Tag: Football

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Barcelona and Manchester United are two of the biggest names in world football.

The European giants have won a combined 47 domestic league titles between them.

Due to their status, a number of top players have played for both clubs.

The likes of Mark Hughes, Gerard Pique, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Memphis Depay are just some names who have played for both United and Barca.

It’s a select group of players who told that distinction.

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But another name could have potentially joined that list.

If new reports are true, then Manchester United tried their very best to prize a young Barcelona starlet to swap Spain for England.

And it was an incredible bid that they’d put in for the player.

The Athletic are reporting that Manchester United had bid €100m for Ansu Fati in 2020.

For those thinking the name was familiar, Ansu Fati spent last season on loan at Brighton.

The Seagulls decided not to pursue any permanent deal for the young Spaniard.

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Before anyone jumps in, there is some method to the madness.

At that period of time, Fati was earmarked as the next big thing in Spanish football.

Making his debut in 2019, the young attacker broke a number of records in his early days at Camp Nou.

Ansu Fati became the youngest goalscorer in UEFA Champions League history when he scored against Inter Milan in the 2019/2020 group stage.

He was just 17 at that time.

Even by that age, he’d broken records.

When he was just 16, he became the youngest scorer in Barcelona history when he scored against Osasuna in LaLiga.

And he also broke the record for youngest scorer for the Spain national team when he scored against Ukraine aged 17.

To understand the hype around Ansu Fati at the time, he was being hailed as the next Lionel Messi.

That’s how big of a talent he was being touted as.

He was, in 2020, what Lamine Yamal is today.

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According to the Athetlic, The Manchester United manager at the time, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, rated the young Spanish international highly at the time and was keen to bring him to Old Trafford.

But Barcelona ultimately rejected the offer.

Since that point, Fati has had a falling from grace of sorts.

Injuries have taken their toil on the youngster and his career has been stuck because of it.

Even on loan at Brighton last year in the English Premier League, Fati was only able to show glimpses of what he is capable of.

So it looks like United managed to escape another potentially expensive mistake in the transfer market.

For Ansu Fati, there’s still time to make an impact in the game.

Despite going through so much already, the Barcelona attacker is still just 21 and has a lot of time ahead in his career.

If he can overcome his injury issues and get back to the form he showed in 2019/2020, then he can still make it to the top of the game.

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Despite a challenging season that saw them finish outside the top four in the Premier League, Manchester United are set to compete in the Europa League once again, as they face FC Twente tonight.

The Red Devils secured their spot in the competition after winning the FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City in May.

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Under the leadership of Dutch manager Erik ten Hag, United have had a mixed start to the new campaign.

They’ve registered three wins, three losses, and one draw across all competitions.

After impressive victories over Southampton (3-0) and Barnsley (7-0), they were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday.

Ten Hag is gearing up for the Europa League opener against his beloved Twente—a club he grew up supporting and represented three times during his playing career between 1989 and 2002.

Following Wednesday’s match, Manchester United will face seven more Europa League fixtures in the newly expanded 36-team competition.

Their opponents include Porto, Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, PAOK, Bodo/Glimt, Viktoria Plzen, Rangers, and FCSB.

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Boasting a strong home record in the Europa League, with just one loss in their last 24 matches at Old Trafford, the Red Devils are confident heading into matchday one against Twente.

They are among the favorites to go all the way and clinch the Europa League title for the second time since their triumph in the 2016-17 season.

Manchester United Team News

Manchester United are currently managing several injury concerns, although the situation isn’t as bad as it was last season.

Summer signing Leny Yoro (foot) and Luke Shaw (calf) remain sidelined.

Tyrell Malacia (knee) and Victor Lindelof (toe) have resumed first-team training but are doubtful for the upcoming match and will be assessed ahead of kickoff.

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Securing three consecutive clean sheets, Ten Hag may stick with his current defense. In midfield, Manuel Ugarte could start at the expense of Christian Eriksen.

