Manchester United have completed the signing of Denmark international Christian Eriksen on a three-year deal.

Eriksen had become a free agent following his short-term stay with Brentford, who were keen to keep hold of the playmaker.

A number of other teams had also been tipped to move for Eriksen, including his former club Tottenham, but United announced his arrival on Friday.

Eriksen said: "Manchester United is a special club, and I cannot wait to get started."

It marks a remarkable step for Eriksen, who was brought back to life on the pitch after suffering a cardiac arrest when playing for Denmark against Finland at the European Championship in June 2021.

He made a full recovery but was not allowed to play for Inter on medical grounds as Italy prevents players from competing after having a cardioverter-defibrillator fitted.

Such rules do not apply in the Premier League, though, and Brentford offered the 30-year-old a route back into the game in January on a deal until the end of the 2021-22 campaign.

 

Eriksen made a huge impact by scoring once and assisting four more goals in 11 league appearances to help Brentford, who had been out of form prior to his arrival, stay up.

To highlight Eriksen's importance, he created 30 chances following his Bees bow in March, with only Martin Odegaard (38) and Kevin De Bruyne (42) topping that in the division.

Indeed, between making his debut on March 5 and the end of the season, only six Premier League teams earned more points than Thomas Frank's side (22 from 11 games).

That form led to a recall to the Denmark national side in March, and Eriksen scored in his first two games back against the Netherlands and Serbia.

Frank remained hopeful Eriksen could be persuaded to sign a new deal with Brentford, but that was not the case.

Eriksen becomes United's second signing of the window following the arrival of full-back Tyrell Malacia from Feyenoord.

Erik ten Hag is edging closer to getting his man, or so it seems.

While Tyrell Malacia signed last week and deals for Christian Eriksen and Lisandro Martinez seem close to going through, it is clear that Manchester United's priority transfer target has been Frenkie de Jong.

A star of Ten Hag's Ajax team, De Jong was tipped to help take Barcelona's midfield into the post-Xavi and Andres Iniesta era when he switched Amsterdam for Catalonia in 2019.

Yet, three years on, United have reportedly agreed a fee in the region of £63million (€75m) with Barcelona for the Netherlands international, with a further £8.5m (€10m) in add-ons also possible.

There is one small matter that needs to be resolved, though: De Jong needs convincing to make the switch from Barcelona to Manchester.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta told reporters on July 2 that De Jong had indicated he wished to stay at the club, but then suggested that if the Dutchman were to get his wish, he would have to take a wage cut.

That Laporta believes he would have to negotiate a salary decrease with a player who signed a lucrative contract only three years ago illustrates where Barca have gone wrong, and just why it is hard to fairly judge De Jong's time at Camp Nou, in which he has worked under four coaches – Ernesto Valverde, Quique Setien, Ronald Koeman and Xavi.

The latter was keen to keep hold of the midfielder, but with Barca having signed Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen on free transfers and agreed a deal with Leeds United for Raphinha – not to mention handing Ousmane Dembele a new deal – a big sale is apparently required.

While there is still potential for this deal to fall through, should De Jong stick to his guns, it does seem increasingly likely he will be lining up at Old Trafford next season. So, just what will he bring that United need?

Has he lived up to the hype?

De Jong came into a Barca team that had slumped to a humbling Champions League semi-final defeat to Liverpool and were reeling from that implosion.

Valverde's team let a 3-0 aggregate lead slip in that tie, and truly the coach never recovered. Yet Barca splashed out an initial €75m to add stardust to their midfield and back the coach.

On paper, De Jong is the ideal Barca player, the embodiment of total football; an elegant runner, skilful in possession and a brilliant passer, while he is versatile enough to play in any midfield role or even in the centre of defence.

Over the course of his three seasons at Camp Nou, only Sergio Busquets (144) has made more appearances than his 140, so fitting De Jong into the side has not been an issue, while his creativity has certainly come to the fore, with his 149 chances created ranking behind just Lionel Messi (233) and Jordi Alba (207).

Last season, he created 40 chances in 32 LaLiga games.

 

He ranks fifth for assists (15) in the last three seasons, though it should be noted that both Messi and Antoine Griezmann, who are ahead of him in that metric, left the club in 2021.

