Louis van Gaal has hailed Cristiano Ronaldo as a "fantastic player" after conceding he is in the hunt for a prominent signing to boost Manchester United's chances of challenging for the Uefa Champions League.
Van Gaal is hoping to mount a serious challenge for domestic and European championships in the coming year after qualifying for the Champions League in his first term in charge.
Despite spending more than £225 million (Dh1.3 billion) since taking over, Van Gaal is on the lookout for a forward who will help put United on a par with their domestic and European rivals.
“We need still more speed in front and also more creativity,” he said in an interview with British media on United’s pre-season tour of the United States.
“That is why I hope (Angel) Di Maria shall stay. But we don’t know that” he will, Van Gaal said.
Read more: The National's Transfer Talk page
When asked what kind of player he needs to make United leading competitors in the coming year, Van Gaal added: “I can give examples of champions. Bayern Munich have (Franck) Ribery and (Arjen) Robben; Chelsea have (Eden) Hazard and Willian; Real Madrid, Ronaldo and (Gareth) Bale; Barcelona have Neymar and (Lionel) Messi.
“Manchester United fans want us to compete with these teams.
“(Ashley) Young and (Juan) Mata had fantastic seasons, with assists and goals, but to win the Champions League you need speed also.
“That is why I think, maybe, we still have to buy a player with speed and creativity.”
Real Madrid superstar Ronaldo has maintained his status as one of the most destructive players in the world since leaving United in 2009 following six successful years at the club.
Van Gaal has been linked with a move for the two-time Ballon d’Or winner but he initially refused to discuss the idea of the Portuguese coming back to Old Trafford.
“I cannot answer this question. You can put it in another way and I shall say it the same,” he said.
“We cannot show our strategy in buying or selling players. When we shall buy a player and he has signed then we shall say it but not in the process, not in the strategy.”
But when pressed, Van Gaal dropped his guard.
“Now, I make an exception for Ronaldo,” he said.
“He is a fantastic, fantastic player but he knows that. I like him.”
Van Gaal’s preparations for the new season have gone well so far. United beat Club America and San Jose Earthquakes before defeating European champions Barcelona in Santa Clara on Saturday.
United, who finished fourth in the Premier League last season, round off their US tour in Chicago on Wednesday when they take on Paris Saint-Germain, who want to sign Di Maria.
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The story in numbers
18
This is how many recognised sects Lebanon is home to, along with about four million citizens
450,000
More than this many Palestinian refugees are registered with UNRWA in Lebanon, with about 45 per cent of them living in the country’s 12 refugee camps
1.5 million
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN, although the government puts the figure upwards of 1.5m
73
The percentage of stateless people in Lebanon, who are not of Palestinian origin, born to a Lebanese mother, according to a 2012-2013 study by human rights organisation Frontiers Ruwad Association
18,000
The number of marriages recorded between Lebanese women and foreigners between the years 1995 and 2008, according to a 2009 study backed by the UN Development Programme
77,400
The number of people believed to be affected by the current nationality law, according to the 2009 UN study
4,926
This is how many Lebanese-Palestinian households there were in Lebanon in 2016, according to a census by the Lebanese-Palestinian dialogue committee
Which products are to be taxed?
To be taxed:
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Products excluded from the ‘sweetened drink’ category would contain at least 75 per cent milk in a ready-to-drink form or as a milk substitute, baby formula, follow-up formula or baby food, beverages consumed for medicinal use and special dietary needs determined as per GCC Standardisation Organisation rules
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
The specs
Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
Torque: 250Nm
Price: From Dh139,000
On sale: Now
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Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
The%20specs
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Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
The specs
Engine: 2-litre or 3-litre 4Motion all-wheel-drive Power: 250Nm (2-litre); 340 (3-litre) Torque: 450Nm Transmission: 8-speed automatic Starting price: From Dh212,000 On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
