MANCHESTER UNITED bosses seem like those people who go shopping for presents on Christmas Eve.

We've all been there.
The clock is ticking, you haven't got those special gifts for loved ones and there will be hell to pay if you don't get down the shops sharpish.
I did it once and ended up buying a meat mincer for my partner that left her seriously deflated when she unwrapped it the following morning. The look on her face as she held it in her hand still sends cold shivers down my spine.
It's called panic, and United were guilty of it yesterday when they signed unheralded French striker Anthony Martial from Monaco for £36m.
The shock deal, transformed Martial, 19, from a relative nobody into the most expensive teenager in football history.
Just over a month ago Tottenham had a £19m bid turned down then refused to go higher because he wasn't deemed worth it.
In 2013 Claudio Ranieiri, then in charge of Monaco, paid just £3.6m to sign him from Lyon.
He has been compared to Thierry Henry and Louis van Gaal will now be keeping everything crossed that Martial goes on to emulate the former Arsenal and Barcelona legend - otherwise the United boss, along with several others, will look a total idiot.
This scenario will go one of two ways. Either Martial will score goals galore to justify his cost and become an inspired signing, or he will fail to handle the pressure, hype and expectation that comes with being at United and go downhill faster than Chelsea's title defence this season.
Time will tell, but one thing is for certain - United's transfer dealings this summer have been chaotic, desperate and naive in equal measure.
We've been here before, of course, when United splashed out the thick end of £30m on Marouane Fellaini just minutes before the transfer window closed in 2013.
Fast forward to this summer and United's dealings have been as mixed as the weather.
They wasted weeks chasing Sergio Ramos and genuinely believed he was prepared to walk out on Real Madrid for Old Trafford.
United turned to Ramos after German World Cup winner Mats Hummels rejected them, but all the Spanish star did was lead the club down the garden path.
In the end he got a new contract out of Real president Florentino Perez and is now captain of the Spanish giants.
United hoped to use goalkeeper David De Gea as bait, but Old Trafford chiefs were being used themselves because the Bernabeu sharks had no intention of biting.
Last season's best player De Gea has finally got the move he wants to Real.
But it gets worse.
A £25m bid was made for Southampton's Sadio Mane but he still hasn't arrived, while United invested huge amounts of time and effort in attempting to land Barcelona's Pedro - only for Chelsea to snatch him from under their noses.
United have also tried but failed to sign Gareth Bale, Thomas Muller and Neymar during a summer of discontent in which Old Trafford bosses have come to realise that being rich doesn't guarantee you happiness.
Van Gaal craves a marquee signing but United - barring a deadline day transfer coup - cannot get a big deal over the line and it is a painful reminder of how far the club's stock has fallen since Sir Alex Ferguson retired as manager.
So, despite allowing forwards Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie to leave weeks ago, here we are now with United spending a fortune on a forward some fans will have had to Google to find out who he actually is.
Whatever the club might claim, the truth is United didn't target Martial months or weeks ago, they turned to him in desperation less than 48 hours before the window was due to close.
Super agent Jorge Mendes runs the transfer dealings at Monaco - so have United fallen under the spell of the Portuguese powerbroker?




We've all been there.
The clock is ticking, you haven't got those special gifts for loved ones and there will be hell to pay if you don't get down the shops sharpish.
I did it once and ended up buying a meat mincer for my partner that left her seriously deflated when she unwrapped it the following morning. The look on her face as she held it in her hand still sends cold shivers down my spine.
It's called panic, and United were guilty of it yesterday when they signed unheralded French striker Anthony Martial from Monaco for £36m.
The shock deal, transformed Martial, 19, from a relative nobody into the most expensive teenager in football history.


Liverpool Transfer News: Latest Dani Ceballos and Tiago Ilori Rumours


Spanish prodigy Dani Ceballos has ruled out a move away fromReal Betis amid strong rumours linking him with a transfer toLiverpool and Real Madrid.
The 19-year-old, who has impressed for new La Liga side RealBetis and is widely considered to be one of the top talents in all of Spain, has just one year left on his current deal, and given his obvious potential, there was plenty of speculation he could be on the move before the end of the transfer window.
Diario de Sevilla (h/t Simon Jones of MailOnline) even claimed the Reds had already offered the youngster a wage packet that included a car and a place to stay, but as reported by AS (h/t Liverpool Echo's JoeRimmer), the teenager told reporters he isn't going anywhere:
Ceballos has been linked with Liverpool since it was revealed he only had a year left on his contract which expires next summer, but he has been quick to quash the rumours.
The player is quoted in Madrid-based AS, claiming, "I want to continue in Betis and enjoy this affection (of the fans) for many more years. They are only rumours, what I want is to stay at Betis".
Ceballos joined Betis' youth squad in 2011 and rapidly rose through the ranks, making his debut for the club in 2014 without ever playing a match for the B-side. After an impressive season in the SegundaDivision, he won the U21 European Championship with Spain, where he was one of the standout performers, along with Marco Asensio.
A crafty midfielder, he can play both as a playmaker or in a more advanced role, as he recently started for Betis at the Bernabeualongside Ruben Castro in attack. He has all of the technical skills you'd expect from a Spanish star, but his vision and passing range are what truly set him apart.
Ceballos isn't particularly fast―although he's certainly not slow―but he has the uncanny ability to always pop up in the right place. He moves exceptionally well between the lines, and he can even split out wide and cut inside to shoot or cross.
Right now, Betis is probably the best place for him, as he gets to play regular minutes at the highest level and figures to be the one player manager Pepe Mel will build his squad around. The Reds will continue monitoring his progression, and if he keeps improving at the same rapid rate, don't be shocked if Liverpool approach the player with an improved offer in January.
Ceballos has lots to learn still, but his development has been exceptionally fast. The odds of him outgrowing Betis by January are realistic, and while Real Madrid will be a difficult opponent should it come to a transfer battle, the Reds could offer him at least a fair chance of competing for a starting position.

Sunderland Loan for Tiago Ilori?


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Sunderland have already brought in two former Liverpool players in Sebastian Coates and Fabio Borini, but according to the Daily Mirror'sDavid Maddock, they're not done with their business at Anfield yet, as manager Dick Advocaat is keen on a loan deal for Tiago Ilori.
According to the Daily Mail's Dominic King, they're not the only interested club, and the Reds will have to decide whether they want him to stay for the upcoming season or not in a hurry:
The 22-year-old joined the Reds in 2013 but has so far received few opportunities at Anfield, spending time on loan with Granada and Bordeaux. He returned from Ligue 1 during the summer but is yet to play a minute of Premier League football this season.
Liverpool have started the season in solid form, but defensive frailties have held the club back, most notably during Saturday's embarrassing 3-0 loss against West Ham United. Both Martin Skrtel and DejanLovren had poor outings, with the latter in particular stealing the show with some horrendous blunders. Bleacher Report's Karl Matchettdidn't mince his words:
With the two regular starters struggling, there have been some calls to give someone else a try at the centre-back position, with MamadouSakho and Ilori the most logical options. Sakho is the more experienced player and should be the first to get his chance, but ifSkrtel and Lovren continue to struggle, Ilori could be next.
With that in mind, it's easy to see why manager Brendan Rodgers is yet to make a decision on whether or not to loan the youngster. The Reds won't know whether he can cut it at the highest level unless they give him a try, and that opportunity could come unless the current starters improve drastically.
Alternatively, he could continue his development at Sunderland or anywhere else, but that would leave Rodgers' squad lacking depth at a time when the starters at the position already look weak.