Talk of the Devils: The Athletic FC's Manchester United show

It's a punchy question with the season still three weeks away and World Cup players yet to return to training, so in once sense no, Manchester United are not Premier-League-ready, but...

With no fewer than nine clubs set to have a managerial debut on the opening weekend, including Liverpool, Man City, and Chelsea, are United now a model of calm as chaos reigns around them? Michael Carrick has been able to blood youngsters and slowly build the fitness of his squad in a measured way.

Of course, the transfer market is only ever quiet on the surface. Lewis Hall continues to be the subject of speculation but we're working on estimates as to Newcastle's asking price; what price cover for Luke Shaw? And, with Mason Mount impressing his teammates in pre-season, might the recruitment team shelve plans for a third purchase in midfield?

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It seemed that Marcus Rashford's time at Manchester United had come to an end. However, with Barcelona making moves for two attacking players and no other obvious suitors, it now looks like he might be back at Old Trafford this season. We debate the pros and cons of a potential return.

Rashford is the most famous graduate of Manchester United's academy but the 5-0 pre-season win over Rosenborg showed there is plenty of talent coming through... but breaking into the first team is as hard as it's ever been.

It may get harder if another midfielder arrives, as well: we have a small transfer update and discuss the reaction to a club email sent to some season ticket holders.

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The World Cup is over and Manchester United's pre-season has begun, although neither has happened in quite the way we wanted... there are some interesting things to learn about Lisandro Martinez and Marcus Rashford after they saw out contrasting 45-minute shifts over the weekend. Kobbie Mainoo didn't get a single minute from Thomas Tuchel... hopefully his back isn't too sore when he returns to Carrington.

Over in Helsinki, United fan Sam Smith lived out a dream scenario as he scored the only goal in a 1-0 over the reds by Wrexham. There wasn't too much of note for Michael Carrick's team although we did get a first outing for Andrey Santos and Leny Yoro at right-back might be significant.

Finally, we return to the transfer of Youri Tielemans having had a little time to reflect, and think about who the third midfielder might be should one arrive after Ederson signed a new contract in Italy.

Get more information about Jere Virtanen's Manchester United museum in Helsinki here

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Does anything move faster than the Manchester United news cycle? Talk of the Devils ran a practical test today; when we started recording the deal to bring Ederson from Atalanta was still progressing with no new names in circulation. Twenty minutes later, things were very different!

It isn't the first news story to break during a podcast recording, but the move for Aston Villa's Youri Tielemans has a massive impact on the summer transfer window and really changes the landscape for any potential third midfield target.

Meanwhile, the World Cup isn't exactly overflowing with positive United stories; unless you're Mark Critchley, that is. And, there's been a fresh vision of the plan for a stadium to replace Old Trafford, with a possible revision of the target date.

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Manchester United officials are not alone in knowing that the most pressing area of squad improvement, in order to compete in the Premier League and Champions League next season, is the centre of midfield. Targets were identified long ago and we still expect Brazilian Ederson to become the first acquisition.

However, an unexpected double splurge by Tottenham Hotspur, bringing in Newcastle's Sandro Tonali and West Ham's Mateus Fernandes for a potential outlay of £180m, has inflated the market for players in that position?

With Manchester City winning the race for Forest's Elliot Anderson, where do United now turn to in their pursuit of midfielders, and how much of what has happened was factored into the transfer strategy. Things should become clearer once players return from the World Cup, but pre-season starts this week. Are we worried?

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This was always going to be a World Cup centred episode, but we had hoped the news would be a little happier. Manuel Ugarte has sustained a significant knee ligament injury and while, of course, it will have an impact on United's summer transfer plans our immediate thoughts are with the man himself.

Elsewhere in the tournament, there hasn't been an awful lot of action for United participants. Bruno Fernandes has played every minute of every Portugal game, something no other United player has done for their nation, and Kobbie Mainoo is one of four yet to make it onto the pitch.

Mateus Cunha is possibly the most encouraging story so far; Brazilian fans are learning to love his style just as Reds did last season and, notwithstanding a difficult test against Japan, here's hoping we'll see his celebrations a few more times. Not that anyone from TotD has drafted him!

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We're back! Alright, we're still scattered across the globe on World Cup duty and the much more important matter of a summer holiday. But, we are podcasting and there is some news to get through...

A new Old Trafford may be one step closer with reports that Manchester United have acquired an important plot of land. However, there is still a long way to go and with the club's debt in the news again it's that same old question... how will it be funded?

Manchester is so hot right now... literally. But the hottest takes are reserved for transfer news, of course. Is West Ham's Mateus Fernandes, now courted by Spurs, the man to bolster United's midfield? Let's hope his national teammate and namesake Bruno is putting in a good word.

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Zidane Iqbal has been on a journey; that's a cliche, of course, but in this case it's also literally true... and there are more air miles incoming.

The Manchester United academy graduate was raised by a Pakistani father and Iraqi mother just a stone's throw from Old Trafford. He became the first British-born South Asian to represent the club when selected as a substitute in a Champions League fixture in Switzerland.

Now playing for Utrecht in the dutch Eredivisie he has also adopted his mother's country of origin as his own, helping them through Asian qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, even scoring himself in the Philippines. Iraq will be in a "group of death" with Norway, Senegal, and France in the US & Canada having qualified by beating Bolivia in a play-off in Mexico.

Where next on this footballing odyssey? The Premier League?

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As Talk of the Devils heads toward our well-earned end of season break (albeit we've one more fun treat for you before we do), it's time for us to take a look at the 2026 World Cup.

Man United players would usually be headline acts but this renewal, hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the USA, looks a little different. There's plenty of interest, of course, but it's unclear how central the club's players will be to their national teams beyond Bruno Fernandes and one or two others.

Will Kobbie Mainoo force his way into the England XI again? Can Mazraoui's Morocco outdo their 2022 semi-final? We look at every group through an MUFC lens before picking teams in a draft game we'll be tracking throughout the tournament.

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The dust is settling on another Premier League campaign and, as the summer solstice looms on the horizon, it's time for our annual end of season awards.

It's a much happier, therefore considerably less tongue-in-cheek, set of awards than this time last year as we decide the player of the year (who's not the marvellous captain bruno) and the best first-season United player.

We also choose our favourite from a pretty healthy selection of United goals as well as the best moment not involving a goal. There are no prizes for picking out our favourite podcast guest, but plenty of smackdown for our (very) bad takes revisited.

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