By DAN KARELL
Many players on the fringes of the Manchester United squad will learn their fate in the coming days.
As Man United winds down their U.S. tour when they face Liverpool in the final of the 2014 International Champions Cup, manager Louis Van Gaal told local reporters that he will speak individually with each player and let them know if they have a place in the squad ahead of the season.
“I shall make judgments after this tour,” Van Gaal told the Daily Telegraph. “I let all the players play and I know now more than before the tour. Now also it is a little bit soon to judge, but in football you have to judge and you have to give a chance to the player to make a transfer when I see that his prospects to play are not so high.
“You have to say it in advance because it’s too late after Aug 31 and I will tell payers after the tour, but to them, not to you.”
Players such as Javier Hernandez, Nani, Shinji Kagawa, as well as Marouane Fellaini and Anderson, who aren’t in the squad for the ICC, have all been subject to rumors or reports that they would leave Man United this summer. The summer transfer window closes in Britain on Monday, Sept. 1 at 11 p.m. local time.
Here are some more stories to start off your Monday:
FALCAO SCORES IN FIRST START SINCE INJURY
It may have come in an exhibition match in another country but Radamel Falcao’s first goal since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament is nonetheless another step in his recovery.
The 28-year-old forward made his first start on Sunday at the Emirates Cup for AS Monaco since suffering a torn ACL on Jan. 22, an injury that ruled “El Tigre” out of the World Cup. Though he was marked for most of the match and still showed signs of rustiness, the Colombian forward took his one chance with ease, heading home a free kick past Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.
It was the only goal of the match as Monaco held on for a 1-0 victory over the hosts, Arsenal, and following the match, both Falcao and manager Leonardo Jardim said that the player would be staying at the club this season.
“At this point Falcao is our player and he’s with us 100 per cent and we don’t want to let him go,” Jardim told reporters after the match. It’s a pity we lost James [Rodriguez] but we can count on Falcao staying. Regardless of what people say, he’s our player. He’s in the final stages of his recovery and he’ll be with us this season.”
Since Rodriguez completed his move to Real Madrid, he has been on the record as saying that he’d like to see Falcao move to Los Blancos with him, though no formal offers have been made.
REAL MADRID COMPLETE NAVAS SIGNING
After weeks of speculation, Costa Rican international goalkeeper Keylor Navas is officially a member of Real Madrid.
The club announced the signing on Sunday afternoon, with Navas signing a six-year contract with los Blancos. According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid paid Navas’ buy-out clause to sign him from Levante, a fee of €10 million.
Navas was the star of La Liga last season, being named by most pundits as the best goalkeeper in the league based on his performances for Levante. Navas then carried that form into the World Cup, leading Costa Rica to an incredible quarterfinals finish at the tournament, the farthest ever the little nation has gone in their World Cup history.
QUICK KICKS
Alessandro Del Piero, at age 39, believes he can play one more season, though he is a free agent at the moment since leaving Sydney FC. (REPORT)
PEC Zwolle have stunned all of Holland with their 1-0 victory over Ajax to win the Johan Cruyff Trophy. (REPORT)
Bayer Leverkusen have acquired defender Kyriakos Papadopoulos on a season-long loan from Borussia Dortmund. (REPORT)
Liverpool are closing in on the signings of Spanish defenders Alberto Moreno and Javi Manquillo. (REPORT)
Stuttgart have signed Chelsea midfielder Oriol Romeu on a season-long loan. (REPORT)
Uruguayan international midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro was unable to make his debut for Corinthians this weekend after a soap dish fell on his foot in the shower. (REPORT)
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What do you think of these reports? Which Man United players do you expect to leave in August? Do you see Falcao staying with AS Monaco? Do you see Navas receiving any playing time this season?
Share your thoughts below.