Social sharing buttons have been hidden due to cookie preferences. Please allow functional cookies to work.
Cookie settings
Manchester United have offered former Stoke City striker James Beattie a contract after failing to make an £8million bid for Marko Arnautovic.
Beattie, 44, who retired from professional football in 2013, is seen by senior figures at Old Trafford as the ideal man to bolster United’s attack.
NOTTINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM – JULY 29: Stoke’s James Beattie during the pre-season friendly between Nottingham Forest and Stoke City at the City Ground on July 29, 2009 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
“James is someone who has been on our radar since half past nine this morning,” United’s director of football John Murtough told Paddy Power News.
“He fits the criteria of the type of player we hope to bring to the club, as he is an injury-prone middle-aged striker who is only available at the end of the transfer window.”
“Erik told us three months ago that he needed more attacking options, so we expect this deal to close around 11:00 p.m. on deadline day.”
When asked if the club had a contingency plan should they lose Beattie’s signature, Murtough replied:
NEW IN PADY POWER?
‘Ricardo Fuller is free. Kenwyne Jones, this is another option. Rory Delap can do a job up top, and he has that long throw. Can you imagine Cristiano finishing this? If it stays
Meanwhile, United have offered Adrien Rabiot’s mother a place in midfield as the club desperately try to get a deal for her son over the line.
PARIS, FRANCE – JUNE 13: Adrien Rabiot of France during the UEFA Nations League Group 1 match between France and Croatia at Stade de France on June 13, 2022 in Paris, France. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)
Erik Ten Hag feels Veronique Rabiot is a no-brainer as the ideal midfield reinforcement his side are crying out for.
Mother and son are expected to be registered in time for United’s humiliating defeat at Brentford next weekend.
“She couldn’t be worse than McFred,” Ten Hag told Paddy Power News.
“In fact, the Rabiot family dog would probably have a game for us in midfield.
“Even if the animal spent the entire 90 minutes pissing on a corner flag or kicking the referee’s leg, he still would have had a better game than McFred did yesterday.”
*Paddy Power’s football news coverage is 100% fake news*
Read more
The latest football odds are on PaddyPower.com right now
PADDY POWER’S GUIDE TO SAFER BETTING: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
div { flex: 4; text-align: center; padding: 20px 20px 0px 20px; flex: 0 1 calc(20% – 8px); } .mainheads .punditicon { position: absolute; width: 104px; height: 104px; border-radius: 50px; float:none;margin: 0 auto;} .mainheads .pundit_block h2 { float: none; margin: 30px 0 0 0; font-size: 32px; space between words: 100vw; } .article-content h2 { text-align: unset!important; } h2.h2_feat_pundit { font-family: ‘Barlow Semi Condensed’! important; font size: 24px! important; text-transform: none; font weight: 600! important; } .h2_feat_pundit { font-size: 2.4rem; top margin: 130px; text-align: center!important; font weight: 600! important; } .mainheads h1, .mainheads h2, .mainheads h3, .mainheads h4, .mainheads p, .mainheads a {font-family: ‘Oswald’, sans-serif;} .mainheads { font-family: ‘Roboto’, sans -serif !important; } .mainheads .iconbg { position: absolute; opacity: 1; border-radius: 50px; width: 100%; height: 100%;} .mainheads .iconimg { background-size: cover; background position: center; } .showdesk {display:block;} .showmob {display:none;} .pundit-wrapper { margin: 2% 0 5% 0} .pundit_block h1, .punditrace h2, .punditrace h3, .punditrace h4, .punditrace p , .punditrace a {font-family: ‘Oswald’, sans-serif;} .punditsrace {font-family: ‘Oswald’, sans-serif; } .iconbg { position: absolute; opacity: 0.3; border-radius: 50px; width: 100%; height: 100%;} .iconimg { background-size: cover;} .pundit_header { width: 100%; display: blog online; clear: both; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; } .pundit_block, { width:100%; display: blog online; clear: both; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; screen: flex} .pundit_2-3 { width: 63%; display: blog online;} .pundit_1-3 { width: 36%; display: blog online; min height: 80px; vertical alignment: top; padding: 1% 0 0 0;} .pundit_overview { width:100%; display: blog online; padding: 0; font-size:20px;margin-top: -20px!important;border-right: 1px solid #DEE8E5 !important;margin-bottom: 1em;padding-right: 12px;} .pundit_block h2 { text-transform: none;} .pundit_block strong { text-transform: uppercase;} .pundit_block h2 { float: left; margin: 15px 0 0 0; font-size: 32px; } .punditicon { position: