season, opened up in a wide ranging exclusive interview with ESPN. He is spending this time of quarantine and isolation with his two-month-old daughter Maria-Victoria.
So in this sense the timing is rather fortunate.
“It’s really strange,” the Brazilian said. “I’m home all the time and I’m not used to this life. I’m used to playing football every day, travelling, playing games … It’s like I’m retired!”
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
You can follow Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com on Twitter here and his cat on Instagram at this link