De Jong's 10,158 touches puts him third at Barca for the same period, with his 645 duels won likewise third, with only Messi (800) and Busquets (814) winning more.

Under Ten Hag, De Jong might well be employed as a deep-lying playmaker as he was often utilised for Ajax. At Barca, Busquets has remained the midfield metronome, topping the charts for passes attempted (10,799) and completed (9,676), though De Jong does boast a better accuracy than the Blaugrana stalwart (91.8 to 89.6).

But for all his quality, De Jong has been unable to transform Barca's midfield, with Pedri and Gavi the new kids on the block. It is that duo that have seemingly grasped the initiative more, with Busquets still trusted by his former team-mate Xavi.

A clear improvement...

De Jong might not have been able to become the superstar many forecast at Barca, but at 25, he has plenty in the tank and, in truth, strolls into United's midfield.

It has been an area of weakness for several seasons, despite the huge investment in Paul Pogba, Fred and Bruno Fernandes.

While Fernandes has, of course, proved a huge success in England, Pogba only managed flashes of brilliance across his six-year second spell at Old Trafford and has now left on a free, while neither Fred nor Scott McTominay seem natural fits for Ten Hag's possession-based, fluid system.

De Jong fits that bill with aplomb and is a huge step-up on what United have in that area.

With Eriksen's impending arrival set to supplement Fernandes as a creator, De Jong could take up the mantle as United's midfield general from a deeper position, whether playing in front of the defence in a 4-3-3, or as part of a double-pivot in a 4-2-3-1 shape, as was employed in this week's 4-0 friendly win over Liverpool.

 

Last season alone, De Jong completed more passes – 2,160 – than any United midfielder, with only Fernandes (1,849) getting close. He also proved consistently available, playing 47 times, 20 more than Pogba, who he is effectively replacing.

Perhaps surprisingly, only Fred (372) and Fernandes (841), of United midfielders, lost possession more times, excluding hoofs, than De Jong (359) last term.

However, De Jong is adept at winning the ball back, having made 226 recoveries, and the fact he did lose possession so much appears to be largely due to him attempting so many more passes than his United counterparts.

De Jong's dribbling ability adds another dimension to United's attack, with his prowess at carrying the ball upfield a useful tool while in transition. His dribble success rate of 77.4 per cent is better than any of United's regular midfielders from last season, bar Matic, who only attempted 27 dribbles. Opta data shows De Jong made 279 progressive ball carries in LaLiga last season. In comparison, Fred managed 91 in the Premier League, with McTominay mustering 182 and Pogba tallying 125.

 

It is no surprise, then, that Ten Hag sees De Jong as a crucial piece of the puzzle.

Getting this deal done and over the line would be a statement of intent, and should provide an ideal platform for United to be shaped in their new manager's image.

Even if doubts remain further up the field, with uncertainty surrounding Cristiano Ronaldo's future, United's midfield has been in need of a major revamp – De Jong provides just that.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer offered his support to Erling Haaland after his compatriot joined Manchester City, though the Manchester United great told the striker he has joined "the wrong side of Manchester".

Old Trafford favourite Solskjaer spent the majority of his career with United, before taking his first role in senior management as the coach of Molde in 2011.

But it was not until a second spell in Norway with Molde for Solskjaer that he crossed paths with Haaland, managing the youngster for two years before returning to coach United in 2018.

Haaland subsequently earned a move to RB Salzburg, where he thrived before joining Borussia Dortmund, who beat away interest from United to sign the Norway striker.

The draw of Solskjaer was not enough to convince Haaland to choose United over Dortmund, where he scored 86 goals in 89 appearances in all competitions during his two-and-a-half-year spell.

That tally was bettered by only Robert Lewandowski (123 in 108 games) and Kylian Mbappe (93 in 111 games) of players from Europe's top five leagues across that time period.

City swooped in to sign Haaland earlier this year and Pep Guardiola's new arrival revealed Solskjaer was quickly in contact.

"When I signed with City he congratulated me and wrote to me 'good luck on going to the wrong side of Manchester'," Haaland told the Manchester Evening News. 

"We talk sometimes. As you know, he had a huge impact on my career when I was at Molde. He's a good guy."

Haaland moves to the Etihad Stadium with significant expectations on him, none less so than to fill the void left when Sergio Aguero left City in 2021.

