Man Utd news LIVE: Paul Pogba's positive doping test CONFIRMED, takeover twist as new Jim Ratcliffe bid emerges
FORMER Manchester United star Paul Pogba's positive testosterone test has been confirmed and he could face a four-year ban.
The World Cup winner was provisionally suspended after failing a drugs test last month and current club Juventus will decide how to proceed with Pogba's contract.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Jassim has reportedly revealed that he will not increase his mega £5billion bid to purchase United
And this comes after news broke that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is considering making a fresh bid for a minority stake in the club.
Follow ALL of the latest from Old Trafford below...
Man Utd pay tribute to Cathy Ferguson
Man Utd have paid tribute to Sir Alex Ferguson's wife Cathy on social media.
The club tweeted: "Everyone at Manchester United sends our heartfelt condolences to Sir Alex Ferguson and his family on the passing of Lady Cathy.
"Lady Cathy was a beloved wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother, and a tower of strength for Sir Alex throughout his career."
BREAKING: Sir Alex Ferguson's wife Cathy passes away
Sir Alex Ferguson's wife Cathy has passed away aged 84.
The wife of the former Manchester United manager died yesterday morning in Cheshire.
A statement on behalf of the Ferguson family said: "We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing yesterday of Lady Cathy Ferguson, survived by her husband, three sons, two sisters, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. The family asks for privacy at this time."
What the ref
Prem referees are earning way less than their European counterparts, with some forced to travel abroad to earn more dosh.
English officials are under the spotlight after last weekend’s VAR disaster during Liverpool’s defeat to Tottenham.
Top-flight names like England, Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver receive a base salary of around £42,000.
For each individual game as the main ref, officials will also pocket £1,500.
This drops to £850 while working as an assistant or on VAR.
If a referee takes charge of 20 games each season, that works out at £30k.
Another 20 matches on VAR comes to £17k.
And that makes for a grand annual total salary of £89k.
Testing times
Traces of testosterone were first found in Paul Pogba's system following Juventus' opening day win over Udinese.
The former Man United star was an unused sub in the game but was hauled in by testers.
Pogba was automatically handed a provisional ban by Italian anti-doping chiefs.
And he was given three days to provide a second 'B' sample for counter-analysis.
But that has now come back positive too.
Paul over?
Paul Pogba faces a four-year ban after his positive testosterone test was confirmed.
The Frenchman, 30, was provisionally suspended after failing a drugs test last month.
And a backup sample given by Pogba has now tested positive as well.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed: "Paul Pogba has tested testosterone doping positive also to backup sample today.
"Juventus will now decide how to proceed with his contract as Pogba faces risk of long-term ban."
Antony probe
Antony's ex-girlfriend is set to fly to the UK within days to speak to cops about her claims the footballer attacked her at a Manchester hotel.
The Red Devils star, 23, was last week grilled by Greater Manchester Police (GMP) for five hours over Gabriela Cavallin's allegations.
Gabriela, 22, has accused the £85million winger of assaulting her on numerous occasions throughout their relationship.
She claimed that she was first attacked in June last year, while pregnant and on holiday in Brazil.
The model and DJ alleged that Antony then headbutted and punched her, damaging a breast implant, at a hotel in Manchester on January 15 - the day after United's 2-1 victory over City.
And she claimed the Brazilian forward threw a glass at her in May, injuring her finger.
It’s Sal good
Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Arsenal’s William Saliba is better than Lisandro Martinez.
Ferdinand told talkSPORT: “I’ll go with Saliba. I think Saliba could potentially be top, top, top.
“I think Martinez answered a lot of critics last year, a lot of doubters about his size and stuff like that, fantastic on the ball.
“But in this comparison, I also think you’re helped by the team you play in. Saliba is in a very solid, consistent team, whereas Martinez isn’t.”
Sack race
Erik ten Hag is second-favourite to be the next managerial departure of the season.
That's according to bookmakers Sky Bet, who've SLASHED their odds on the Dutchman leaving Old Trafford following a dismal run of results.
Ten Hag was available at 12/1 heading into their Champions League showdown with Galatasaray, and their stunning defeat has seen his price come crashing into 7/2.
Despite twice taking the lead, the Red Devils succumbed to a 3-2 defeat to their Turkish visitors, who claimed their first-ever victory on English soil.
It's the first time United have started a Champions League group stage with successive defeats, and ramps up the pressure on manager Ten Hag, whose side are bottom of Group A.
United have now lost two on the spin following Saturday's Premier League home defeat by Crystal Palace, meaning they've now lost five of their past seven games and six out of 10 in all competitions this season.
They have also conceded 18 goals in 10 games in all competitions in 2023-24, which ranks as their most at this stage since 1966-67.
Four fold
It's the final Premier League card before another international break.
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Dim view
Dimitar Berbatov has insisted Erik ten Hag is safe in the Old Trafford dugout despite a dip in results.
He told Betfair: "When the team isn't doing well, most of the time the manager will get the sack or the blame.
"I don't think the finger-pointing at Erik ten Hag has started yet but he will be taking responsibility for how things are going right now.
"At the moment, I think Erik ten Hag is fine, but if he doesn't correct results then it won't be long before everyone around Man United starts to become angry and asks for change."
