Man Utd legend Paul Scholes insists that “everything is still negative” around Old Trafford despite Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’ arrival last year.

The Red Devils have been in terrible form this season with their 2-2 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday one of the highlights of their campaign.

Despite the impressive result in Merseyside, Ruben Amorim’s side are currently 13th in the Premier League table with the new Portuguese head coach winning just four of his first 12 matches in charge in all competitions.

As well as things not going to plan on the pitch, Ratcliffe and INEOS have far from impressed off the pitch with supporters already turning against the new investors.

Man Utd co-owner Ratcliffe, who completed a deal to buy 27.7 per cent of the club in February last year, has sanctioned a cost-cutting programme as he’s looked to streamline the business model at Old Trafford.

The INEOS chief has been criticised for pushing through mass redundancies, hiking ticket prices, scrapping Christmas perks and taking away Sir Alex Ferguson’s global ambassador role.

And former Man Utd midfielder Scholes thinks ticket prices are “ridiculous” and the ex-England international is struggling to “think of something positive that they’ve done for the football club”.

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Scholes said on The Overlap: “They have been in charge [of Manchester United] for nearly a year now and everything is still negative. I can’t think of something positive that they’ve done for the football club.

“Things are getting worse on the football pitch so couldn’t they have just said that they’d do cheaper tickets – couldn’t they just give us something positive. How can you ask Manchester United fans to pay more money with what’s on the football pitch.

“£66 for a ticket is ridiculous. If you think of Manchester, there are so many deprived areas and Sir Jim Ratcliffe himself is from Failsworth – which is a deprived area. If you take one kid with you, that’s £120, if you take a family, you’re looking at £300-400 – it’s not right.

“Where do these owners get the front to put ticket prices up? For the value – we’re probably having our worst ever Premier League season and they’ve got the cheek to put the prices up.”

And Scholes has questioned how Ratcliffe and INEOS can justify the hike in ticket prices, the Man Utd legend added: “There is nothing positive happening with that football club. The team look bang average. They’re not doing anything for fans.

“If we’ve got Sir Jim Ratcliffe, compared to all these American owners, who’s been a United fan since growing up in an area in Manchester – he’s still hiking prices up. It just shows that they don’t care.”

Greek giants Olympiacos have “asked for a loan deal” for Man Utd winger Antony with the Red Devils willing to let him leave, according to Sky Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg.

The Red Devils have had an appalling season with Ruben Amorim’s side currently 13th in the Premier League table after their 2-2 draw at Liverpool on Sunday.

Amorim is finding it hard to turn around their inconsistent performances and results with the Portuguese head coach winning just four of his first 12 matches in charge of Man Utd.

Antony, who signed from Ajax for £85m in 2022, has played 356 minutes in all competitions this season over 12 appearances, three of which have been in the starting XI.

His time in the team has slightly improved since the arrival of Amorim as manager but it’s understood that the new Man Utd head coach is unlikely to stand in the way of his exit from Old Trafford.

And now Sky Germany reporter Plettenberg has revealed that Olympiacos are keen on doing a deal for Antony but a loan move would be “very complicated”.

Plettenberg wrote on X: “Olympiacos have asked for a loan deal with #Antony. After Sun and confirmed. Understand the deal is not fully off but very very complicated. #MUFC As reported, Antony can leave Manchester United this transfer window.”

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Marcus Rashford could also be on his way out of Man Utd in the January transfer window with the England international admitting he is ready for a “new challenge” away from Old Trafford.

And now The Athletic‘s David Ornstein insists that German oufit Borussia Dortmund are ‘among a number of clubs considering a move’ for Rashford in the winter market.

The report adds:

‘The Bundesliga team join the likes of AC Milan, Juventus and Premier League suitors in weighing up an attempt at recruiting the 27-year-old England international on a deal until the summer.

‘No decisions have been made by any party as yet and it is plausible Rashford stays with United, despite their willingness to part ways and the forward saying he is “ready for a new challenge”.

‘But external interest is building and discussions are taking place to establish the viability of a temporary switch away from Old Trafford.’

Ornstein continues by saying there would be ‘numerous factors to ponder on all sides’ to get a deal done with the journalist pointing to the current £325k-a-week salary that the Man Utd forward is on.

He continues:

‘It is inevitable United would want as much of his wages covered as possible if the academy graduate is to depart — which may prove an obstacle — while Rashford’s focus will be to pick the best destination in order to get his career back on track.’

According to reports, Chelsea are ‘leading the race’ to sign Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo, who is available for a couple of reasons.

Mainoo was one of the breakout stars in the Premier League last season as he sparked for Man Utd before he impressed for England at Euro 2024.

The talented midfielder has struggled at the start of this season as he’s appeared to suffer from burn-out, but he was back to his best on Sunday as United earned a shock 2-2 draw against Liverpool.

