Two in, one out at Man Utd, and that isn’t counting Cristiano Ronaldo with transfer deadline day looming – The Warm-Up

TUESDAY’S BIG STORIES

Antony, Dubravka in, member of security out

Tick, tock, it’s almost deadline day o’clock, and more than most Manchester United have some very important business to finalise before the window is gently closed and the key is placed in the corner of the windowsill ready to re-open in January.

That is because Antony is not yet a United player, officially, nor is Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka, but thanks to some CCTV footage we know the former is on his way and could get unveiled by the club today.

Yes, that is going to make for one very awkward meeting of the security team (or potentially beyond, as the culprit is not known) after there was some leaked footage from Carrington showing Antony arrive at United’s training ground.

What was likely a harmless video from someone showing their mates on WhatsApp that they’re in the know ended up doing the rounds on Monday evening, although no United fan is complaining given it gave assurance to a transfer that has been in the pipeline for months.

Reports suggest the arrivals of Antony and Dubravka will end United’s summer transfer window, although there is the small matter of Cristiano Ronaldo still wanting out.

Safe to say that would not have gone down well, but evidently neither is the prospect of sitting on the bench for a Europa League side, so “pain in the a**e” (see tweet below) Ronaldo now has just three days to tie something up, even if it’s a temporary move elsewhere.

A loan to Napoli remains on the cards, so too to Sporting, and so we can expect Ronaldo to plead with agent Jorge Mendes and do a few more major calls for one last time this summer. What’s the bet Florentino Perez gets a call on Thursday…

Griezmann the new super sub

This is funny, and we are a whole one day old when it comes to having discovered this, although it appears it only started doing the rounds last week…

Griezmann came on at the Mestalla just after the hour-mark, scoring minutes later for the only goal of the match, but there was a reason he came on when he did, as there is a clause in his contract based on playing 30 minutes or more in a percentage of matches.

It’s better explained by Colin Millar below…

… and no doubt Barcelona will be spitting feathers at this level of gamesmanship. You think Simeone and Atletico will care? The laugh you just did inside your head says everything… Of course not.

IN OTHER NEWS

Where to for Barkley?

It was a respectable five-paragraph farewell from Chelsea, knowing anything less would have looked insensitive, although football fans would be hard-pressed to come up with five paragraphs of memories from Ross Barkley’s time at Stamford Bridge.

He is a curious case is Barkley, much like Danny Drinkwater, but there is a right fit somewhere for the man with 33 England caps. Yes, really.

IN THE CHANNELS

‘Good evening!’

Fair play. Not only is this a solid social media announcement from Birmingham City, but the loan signing of Manchester United’s Hannibal on the whole is a quality acquisition.

RETRO CORNER

Ronaldo plays a one-two with Raul and then David Beckham scores. If that ain’t retro I don’t know what is, as it’s now 19 years since Becks made his debut for the Galacticos.

COMING UP

More Premier League! After a quiet Monday without it, it’s back with four games tonight:

• Crystal Palace v Brentford
• Fulham v Brighton
• Southampton v Chelsea
• Leeds v Everton

Then you’ve got some Championship, Papa Johns as well as AC Milan, Inter and Roma all in Serie A action. Elsewhere, La Vuelta resumes today and the US Open continues this afternoon and evening.