Ahead of the summer transfer window closing, the man who is in charge of Man United confirms that he has a plan for the player. 0:47
Some moves that were supposed to happen all summer failed to happen with the transfer window closed. Frenkie de Jong's courting by Manchester United was the most high-profile, but there were other well-known names who stayed put.
The protagonists themselves might choose to stay and try to kick-start a faltering career; there are also those who may have outgrown their current clubs, but whose profile and contribution are too important to be allowed to leave. There are a number of players who may have prospered from changing clubs during the summer.
The ambiguous events surrounding the Portuguese this summer may have left some fans unsure of his commitment to the club. It's legitimate to wonder if the 37-year-old might just become a peripheral figure under the circumstances, as ten Hag is starting to make his mark on the club without the services ofRonaldo. There are no obvious reasons why the fitness-obsessiveRonaldo shouldn't continue to make a decisive impact at the very highest level, but it's hard to imagine a project that would appeal to him as much as it would to the club.
During the first half of the season, the Dutch international was a regular and made a positive contribution, but his stock began to fall as Xavi took over. It was not in the plan for the former Man United forward to end up as a bit-part player.
It was rather surprising that Depay chose to stay at Barcelona. He has yet to feature in a league match this season, but Barcelona's recent signing spree has seen the competition for the attacking spots intensify.
The most-talked-about non-event of this summer's transfer window was the on-off move to Manchester United by Dutch forward Luuk de Jong. There were allegations of broken promises and threats of legal action in the story that was partially played out in the media. Barcelona agreed a 75 million fee with Manchester United in order to balance the books and meet LaLiga's salary cap requirements, according to reports.
The public display of disaffection between the club and the player was rare. From the outside, it appeared that the animosity between the parties was of a kind from which there's no return, but rather oddly, the DutchMidfielder has featured in Barcelona's first four league fixture of the season. It's difficult to imagine that the wounds will heal quickly.
It's fair to say that Zaha's impact for Crystal Palace has been somewhat underappreciated outside of south-eastern London. His time at Manchester United, where he came off the bench twice, may still underpin an idea that he isn't suited for a big club or that he's been priced out of the market.
There are few signs of slowing down from the wide forward, who has scored four goals from open play in the first five games of the season. It may seem like a missed opportunity not to see the 29-year-old in the European Championship this season.
Though the Belgian never seemed likely to move away from the Bernabeu this summer -- ostensibly based on his own determination to fight for a first team place or few clubs likely to offer him a tempting enough wage package -- seeing how Hazard would respond to the role of a key player with added responsibility elsewhere is
With a plethora of attacking options, in wide and deep areas, in a side built on power, pace, intensity and mobility, it's hard to imagine that this is finally the campaign for Hazard's resurrection. With the World Cup coming up in a few months, the possibility of regular playing time may have come in handy.
There is no rush for the Portuguese to leave the Wolves. It might be argued that the summer of opportunity for defensive/sitting midfielders with a steady passing game was the reason why the transfer period ended.
With his contract running for another two years, Wolves might be tested next season. While his loyalty to the club that he joined in the Championship should be applauded, he is a footballer of a standard that one expects to see frequently in European competition.
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