UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov weighs in on Man Utd with "big problem" claim

UFC icon Khabib Nurmagomedov declares Manchester United will be a "big problem" for their Premier League rivals once their newer players have fully adapted to their surroundings.

The former lightweight champion, 33, believes it has been difficult for the likes of Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo to "connect" with their teammates after arriving for a combined sum of £133million last summer.

United have certainly looked short of fluency and understanding between players in recent fixtures, failing to win any of their last three games.

But Khabib - who met Sir Alex Ferguson while attending the match against Everton in October - expects there will be a significant upturn in form next campaign, by which time last year's arrivals will have a full pre-season under their belt.

"They have a very good, strong team, a young team," the Russian Red Devils fan told Sky Sports of United. "I think next year they are going to do a very good job.

"Next year, because right now [there are] so many new players, they don't connect well. But I think next year Manchester United are going to be a big problem for all clubs."

Although Khabib is confident United will improve drastically next season, the club are likely to remain in a period of transition after appointing their next permanent boss.

Interim manager Ralf Rangnick is set to leave the dugout to take up a consultancy role behind the scenes at Old Trafford this summer.

Paris Saint-Germain's Mauricio Pochettino, Ajax's Erik ten Hag and Spain's Luis Enrique are among the names being considered to succeed Rangnick.

In the meantime, the German must focus on improving United's tepid form, starting with a positive result against Brighton on Tuesday night.

The Red