Marcus Rashford is pushing for a return to the starting lineup after being unexpectedly benched against Crystal Palace, especially after scoring three goals in two games prior.

The competition for spots on the flanks is fierce, with Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo, and Antony all vying for starts.

Up front, Joshua Zirkzee may continue to lead the attack as Ten Hag gradually integrates Rasmus Hojlund into the first-team setup.

Predicted Manchester United Starting Lineup:

Onana; Mazraoui, De Ligt, Martinez, Dalot; Ugarte, Mainoo; Garnacho, Fernandes, Rashford; Zirkzee

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Recent reports have claimed that Manchester United have set their sights on Inter Milan’s Nicolo Barella for the upcoming transfer window.

The Italian international has been essential for his club and country over the recent years. The 27-year-old has already helped to lift several trophies, including two Serie A titles and winning the UEFA Euro in 2020.

With 23 goals and 52 assists in 240 games for Inter Milan, and ten goals and nine assists in 57 games for Italy, Barella makes his presence known for club and country, making it no surprise that he’s attracting attention of top clubs.

Now, United are seeing the 27-year-old as a perfect option to line up with Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte in the centre of the pitch.

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It was announced by Italian publication Inter Live, that United are looking at a massive deal worth £62.8 million (€75 million) for the midfielder. If agreed, Barella would be set to earn £8.3 million (€10 million) per year at Old Trafford.

However, new sources have emerged to put a hold on any dreams of United signing their new target.

Nicolo Barella to remain in Italy

CaughtOffside has now reported that sources close to the situation are aware that Inter regards Barella as essential to their team, and have recently rewarded him with a new long-term contract. The new deal will see Barella at San Siro for another five years until 2029. This gives Inter some breathing room, having no pressure or intention to sell the midfielder.

As such, whilst several top clubs, are interested in looking at the star, there are no expectations of Inter being approached with any advanced stages of talks to sign the midfielder.

Barella has been linked with other big clubs, but he’s always stayed loyal to Inter. At this time, tt’s unclear what it would take for that to change, if anything.

Unfortunately for United, with Inter competing for regular top-level trophies, theirs no progression incentive to try and lure the midfielder to Old Trafford, so it seems unlikely that any advances in this move will happen any time soon.

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Manchester United let four wingers leave the club this summer.

These were: Jadon Sancho, Facundo Pellistri, Omari Forson and Mason Greenwood.

With reports that Antony’s future could be in doubt, United may look to add depth in the position in next summer’s window.

They have already brought talent into the academy team, signing right-winger Samuel Lusale from Crystal Palace.

United are also close to finalising the purchase of 16-year-old forward Chido Obi-Martin from Arsenal.

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However, the Red Devils were beaten to one of their academy targets by Liverpool this summer.

United showed interest in 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, but he instead chose to play for their arch rivals in Merseyside.

Ngumoha is a left-winger who broke through the ranks at Chelsea’s youth system.

He has appeared for England’s U15 and U16 teams and now plays for Liverpool’s U18 team.

United tried to convince Ngumoha to come to Old Trafford, presenting detailed plans for his future development, according to CaughtOffside.

However, Ngumoha still decided to join Liverpool, as their project and development plan resonated more with the winger.

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Chelsea tried their best to hold onto the teenager, who is regarded as one of the best forwards in the country at his age.

They had no intention to let him leave, but Ngumoha had his eyes set on playing for Liverpool.

Although this may seem like a missed opportunity, United will still be content with the state of their U18 team.

Last season, they secured a domestic treble, winning the U18 National Premier League, Premier League North title and the Premier League Cup.

This season, United U18 sit second in their league, having won all four games.

They are a point off Derby U18 in first, with a game in hand, and look set to have another successful campaign.

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe completed his purchase for a 25 percent stake of Manchester United on December 24 2023.

