Walker’s warning to the Blues’ title rivals
UNITED have identified Jerome Boateng as a fall-back option in the event they fail to reach a breakthrough with Tottenham for Toby Alderweireld.
Boateng, 29, came on for Bayern Munich in their friendly win over United on Sunday night and the Bundesliga champions have offered the Germany international to clubs across the continent.
Boateng was third on United’s list of defensive targets they compiled at the start of the summer, behind Alderweireld and Internazionale’s Milan Skriniar.
The Reds have also shown greater interest in Leicester’s Harry Maguire than Boateng, but the former City defender could be a more attainable option than the England international and also Spurs defender Alderweireld.
Boateng, who turns 30 next month, is contracted to Bayern until 2021.
When United manager Jose Mourinho was asked about Boateng by a German interviewer at the Allianz Arena before the Bayern game, he replied: “My CEO knows what I want for quite a long time. I know he tries to do the best for me and I still have a few days to wait what is going to happen.”
Mourinho declined to speak about Boateng to a Bild reporter after the defeat, while the German international snubbed English journalists in the mixed zone after Bayern’s 1-0 win over United.
Meanwhile, reports in Italy late last night claim United have turned down a £44m and two-player offer from Barcelona for Paul Pogba.
The Spanish giants are said to have offered the Reds Yerry Mina and Andre Gomes plus the cash to lure the World Cup winner away from Old Trafford.
It is claimed United have turned down the offer and have no plans to sell Pogba. CITY’S title rivals may try and test out Kyle Walker’s theory if the Premier League champions prove as good as they looked against Chelsea.
Anyone tuning in to the Community Shield for their first look at Sarri-ball instead witnessed another masterclass from Pep Guardiola’s side as Walker, John Stones, Sergio Aguero and more played like they had never been away.
And in a message that will disappoint any teams hoping the Blues will start with a Russian hangover, the City defender believes the meticulous work done over the past two seasons has the players itching to get started.
“You have to be at your best or you are sat on the bench next to him. It’s as simple as that,” he said.
“His demands are so high, but it should be a pleasure to run around. In any football I have played in - and I have played in League 1 and as an international at the World Cup - the bare minimum is running around and showing the desire for the shirt.
“The higher you go up the leagues, your football takes control of that but the bare minimum is working hard.
“Of course you can’t just run around like headless chickens, but I think we have all got a football brain in this team and we all know when to press, we know where people are.
“Sometimes you can almost play the game with a blindfold on because you know where people are, but I think that is down to [Guardiola’s] coaching skills and what he brings Monday to Friday on the coaching pitch to achieve what he achieves come match day.”