The 21-year-old may contrast the diminutive figure of Aguero with his tall stature, but Haaland's finishing is no different, with the Norway international scoring a goal every 3.6 attempts last season in all competitions and converting 65.8 per cent of his big chances.

"Three years ago City didn't want me because they had [Sergio] Aguero up front so then there was no choice about coming to Man City," he added.

"Basically, my feeling was I felt more going to the other place than coming here to England. I could have come here a lot of times in my career but I felt the other place and I think it was a really good choice.

"I have made perfect choices ever since I went to Molde, then Salzburg and Dortmund. I'm not complaining about that."

Haaland will hope to get his first taste of Premier League action when City open their campaign at West Ham on August 7.

Chelsea have dropped their interest in Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo after completing the signing of Raheem Sterling.

It was claimed the Blues had been approached regarding the 37-year-old Portugal captain who is believed to have told United he wishes to leave Old Trafford.

However, widespread reports say Chelsea have turned down the prospect suggested by agent Jorge Mendes after discussions with Thomas Tuchel, with the head coach favouring a more versatile attack for the coming season.

The Stamford Bridge outfit appear unlikely to add further forward options following the recruitment of England international Sterling from Manchester City, with Romelu Lukaku having been sent on loan to Inter.

Ronaldo, who has also been reportedly offered to Bayern Munich, Napoli and Paris Saint-Germain, did not return to training last week, reportedly citing family reasons, and is absent from United's pre-season tour, with the team currently in Australia.

Reports in Portugal claimed an unnamed Saudi Arabian outfit have offered the five-time Ballon d'Or winner a lucrative deal, but the attacker's preference remains to stay in Europe for Champions League football.

Marcus Rashford is relishing a "fresh start" under Erik ten Hag after losing his way at Manchester United.

Rashford fell out of favour during a turbulent 2021-22 season for the Red Devils, making only 13 Premier League starts and scoring just four times in the top flight.

The 24-year-old underwent shoulder surgery last August and has not played for England since the Euro 2020 final defeat to Italy at Wembley 12 months ago.

Rashford is determined to reignite his career following the appointing of Dutchman Ten Hag as United boss.

"It is an opportunity to refresh. I am ready to go again," Rashford said.

"We can do a lot together. For me, it is a fresh start, something I am looking forward to."

Ten Hag feels refreshed after a good break before flying out for the ongoing pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia

He said: "I had just under four weeks off. It has not been natural to have such a long break. This is my first year I have been with the team since the beginning [of pre-season].

"I feel a lot better than usual, when I go away with the nationals and come back part way through pre-season."

United face Melbourne Victory at MCG on Friday after hammering Liverpool 4-0 in Bangkok.

Rashford is looking forward to playing at the iconic stadium in Melbourne.

He said: "I think it's going to be an amazing experience.

"It's a massive opportunity for us to perform against a team that we don't really know much about and also perform in front of fans that we don't get the opportunity to do so throughout the season.

"All the players are looking forward to it and hopefully we give a good account of ourselves."

Thomas Tuchel has not ruled out signing another striker but refused to be drawn on whether Chelsea could move for Cristiano Ronaldo or Robert Lewandowski.

The Blues on Wednesday made their first big signing of the Todd Boehly era, landing Raheem Sterling from Manchester City for a fee reported to be in the region of £45million.

Ronaldo has been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge after he did not travel to Thailand and Australia for Manchester United's pre-season tour.

Lewandowski has informed Bayern Munich he wants a new challenge, although Barcelona are the favourites to sign the prolific striker.

Tuchel says the London club may bring in further firepower, but gave little away when asked about Ronaldo and Lewandowski.

He told Sky Sports: "I will not comment on them, their careers speak for themselves and it's not needed that I give another comment and put rumours out there, which do not help anybody. We will announce when something is to be announced."

Asked about the prospect of signing another striker, he said: "I would not rule it out, but it's not the priority. I think the priority right now is defence, which everybody knows, it's not a secret. We need to see what is possible."

Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly is expected to bolster Chelsea's defence, while Nathan Ake appears set to return to the club from City after sanctions were lifted on the club following a change of ownership.

Tuchel says it is vital more new faces arrive, with Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Romelu Lukaku having departed.

