Manchester United have played their second friendly match of the summer and their final one before they travel to the United States for the traditional tour. This time, Red Devils defeated Lyon 1-0 at Murrayfield on Wednesday afternoon, with the win secured thanks to a Donny van de Beek goal.
While we take a closer look into this match, that is not the only thing we will be paying attention to today.
Van De Beek Still Has His Say
Donny van de Beek is back to full fitness and he might be back for giving a lot more to Manchester United than he has in previous years. The Dutch midfielder scored the only goal in an unremarkable match for Man United, which gave the team their second win of the pre-season.
Van de Beek struck the ball in a perfect fashion to score the only goal, and it was followed with a proper roar from the player. That was a roar filled with desperation and some feeling of elation, as Van de Beek has heavily struggled since joining United. Now he is finally fit and he could use this pre-season to show Ten Hag he can return to the level from his Ajax days. This was hist first match since 3 January, after which he earned a knee injury which kept him out of the picture for half a year. Now, this could be his chance to get back to the top of European football, which, at 26, should not be impossible.
Could Evans Surprise Yet Again?
It was a huge surprise when Man United announced the return of Jonny Evans to the club in order to help the team during pre-season. It is a unique short-term solution, but the veteran centre-half played second half against Lyon and did not seem out of place for a split second. He was good on the ball and positionally stood well, so it should not be a huge surprise anymore if United decide to give him a one-year contract, to fill the gaps when necessary. Who knows, it might be him the cover for the likes of Martinez, Varane and Lindelof.
Hannibal Makes People Pay Attention
We should not look to much into this match, considering it is a friendly one and, more particularly, because we are still early into pre-season. But Hannibal Mejbri seems to have clearly improved during his loan spell at Birmingham last season. While he was the best player against Leeds last time out, this time he also brought the aggression and intensity to Man United. On occasions, he brought the threat to the French team and it will be interesting to see where his season goes from here. Even if United decide to let him on another loan when the pre-season is done, he might be getting himself some Premier League football.
While You Are Here – Hojlund Negotiations
Apart from this match, Manchester United are still looking to sign Atalanta striker Rasmus Hojlund, but the negotiations are not easy for the Red Devils. According to Alfredo Pedulla from Italy, Atalanta will want almost 70 million euros for the player, 60 million of which would have to be the base before add-ons. Ten Hag is eager to bring the Dane striker as he sees a perfect solution for his attacking line in the 20-year-old.
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