relative; width: 50px; height: 50px; border-radius: 50px; float: left; background position: center; margin: 16px 16px 8px 0; } .punditsep { padding: 0 0; margin: 0px; border-bottom: 1px solid #0D4934;} .punditsep:last-child { border-bottom:none;} .pundit_block .widget-bet__odds span {font-size: 20px !important; transform: rotate(0deg) !important;top: 25px; right: 33px! important; position: absolute; background-color: #ffffff00; color: #ffffff;} .pundit_block .widget-bet__info {padding-left: 0px!important;} .pundit_block .widget-bet__info-title {color: #004833!important; font-size: 16px;background:#fff;} .pundit_block .widget-bet__info-event {color: #000000!important; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 10px} .pundit_block .widget-bet-wrapper { background-color: #ffffff00 !important;} .pundit_block .widget-slide {background-image: none !important;} .pundit_block .widget-bet__cta button {padding -bottom: 12px! important;screen: -webkit-flex; -webkit-align-items: end!important; width: 130px; height: 70px;} .pundit_block .widget-bet__odds {padding: 0 !important;} .pundit_block .widget-bet__odds {flex-basis: 0% !important;} .pundit_block .widget-bet__cta {flex-basis: 0% ! important; display: -webkit-flex; -webkit-align-items: end!important;} /* Style the buttons used to open and close the accordion panel */ .accordion { background-color: #fff; background: #fff; color: #0D4934; cursor: pointer; padding: 5px; width: 100%; text-align: left; border: none; outline: none; transition: 0.4s; bottom margin: 0; border-top: 1px solid #0D4934; font-size: 32px; font-family: ‘Oswald’, sans-serif !important; text-transform: uppercase; position: relative; } /* Add a background color to the button when clicked (add .active class with JS), and when hovered over (hover) */ .active, .accordion:hover, button: focus { background-color: #fff; background: #fff; bottom edge: none; } /* Style the accordion panel. Note: hidden by default */ .panel { padding:0 0; background color: white; display: none; overflow: hidden; border: none; shadow-box: none; } .accordion:after { content: ‘\02039’; font-size: 53px; color: #0D4934; hover: right; margin: automatic; transform: rotate (270 degrees); top: 0; position: absolute; right: 10px; } .accordion-text { width: 88%; } .active:after { content: “\02039”; /* Unicode character for “minus” sign (-) */ transform : rotate ( 90 degrees ); } .site-content { padding-bottom: 0 !important; overflow: hidden; } @media only screen and (max-width: 1200px) { .pundit_1-3 { padding: 0%; } .pundit_block h2 { margin: 25px 0 0 0 ; font-size: 27px; } .accordion { font-size: 25px; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 1100px) { .pundit_2-3 { width: 60%; } .pundit_1-3 { width: 39%; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 990px) { .pundit_2-3 { width: 58%; } .pundit_1-3 { width: 41%; } .pundit_block .widget-bet-wrapper { padding: 0 !important; } .pundit_block .widget-bet { width: 525px !important; text-align: center!important; margin: 0 auto; } .widget-slide { flex-direction: row; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 980px) { .pundit_block .widget-bet { width: 450px !important; position: absolute; } .pundit_block .widget-bet__odds span { top: 15px; right: 103px! important; } .widget-bet__info { text-align: left; } .pundit_block .widget-bet__cta button { padding-top: 40px!important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 960px) { .pundit_block .widget-bet { width: 430px !important; position: absolute; } .pundit_block .widget-bet__odds span { top: 15px; right: 90px! important; } .widget-bet__info { text-align: left; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 940px) { .pundit_block .widget-bet { width: 420px !important; position: absolute; } .widget-bet__info { text-align: left; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 910px) { .pundit_block .widget-bet { width: 410px !important; position: absolute; } .pundit_block .widget-bet__odds span { top: 15px; right: 78px! important; } .widget-bet__info { text-align: left; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 890px) { .pundit_block .widget-bet { width: 389px !important; position: absolute; } .widget-bet__info { text-align: left; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 860px) { .pundit_block .widget-bet { width: 370px !important; position: absolute; } .pundit_block .widget-bet__odds span { top: 15px; right: 60px! important; } .widget-bet__info { text-align: left; } .pundit_block .widget-bet__cta button { padding-top: 35px!important; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 840px) { .pundit_block .widget-bet { width: 355px !important; position: absolute; } } @media only screen and (max-width: 815px) { .pundit_block .widget-bet { width: 325px…