The German said: "The stakes are high and we're competing not only against the best teams who have ever played in the Premier League but also the best coaches,

"We come from sanctions, we come from losing top-quality players, key players, we are a club in transition, in transition of ownership, we were behind in the transfer race and we were behind in the table. So we have things to improve.

"The signing of Raheem shows what we're capable of doing, it shows the ambition of the club and the ownership and it's good because we're all here to win and compete.

"We love to compete and we love the challenge at the very top. For that we need signings of new quality players or otherwise there's no chance."

 

New Manchester United signing Tyrell Malacia has set his sights on dislodging Luke Shaw as Erik ten Hag's first-choice left-back.

Malacia became the long-awaited first signing of the Ten Hag era, joining from Feyenoord for a reported upfront fee of £13million (€15.1m), with £2m in add-ons.

The 22-year-old is expected to pose an attacking threat down the left flank, having laid on four assists in the 2021-22 season, while his 6.0 expected assists (xA) was bettered by only four Eredivisie defenders.

Shaw, Alex Telles, Diogo Dalot and Brandon Williams are among the other left-back options for United, who opened their pre-season campaign with a 4-0 thumping of Liverpool in Bangkok on Tuesday.

Malacia appeared as part of Ten Hag's second-half team, with both sides heavily rotating throughout the friendly, and he hopes to soon make the spot in United's starting XI his own.

"There are some good left-backs here – Telles, Brandon, Luke, me, so you have to work hard and prove ourselves in training and in the end the coach will make a decision," Malacia said.

"Of course [I am] always [confident]. It's everybody's aim. You always want to play, so you have to work hard for it."

Ten Hag was lauded for his free-flowing attacking football that saw Ajax lift the Eredivisie title three times in the coach's four full seasons at the helm.

Malacia, who impressed in the Europa Conference League final despite defeat to Roma, believes the tactics of the new United coach will suit his game.

"My defence is good, my attacking, my technique is good, so I'm looking forward to playing," he added.

"Of course I like to attack, I think that's one of the reasons why [Ten Hag] brought me here, so I have to prove to everyone why I’m here.

"He wants to attack with the left-back and right-back. I'm happy that I made my debut and that we got the win. I already feel like I'm home, they made me feel like I'm home already, so I'm happy.

"Of course it's a big difference playing for United against Liverpool. I wanted this all my life, I worked hard for it, so I have to work harder now."

Netherlands coach and former United manager Louis van Gaal warned Ajax's Jurrien Timber his place may be under threat should he join Ten Hag at Old Trafford.

As Van Gaal and Netherlands look towards the World Cup in November, Malacia assures he is yet to receive such a message from the national team's coach.

"No, I didn't speak to him,” Malacia added. "In the end the coach will make the decision, so we will see."

Raphael Varane says Manchester United must "improve in everything" in a new era under Erik ten Hag.

The Red Devils struggled again last season, failing to qualify for the Champions League or win a trophy.

Ten Hag was lured from Ajax as the permanent successor to interim boss Ralf Rangnick, who stepped in following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's sacking last November.

The Dutchman's reign got off to a winning start during their pre-season tour on Tuesday, hammering Liverpool 4-0 in Bangkok.

Varane says United must improve in all areas in order to become a force once again.

"We know exactly how we want to play," Varane told Sky Sports. "The manager explained very well what we have to do and it's absolutely clear.

"So we know we have to be very fit because it's a very physical way to play. This is just the start of the pre-season so it's just the beginning, but we know exactly where we want to go.

"I think we know exactly what we have to do - we have to improve in everything.

"We have ambition for this season but also, most important, we have to work with humility. I think it's the most important."

Varane was hampered by injuries during his first campaign at Old Trafford, with a lack of a consistent centre-back partnership an issue as Harry Maguire came under fire.

The France defender hopes he can complete uninterrupted preparations for his second term, with the World Cup in Qatar also on the horizon.

"Personally, it's an opportunity for me to have a real pre-season, to get fit and to be ready because it'll be a very long season with a lot of games and high intensity," he said.

"I will try to be ready and to be fit, and obviously I'm very excited for this season coming and I'm very happy to be with Manchester and in this great club. We will try to win some trophies."

Cristiano Ronaldo's future at Manchester United remains unclear after stepping away from their pre-season tour of Thailand and Australia.

