Man Utd round-up: Varane hints at Real Madrid exit, Luke Shaw returns to training

Posted Friday, May 20, 2016 by squawka.com

With the Premier League campaign done and dusted, Manchester United still have the FA Cup final with Crystal Palace on Saturday to prepare for.

This is arguably the biggest game of United’s season and certainly the most important in Louis van Gaal’s tenure at the club.

The Dutchman is yet to bring any silverware to United since his arrival in 2014 and although the FA Cup would not have been the trophy that United’s fans would have wanted at the start of the season it would still be welcome in an otherwise disappointing campaign.

Major questions about Van Gaal’s future still remain as the rumours of Jose Mourinho’s appointment continue to linger. So, on that note, here are the biggest stories currently doing the rounds at Old Trafford.

Man Utd fear that they could miss out on signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang due to Van Gaal’s negative playing style scaring away new players. The hierarchy at the Red Devils are concerned that they will miss out on further targets if he remains at the club. (Daily Mail)

Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane, who is wanted at United, has said that he no longer feels important at the Santiago Bernabeu, hinting that he might want to move away. “Until November, I played in almost every game. I’m at a crucial stage in the season. I know my qualities and I know what I’m capable of doing. But it’s true there have been a few unusual mistakes. I think a footballer needs to play to thrive and to feel important. This is true for all players. I try to keep working every day to improve.” (Manchester Evening News)

There was good news at the United training base as Luke Shaw returned to training for the first time since breaking his leg in September. The young left-back had made a promising start to the season before suffering the terrible injury.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah, who was named in the Netherlands preliminary squad for their upcoming friendlies, has been forced out of the squad as he was not 100% fit, which is blow according to Daley Blind. “Timothy is eighteen. There’s a lot come down on him in recent weeks. The reward for this was a place on the shortlist. I wanted him in the final selection, but you have to be fit. And he’s not one hundred percent fit at the moment. That’s too bad. I wanted to see him, but I hope I can still see him at work after the summer.” (Manchester Evening News)

The Red Devils have reportedly made a bid for Benfica centre-back Victor Lindelof said to be worth £20-million. The Swedish star, who will be at Euro 2016, has also been linked with moves to Juventus, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Real Madrid. (Daily Star)