Manchester United: Fred hits back at ‘fake news’ rumours of dressing room unrest at Old Trafford

Manchester United midfielder Fred has looked to play down rumours of a dressing room rift at the club after insisting that his team-mates have ‘maximum respect for each other and have ‘harmony’ despite their recent misery.

Rumours of unrest in the first-team at Old Trafford have plagued interim boss Ralf Rangnick from the early days of his tenure, and a number of players have been forced to hit back at reports by declaring them to be false.

The latest claim said that Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Maguire were embroiled in a leadership battle, although the latter – the club captain – took to social media to declare it as not true and said the side remained ‘united’.

And with more and more players rallying together against the speculation, Fred has slammed the ‘fake news’ and says the atmosphere in the squad is ‘really good’. 

In an interview with Sky Sports, he said: ‘Our dressing room is really good. There’s a lot of fake news and a lot of rumours surrounding it but it’s great. 

‘We work together and we all have the same goals and objectives.

Fred says the reports are ‘fake news’ and has insisted that his team-mates respect each other

‘It’s not easy for the manager to keep everyone happy because everyone wants to play and we have so many good players. But we understand each other. 

‘We have developed harmony in the dressing room and I think that’s the most important thing we have.

‘We have maximum respect for each other in the dressing room.’

Fred has previously rubbished suggestions over a divide at United, with reports saying that cliques were breaking out. It was even said that the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes and Alex Telles were at odds with team-mates. 

Harry Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo were reportedly locked in talks over the captaincy role

But current skipper Maguire has taken to social media to declare that the story was not true 

It was even reported that Fred, 28, wanted to quit the club – and he has today explained his reasons behind denying the claims to supporters. 

‘As I said before, a lot of people say a lot of things and at times people believe “fake news”,’ he added. ‘It wasn’t the first time that fake things had been said about me.

‘We had been going through a difficult period at the club at the time and these rumours came out about me wanting to leave and being unhappy. They were untrue, so I felt it was time to speak up.

‘I needed to tell the fans I was 100 per cent committed to the club and that I had no intention of leaving. It was the right time to speak, I think. 

Interim boss Ralf Rangnick’s tenure has been plagued with reports over rifts between players

‘I don’t like talking much on social media but on that occasion I felt I had to show the fans my desire to stay at the club.’ 

Marcus Rashford is another big name who has stood firm alongside his team-mates, with the striker having taken to Twitter to insist he was not ‘sulking’ or ‘unhappy’.  

‘We’ve all been disappointed with recent performances and we’ve been as disappointed with the news coverage questioning our commitment to not only the manager and the coaching staff but the club,’ he said.

Marcus Rashford recently took to social media to put on a united front with his first-team peers

‘I have endless respect for both and I’m looking forward to bettering my game under the staff… I’m not sulking, I’m not unhappy.

‘Am I disappointed in some recent performances? Of course I am. I’m my own biggest critic. It’s been a tough start but I am determined to prove my worth. My dedication and my desire should never have been in question. I love this club.’

United return to action against fierce rivals Leeds this weekend, with the club now fighting on just two fronts – the Premier League and the Champions League.