The 37-year-old Portuguese has reportedly told United he wants to leave this off-season, although new boss Erik ten Hag said the Portuguese is in their plans for the upcoming campaign.

Ronaldo is one season into a two-year deal at Old Trafford, having re-joined United in August last year.

TOP STORY – RONALDO OFFERED TO PSG IN MESSI LINK-UP

Le Parisien claims that Manchester United's Ronaldo has been offered to French champions Paris Saint-Germain by his agent Jorge Mendes.

PSG, however, were not interested in the 37-year-old as they felt he was not the right fit and would put strain on their bulging wage bill, headlined by Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe.

Mendes has also held talks with Bayern Munich and Chelsea as he seeks a move away from Old Trafford for Ronaldo.

ROUND-UP

–  Chelsea are homing in on a €40 million (£34m) deal for Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly with the two parties in talks on a five-year deal, claims Sky Sport Italia. The Blues are looking for defensive reinforcements after Andreas Christensen and Antonio Rudiger's departures.

–  Manchester United are closing in on a deal for Ajax's Lisandro Martinez with negotiations entering key stages reports Fabrizio Romano. The two clubs will meet on Wednesday, with Ajax having turned down United's previous approach, but the Argentinian is keen to move to the Premier League.

– The Telegraph claims that Newcastle United have held discussions with Real Sociedad about a deal for Swedish striker Alexander Isak with the fee believed to be a club record.

Barcelona have agreed to a five-year deal with Raphinha, with the move from Leeds United worth €67m (£55m) according to Fabrizio Romano.

– Marca reports that Real Madrid will beat Barcelona to the signature of 17-year-old Algeciras winger Alvaro Leiva.

Jurgen Klopp said Liverpool "hate" their pre-season defeat to Manchester United in Bangkok, but admitted he was satisfied to get minutes into the majority of his squad.

The Reds were downed 4-0 by their rivals as part of a tour of the Far East, with goals for Jadon Sancho, Fred, Anthony Martial and Facundo Pellistri helping new boss Erik ten Hag to a win in his first game in charge.

Liverpool returned to pre-season training a week later than United, with some of their stars who took part in internationals in June only joining up with their team-mates over the weekend.

That meant Klopp chose to rotate the majority of his players in stints throughout the friendly, using 32 players in all, and the German admitted that after a truncated build-up for his squad, he was more relieved to give them game-time despite his frustration at the result.

"Obviously the game came a little bit too early for us, for some of our boys," he told the club's website after the clash in Thailand that saw new signings Fabio Carvalho and Darwin Nunez make their first appearances. "I think we agree that we saw a lot of good things in this game.

"But in the decisive moments we were not clear enough with finishing our situations off. We gave massive chances away. United did well in these moments, they finished the situations off.

"The most important thing now after the game, even when I hate losing, everybody has 30 minutes in their legs now."

According to Opta, Liverpool actually had a higher expected goals rate (xG) in the game of 1.7 to United's 1.5, taking 18 shots to their more ruthless opponents' nine.

Liverpool will complete their trip to Asia with a clash on Friday against Crystal Palace in Singapore, before they head back to Europe for matches in Germany and Austria against RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg.

Klopp admitted the time differences and frantic schedule presented difficulties, but took time to hail the club's hosts in Bangkok, who provided a raucous atmosphere at Rajamangala Stadium.

"It's tough but [we are] not on tours for a long time, so we do it now and from here to Singapore," he added. "I think we fly two-and-a-half hours so that should be fine. Then on Saturday we already go home again, so that's fine.

"The welcome here was fantastic and I am pretty sure in Singapore it will be similar. It was really, really good but [it was just] not the result we wanted [in the end]."

Erik ten Hag was impressed by Manchester United's "great spirit" after they kicked off their pre-season tour with a 4-0 win over Liverpool.

The Red Devils recorded a comfortable victory against an understrength Reds side in Bangkok thanks to goals from Jadon Sancho, Fred, Anthony Martial and Facundo Pellistri, while Tyrell Malacia made his bow for the club.

Jurgen Klopp's Champions League finalists utilised a much-rotated team throughout the friendly encounter, while United started with close to a full-strength XI, resulting in something of a lopsided result.

But Ten Hag, who succeed interim boss Ralf Rangnick at the end of last season, still had positives to take from the fixture ahead of his side flying out to Australia to continue their preparations for the new term.

