Man Utd facing changes on and off the pitch – Reports

Mark Holmes
Manchester United: Club has condemned fans' chants against Liverpool

Manchester United: Club has condemned fans' chants against Liverpool

Manchester United are looking to cut back on spending behind the scenes but want to appoint a new academy coach and are still eyeing new players, according to reports.

Despite the club’s value spiralling to around the £3billion mark, the Glazer family are insisting on their employees cutting back and trimming budgets by 15 per cent, according to the Sunday Express.

The Glazers take an estimated £15million a year out of the club, but the first team squad is apparently the only area to survive the cut-backs, with even the academy and scouting departments asked to make savings.

The newspaper quotes an insider as saying: “Few people can understand why this is happening with so much money now coming into the game, particularly at Manchester United. It hasn’t been good for morale.”

United are yet to replace academy director Brian McClair, who left to take a job with the Scottish FA last May, but the Sunday People claim Oxford United boss Michael Appleton has been offered the position.

Appleton, a former United trainee himself, has impressed in his first full season in charge of Oxford, who are third in League Two, but the 40-year-old is apparently now mulling over an offer to reshape a youth system that has fallen behind those of Manchester City and Chelsea.

On the pitch, meanwhile, the Sunday People say United would like to sign Tottenham left-back Danny Rose but are not expected to land the 25-year-old, while the Daily Star Sunday says the Red Devils are also building dossiers on Harry Kane and Dele Alli after having scouts present at the last four Spurs games.

The Sunday People also says Real Madrid will again attempt to sign David De Gea in the summer, with their transfer ban suspended, while the Sun on Sunday says Michael Carrick will consider offers to leave Old Trafford, with clubs in the Premier League and abroad keen, though it is said he will be offered a contract to stay on.