Man Utd’s stark improvement against Liverpool was unexpected, but it provides a major boost for new head coach Ruben Amorim, who is expected to oversee a huge rebuild this month and in the summer.

Amorim’s is having to rebuild United with one arm tied behind his back as he has a tight budget and it’s been reported that he could be forced to sell before he can buy.

This has led to surprising reports linking academy product Mainoo with a move to Chelsea, who are reportedly ‘leading the race’ for his signature.

READ: Six Man Utd certainties under Amorim after Liverpool include three exits, key quartet, £45m transfer

Mainoo’s exit could seriously boost Man Utd’s budget as he would be a pure profit sale and a report from The Daily Mail reveals two reasons why he is no longer considered ‘untouchable’ at Old Trafford.

The England international is said to be in a similar situation to Garnacho as his potential valuation and faltering contract talks have opened the transfer door.

‘So the mark-up on Mainoo and Garnacho – two players still on relatively low wages but worth around £70million to buy – has rocketed to a level that is difficult for a hard-up club like United to ignore.

‘With another academy poster boy, Marcus Rashford, almost certain to leave in the January transfer window, United would prefer to keep hold of his two team-mates.’

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‘Given a choice, they would rather sell Garnacho who is struggling to fit into Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-3 system and has been left on the bench for the last five games since being dropped for the derby.

‘But their hand may be forced over Mainoo if it becomes clear that he cannot agree terms over a new contract.

‘The two sides are said to be far apart in negotiations with Mainoo wanting around £200,000-a-week and United trying to drive down their wage bill by offloading big earners like Rashford, Casemiro and Antony.’

It is also noted that a transfer is ‘more likely’ in the summer than in January, while only two Man Utd players are considered ‘untouchable’.

‘With Chelsea leading a number of Europe’s top clubs in the chase for Mainoo, United might decide it is better to cash in on the 19-year-old England midfielder and sell him in January or, more likely, the summer.

‘It’s understood that the only untouchable players at Old Trafford now are £59m summer signing Leny Yoro and Amad Diallo, who is close to signing a new contract.

‘Even if United are able to hold onto both Mainoo and Garnacho, the fact that their futures at the club are even in question speaks for itself.’

Chelsea are reportedly leading the race to sign Manchester United wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo should he leave amid stalling contract talks.

The 19-year-old burst onto the scene last season as the club’s latest academy graduate and his form earned him a surprise call-up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024 after previously making his England debut.

Despite being one of the most hype youngsters in the Premier League, he is reportedly stalling over a new deal according to the Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler.

As it stands, he currently has two-and-a-half years left on his current deal. He had struggled with an injury at the start of the season which resulted in a slower start but his performance against Liverpool at Anfield in the recent 2-2 draw was widely hailed alongside Manuel Ugarte.

The Athletic’s David Ornstein gave a worrying update on his future after the Liverpool game when speaking to NBC. “If a departure is going to happen [for Rashford], a sale in particular, maybe it’s more likely in the summer, but it would represent pure profit, something we hear about so much, because he was an academy graduate,” Ornstein explained when speaking on NBC on Sunday.

“In the same way that Kobbie Mainoo might be, he’s out of contract in 2027 – no news on a new deal.  Alejandro Garnacho too, I don’t think anybody in that bracket is off the table. Who is, is somebody like Leny Yoro, like Amad Diallo – I think they are untouchable.

“In terms of Amorim, Manchester United’s hierarchy, they fully support him; they back him to lead this transformation of the club.”

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Chelsea have a rich backlog of options in their squad and have employed a transfer plan that has seen them acquire younger players with huge potential.

That has resulted in them having the youngest squad in the Premier League by nearly two years. The likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia are all tied down on long-term deals and the project has a long-term focus which could interest Mainoo should these contract talks continue to stall.

While some may point to the fact that there are also the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Cesare Casadei and Carney Chukwuemeka in the squad, they have all been linked with an exit as early as the current January window.

The Blues also have Andrey Santos to arrive back at the club in the future after the Brazilian has produced a fantastic loan spell in Ligue 1 at Strasbourg as well as Renato Veiga who is capable of performing in midfield or defence.

Mainoo made his debut in the Carabao Cup back in January 2023 but didn’t make his full Premier League debut until November 2023 when he started in the 3-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park.

He then went on to feature 32 times under Erik ten Hag, scoring five times including an incredible solo effort to beat Wolves 4-3 as well as a sensational long-distance effort in the draw with Liverpool at Old Trafford.

That form caught the eye of Gareth Southgate who handed him his debut in March 2023 in a friendly against Brazil. He then started four games in the European Championships including every game from the Round of 16 to the final against Spain.