"Of course we are satisfied today, because I think they were a team with a great spirit," he told MUTV. "We know we have just started.

"We made some mistakes in pressing, we conceded some chances, but also we created a lot. Our team played bravely. We are happy with the first game.

"I know we have good players. Now we have to make a [good] team. [It will] take a lot of time.

"Liverpool were not at their strongest, so we will not overestimate this, but still, I have seen some really good things. We have potential."

Ten Hag's men next travel to Victoria to face Melbourne Victory – who could deploy former United winger Nani – on July 15, before tests against fellow Premier League duo Crystal Palace and Aston Villa.

Erik ten Hag tasted victory in his first pre-season friendly as Manchester United manager as they eased to a 4-0 win over Liverpool.

United have not beaten Liverpool in the Premier League since 2018 and suffered 5-0 and 4-0 defeats to their arch rivals last season.

But Ten Hag's side claimed a comfortable win over Jurgen Klopp's men in Bangkok, though it came in a game that saw both sides make a raft of changes throughout.

Still, it was an encouraging start for Ten Hag, who saw Jadon Sancho open the scoring for his team in the 12th minute when he fired into the bottom corner after Liverpool failed to clear a Bruno Fernandes cross.

Liverpool's inability to clear their lines haunted them again when Fred lofted an effort over Alisson from the edge of the area on the half-hour mark.

Anthony Martial made it 3-0 three minutes later after dispossessing Rhys Williams and, though the fourth did not come until the 76th minute, it arrived in style.

It was Facundo Pellistri who rounded things off for United following a one-two with Amad Diallo after a quick counter that had been started by Eric Bailly.

Paul Pogba revealed he had "thought a lot" about returning to Juventus after sealing his Serie A comeback, as he blamed his Manchester United struggles on multiple factors.

Having left United following the end of his contract in June, Pogba sealed a return to Juventus on Monday, six years after departing the Turin giants to head to Old Trafford in a then-world record £89million (€105m) deal.

The 2018 World Cup winner won four consecutive Serie A titles in his first spell with the Bianconeri, scoring 34 goals in 178 appearances for the club.

Despite lifting the EFL Cup and Europa League trophies in the 2016-17 season, Pogba largely struggled to live up to his lofty price tag with United.

His presence could not prevent the Red Devils from failing to win any silverware in the five years that followed his first campaign back in England.

While Pogba confessed a Serie A return had been in his thoughts for some time, the France star insisted he did not regret his Premier League move and felt he had grown as a player at United.

"I am happy to go home, this is how I feel here," Pogba said at his unveiling on Tuesday. 

"You have all seen the welcome of the people, but this is something more than a dream. I am very, very happy.

"The messages from the Juventus fans have always pleased me, even though I was focused on doing well at United. 

"Last season, there was only one year left [on my contract], I thought a lot about my return, and here I am. Now I am happy.

"I believe in destiny, I'm happy with the choices I've made in my life. Life is like this, sometimes you make choices that don't go your way, but I'm happy with the years in Manchester. 

"I grew up, I learned, I became a man. I wasn't wrong. God wanted this, and I'm just very happy to be here at Juventus today. 

"My heart told me that Juve was my destination. I felt inside that this was where I wanted to return, and I made my decision."

Pogba played under Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick during his troubled spell in Manchester, and the midfielder believes the absence of continuity at United held him back.

"Changing coach every year is hard - this was a difficult aspect for me," he added.

"Then there were a few injuries, but I think it was also a mental thing; playing and not playing makes you lose the pace. 

"There is a bit of everything; coach, team, position -. all this has blocked me a bit. 

"Now, however, I have left, and you will see another Paul. I can do better than I have in recent years."

Pogba says the presence of Juve boss Massimiliano Allegri, who oversaw two of his four Scudetto triumphs, was a big factor in his decision to return.

"Even in Manchester I often talked to him, we have always had a great relationship and even before coming here I talked to him," Pogba revealed.

"I spent many beautiful years with him, coming back here today means doing it at the right time and with the right person."

Juventus begin their bid for a first Serie A title since 2020 when they host Sassuolo on August 15, after taking part in high-profile friendlies against Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Jordan Henderson is excited by Darwin Nunez, who he feels brings "a new dimension" to Liverpool ahead of a likely debut against Manchester United.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has confirmed Nunez and fellow new signing Fabio Carvalho are to be included in his squad to face United in Bangkok on Tuesday, as the Reds open their pre-season campaign.

