Luke Shaw sets Man Utd target for new season in clear sign of growing ambitions

Luke Shaw says Manchester United must end their trophy drought this season and win their first silverware under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

United have now gone three seasons without a trophy, their longest wait for 31 years, which was ended with the 1990 FA Cup, Sir Alex Ferguson’s first silverware for the club.

Solskjaer led United to three semi-finals last season in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League, but his players were unable to reach any of those finals and go all the way.

Although last season’s third-placed finish in the Premier League and a return to the Champions League represented progress for United, defender Shaw said they need to be aiming higher.

United begin the new campaign at home to Crystal Palace on Saturday at Old Trafford and Shaw said: “We’re ready for the season.

“We need to be strong and focused on winning trophies, not getting into the top four. A club like us should be winning trophies.”

United lost 1-0 at Aston Villa at the weekend in their final warm-up game ahead of the new season, with Shaw insisting Solskjaer’s players are ready for the challenge ahead, despite the defeat.

“We’re working hard,” said Shaw. “We’ll be ready next week.”

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has already brought in Donny van de Beek but Jadon Sancho remains Manchester United’s number one target.

However, they have so far failed to agree a deal with Borussia Dortmund and are considering Gareth Bale as an alternative.

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“We’ve trained hard and this game was really about minutes and getting ready for next week.

“We had a lot of players out and a lot of young players, who hadn’t been training with us.

“The main focus was obviously getting minutes in the tank. It’s been a very disjointed pre-season, really.”

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Shaw, who missed United’s final seven games of last season through injury, told MUTV: “At the start of pre-season, there were only four of us training, with what’s going on at the moment, the quarantines and the internationals, so it was very difficult for us.

“It’s a very weird feeling, especially for me. I don’t feel I’ve had much time off. I haven’t, to be honest

“But this is life sometimes. You need to be ready, whatever happens, and it’s one of those scenarios where we have a lot of world-class players we’re looking forward to getting back in training.”

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