Zlat's enough
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has enraged Manchester United fans by appearing to defend the Glazers.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, he said: “I think now in Man Utd, I don’t know, there are some kind of demonstrations about the owners to sell it and that, but just a reminder, the owners are investing.
“It is not like they are not investing because they brought in many players for a high amount of money.
“So I think it’s a little bit wrong saying that they are not doing what the fans expect them to do, then I don’t know what the real reason is behind everything.”
His comments have upset United supporters, though, with one commenting: “Zlatan just lost my respect.”
Roo the day?
Man Utd legend Wayne Rooney could only have one more game in charge of DC United after yesterday’s crushing defeat to Austin.
United’s all-time top goalscorer, 37, returned to his former club as manager in July 2022 following a stint at Derby County.
But his time there could be over in a matter of days after their faint play-off hopes were all-but crushed on Wednesday.
Rooney’s team were hammered 3-0 at Austin – which left him even admitting that it would need “almost a miracle” to progress.
Join the Qu
Jurrien Timber’s twin brother is being chased by several Premier League clubs.
The defender joined Arsenal from Ajax in the summer in a deal worth around £40million.
Twin brother Quinten Timber could soon join him in England, though, according to 90min.
Their report claims Manchester United, Liverpool, Manchester City and Tottenham are all interested in the Feyenoord midfielder.
Manchester derby
Man Utd are set to battle it out with Man City to sign Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma in January, according to Fichajes.
Mitoma is reportedly on the verge of signing a new contract with the Seagulls.
Ruud awakening
Paul Scholes compared Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester United legend Ruud Van Nistelrooy after his stellar performance on Tuesday.
The Danish striker scored two goals in the Red Devils’ Champions League clash against Galatasaray.
Despite their defeat, United legend Scholes spotted some talent in 20-year-old Hojlund, who had another effort ruled out for offside, and even compared him to superstar ex-striker Val Nistelrooy.
He told TNT Sports: “There’s a bit of Van Nistelrooy in there.”
Premier miss
Prem teams are set to lose a spot in next season's Champions League thanks in part to Manchester United's poor start to the European season, it has been revealed.
Next season a fifth qualifying slot is up for grabs for European football's top club competition as part of its restructuring by Uefa.
However, that extra slot comes with the condition of teams from England performing well in Europe THIS SEASON.
With the competition expanding from 32 to 36 teams, two of the extra places are determined by which countries have performed best on the continent.
Ranking points are awarded for every game played across all three competitions, divided by the number of participating clubs, with the top two nations being rewarded with extra spots.
Uefa has dubbed this rule "European Performance Spots".
United eye transfer guru
Andrea Berta has been with the Spanish giants for a decade and has garnered an impressive reputation for signing the right players.
United have struggled in recent years to get the right faces through the door after spending big money on players who have failed to live up to the hype.
And according to The Independent, Berta is being eyed by the Red Devils with his transfer record being one thing that has caught the eye.
However, both Tottenham and PSG are also reportedly looking into a move for Berta.
United duo keep places in England squad
In case you missed it, Gareth Southgate has named his latest England squad.
Manchester United pair Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford have both been included in the 26-man squad for this month's internationals.
The Three Lions take on Australia before welcoming Italy to Wembley Stadium in their latest Euro 2024 qualifier.
Maguire keeps his place despite being out of favour at Old Trafford, whilst Rashford is also included by Southgate once again.
Zlatan defends the Glazers
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has enraged Manchester United fans by appearing to defend the Glazers.
Speaking on Piers Morgan Uncensored, he said: "I think now in Man Utd, I don't know, there are some kind of demonstrations about the owners to sell it and that, but just a reminder, the owners are investing.
"It is not like they are not investing because they brought in many players for a high amount of money.
"So I think it's a little bit wrong saying that they are not doing what the fans expect them to do, then I don't know what the real reason is behind everything."
His comments have upset United supporters, though, with one commenting: "Zlatan just lost my respect."
Sheikh Jassim makes takeover decision
Sheikh Jassim will not increase his £5million bid to buy Manchester United.
Jassim is fronting a Qatari group's attempt to purchase the Red Devils from the Glazer family.
Earlier this week, reports emerged that Man Utd's owners are considering Ratcliffe's £1.5bn offer for a 25 per cent stake in the club.
But according to The Times, Jassim and the Qataris see Ratcliffe's offer as an attempt to force them into increasing their bid.
The Glazers are insistent their asking price remains £6bn for a complete buyout of the club.
Key detail 'cut' from Beckham doc
A key detail was left out of David Beckham's new documentary.
The former Manchester United midfielder is the star of his own Netflix series, charting his life and including some interesting tales.
However, one notable talking point was omitted - his role as an ambassador for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Explaining why the detail was left out, director Fisher Stevens told The Independent: "It just felt kind of dated.
"Honestly, if I had another episode, we could have gotten into that. But it just didn't feel as relevant. When you're talking about a guy's 48 years, that was [just] a moment."
United duo named in worst team of the week
Manchester United pair Andre Onana and Diogo Dalot have both been named in the Champions League's worst team of the week.
Based on SofaScore ratings, the duo have been included after United's loss to Galatasaray on Tuesday.
Onana endured a particularly difficult night, with his mistakes leading to a penalty and the visitors' winning goal.
The defeat means United sit bottom of group A after losing both their first two matches.