Uruguay international forward Nunez was a high-profile arrival from Benfica in a deal that could reach a club-record £85million. He came in this off-season, with Sadio Mane leaving for Bayern Munich.

Nunez played against Liverpool in the Champions League last season and captain Henderson has already seen enough to believe the striker will make a big impact.

"Darwin performed well and scored in both games," Henderson said ahead of the United clash.

"That is probably a big reason why we signed him, but also the recruitment staff will have watched him in plenty of other games and will have seen a lot of quality. 

"Hopefully, he can settle in and hit the ground running. He is a new option, a new dimension for us with the way we play. We have got to adapt to that quickly and get used to it.

"Darwin certainly gives us a different option in the way he plays and is hopefully a huge player for us going forward. He can score goals, the staff will have seen a lot of quality and seen a very good player. 

"He is settling in really well. Don't get me wrong, it was his first proper session on Monday really, so [he] is still quite new into the group.

"But this group has shown in the past that it is easy to settle in quickly, he can already speak with some of the lads who speak Portuguese, but hopefully he can pick up English quickly.

"For us hopefully he can settle in and hit the ground running. Things move on, change, and hopefully we can adapt to that quickly."

Henderson was sad to see Mane depart but believes the attacking unit is still in strong shape, with Luis Diaz having impressed since joining from Porto in January.

The midfielder added: "Sadio would be a big miss for anybody, he is a world-class player, for me one of the best forwards in the world, so it's always going to be difficult losing him.

"We are sad to see him leave, but we wish him all the best. But you look at the forward line and it's still very, very strong. 

"We have brought new players in, but we also have world-class players who performed last season. Luis Diaz has come in and performed phenomenally well.

"Bobby [Roberto Firmino] coming back is a big bonus for us, he was injured for a large part of last season. We have plenty of options for sure."

With the new season fast approaching – Liverpool open their competitive campaign against Manchester City in the Community Shield on July 30 – Henderson does not believe the title race will again be between only those two teams.

"I never think it will be just us and City," he said. "Other teams strengthen.

"You look at Chelsea, they are strengthening, United will strengthen, Spurs will strengthen – they have done so quite a lot so far. 

"You look at other teams who are also going to strengthen.

"Yes, we have bought some new players and hopefully they can help us going forward and freshen things up, but we have to keep doing what we have been doing for a large period of time."

Jordan Henderson believes Liverpool are well-equipped to avoid a hangover from their Premier League and Champions League disappointments at the end of last season.

Liverpool lost out to Manchester City on the last day in their bid for top-flight glory, while Real Madrid beat them 1-0 in the Champions League final in Paris to earn continental glory.

The Reds did triumph in the FA Cup and EFL Cup, with captain Henderson confident there will be no adverse effects from missing out on the biggest two trophies that were up for grabs in their quadruple pursuit.

"There's no need for that," he said. "We have had disappointments in the past and didn't have hangovers, so we have always reacted in the right way. 

"We still won two trophies last year so it's not all negative – there were still positives to take out of it.

"It was a fantastic season. Yes, it didn't end the way we would have liked, but that’s football, that's life, you get on with it and react in the right way and we just want to go again, to perform." 

Henderson added: "I wouldn't say it [the disappointment] has made us more motivated, but you are always motivated to win the biggest trophies.

"That is why we play. We want to be successful; we want to win things and we managed to win two last year.

"It didn't end the way we would like, but we pushed all the way and that is all you can ask for, so you move on, you take the positives, improve on the things we can and try and perform in every game we play. 

"We have done that for a long period of time and now we just have to keep going, keep pushing."

Henderson was speaking in Bangkok before Liverpool get their pre-season campaign under way against rivals Manchester United on Tuesday.

"We are constantly working to improve; we can't worry about other people [teams] around us – that's not in your control," added the England international. 

"This is a good moment for us in pre-season to get everyone back to work so that when the season comes, we're at a good base level of fitness and ready to go."

Liverpool face City in the Community Shield on July 30 before opening their Premier League campaign for the 2022-23 season against newly promoted Fulham on August 6.

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