United in Focus

Premier League side Manchester United will begin their summer tour against Championship club Wrexham, and here is everything that Red Devils supporters need to know. Michael Carrick’s men have been out of action since the end of the 2025-26 Premier League campaign after Manchester United’s 3-0 win over Brighton in May. Different United first-team players subsequently left Old Trafford and linked up with their national teams for friendly matches ahead of the World Cup tournament.

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez now has the chance to secure a unique World Cup prize if Argentina can retain their championship crown. Lisandro Martinez has been a key player for Argentina at this summer’s tournament and played in all but one match at the World Cup in North America so far. The 28-year-old Manchester United centre-back now has the chance to pick up a second World Cup winner’s medal if Argentina can overcome Spain in Sunday’s final.

Manchester United and England legend Wayne Rooney showed the ultimate sign of respect for four standout icons from the world of sports. The 40-year-old former Manchester United captain is widely regarded as one of the best Premier League strikers of all time after his sensational playing career. While he does not make the debate for the ‘football GOAT,’ Wayne Rooney’s remarkable spell at Old Trafford speaks volumes about his legacy in the sport.

Marcus Rashford’s future has dominated this summer after the England and Manchester United star’s move to La Liga side Barcelona failed to materialise. The 28-year-old Manchester United player had a £40m release clause and was available to all clubs outside of Premier League rivals Liverpool and Manchester City. However, it has since emerged that Marcus Rashford’s ‘secret clause’ has expired and the England forward can now explore all options in front of him this summer.

Manchester United’s friendly with Wrexham in Helsinki as part of the 2026 pre-season tour sees two clubs with a long history face off at the Helsingin Olympiastadion. The last time Manchester United played Wrexham was on the 2023 pre-season tour in San Diego. A youthful Reds side, barring the exception of an experienced Jonny Evans, suffered a 3-1 defeat and Dan Gore was shown a red card just two minutes into the second half.

Pre-season kicks off against Wrexham on Saturday afternoon in Helsinki, Finland. Here is how we are expecting Manchester United to line up. Manchester United meet Wrexham this weekend as Michael Carrick’s first full season as head coach gets underway with a friendly. United have taken a youth-heavy squad to Helsinki, with World Cup involvement keeping several first-team players away from the squad for this friendly.

New Atalanta manager Maurizio Sarri has responded to speculation that Manchester United could still try to sign Ederson from the Serie A club this summer. Ederson had been tipped to become the first major Manchester United signing under Michael Carrick this summer after the Red Devils struck a deal last month. Man Utd were prepared to pay an initial £35m transfer fee, including a further £3m in add-ons, to sign the 27-year-old Brazilian midfielder from Italian side Atalanta.

Manchester United fly to Finland for their first pre-season fixture of the summer against Wrexham, but exciting teenager JJ Gabriel won’t be available for selection. There is no shortage of talent in the Manchester United academy, but few players are attracting the same attention as JJ Gabriel. The 15-year-old has been tipped to make his first-team debut this season, so United fans are bound to be excited to see him in action during pre-season.

Wayne Rooney has recalled one of the pranks that was played on iconic former Manchester United and Aberdeen manager Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson was well-known for dropping his infamous ‘hairdryer treatment’ on different Manchester United players who irked him during his legendary reign. The 84-year-old former United manager also took a no-nonsense approach to his players and was not afraid to axe key players who stepped out of line at the club.

Mikael Silvestre reveals how the Manchester United dressing room reacted after Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney returned following their clash during the 2006 World Cup. Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney forged a formidable partnership as two young attacking players at Manchester United. Despite having incredible chemistry on the pitch, though, Ronaldo and Rooney have not always seen eye-to-eye. The pair clashed during the 2006 World Cup, when Ronaldo advocated Rooney’s dismissal.