In doing so, INEOS Sport, of which Ratcliffe is the CEO, assumed control over football operations at the club.

However, United is not Ratcliffe’s only footballing business venture.

With the help of INEOS in 2019, he bought French club OGC Nice from Chinese-American entrepreneur Chien Lee.

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UEFA Multi-Club Ownership Rules

However, this conflict of interest has drawn attention from UEFA, who have imposed rules to ensure no malpractice unfolds.

Nice have been barred from making contact with United’s owners, including INEOS Sport CEO Jean-Claude Blanc, according to L’Equipe.

Both teams will compete in the Europa League this season, with United facing FC Twente tonight and Nice hosting Real Sociedad.

To allow both teams to fairly compete, UEFA have ordered INEOS to temporarily distance themselves from operations at Nice.

They were ordered to put the French club into a blind trust.

A blind trust is a financial arrangement where a trustee independently administers the private business interests of a person to prevent conflict of interest.

That is, Nice’s investments are managed in line with Ratcliffe’s interests, but he does not know exactly how and where the money is invested.

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Transfer Issues

UEFA have also stood in the way of United’s summer business with Nice.

They decreed that no Nice player could sign for United, which halted Jean-Clair Todibo’s potential move to Old Trafford.

The centre-back instead moved to West Ham for a €40m fee.

Ratcliffe spoke out against this harsh decision by UEFA, describing it as ‘not fair’.

“They’ve said we can sell [Todibo] to another Premiership club, but we can’t sell to Manchester United.”

“But that’s not fair on the player and I don’t see what that achieves”, he said.

Ratclife has insisted that his United ownership is a “labour of love” rather than a mere business venture.

Before being the CEO of INEOS, he was a boyhood fan of the club.

He will hope that United hit the ground running with a win in matchday 1 of the Europa League tonight.

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Image Credits: Manchester United Football Club

Manchester United have secured the signature of highly-rated 17-year-old James Overy, further bolstering their youth ranks.

The club has made an effort to focus on youth recruitment since INEOS’ involvement, signing multiple young talents and investing in the development of their training facilities.

After catching the attention of Premier League scouts during a friendly between Perth Glory and West Ham in 2023, James Overy has now officially completed his move to the Red Devils.

Speaking about his signing, James Overy stated: “Happy to sign for my boyhood club Manchester United. Excited for the future!”

This transfer aligns with United’s strategy of securing promising future talent, a focus that has also brought in fellow youth prospect Samuel Lusale.

James Overy’s journey to United began in Australia, where he played for Perth Glory’s youth setup.

His standout performance in that friendly match opened the door to trials with top English clubs, including Everton and West Ham.

However, his admiration for Manchester United led him to ultimately choose the Red Devils.

Now part of United’s under-18 squad, Overy is set to continue his development at Carrington, aiming to carve out a path to the first team.

But who is James Overy?

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Toni Kroos announced his retirement from professional football on May 21 2024.

He played his last professional game at EURO 2024 for Germany in the quarter-finals, where they lost 2-1 AET to eventual winners Spain.

Kroos made 868 appearances for club and country, including 205 for Bayern Munich, 465 for Real Madrid and 114 for Germany.

In 2014, he joined Real Madrid and went on to win five Champions League titles in 10 years.

However, his career could have panned out very differently, as he initially planned to join Manchester United.

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In a recent interview with Sport1, Kroos detailed how United approached to sign him prior to his move to Los Blancos.

“In 2014, before I signed with Real Madrid, I had already agreed with Manchester United. That would have been a move from Bayern to United.”

“But then they kicked out David Moyes, who I was still sitting on my couch with in Munich and hired Louis van Gaal. Then we both declined with thanks”, he explained.

Kroos bought into United and Moyes’ plan at the time, but the Scotsman’s sacking led to the deal falling through.

“It was a really nice afternoon with very pleasant people. We talked a lot about United’s football plan, which convinced me”, Kroos said.

Moyes previously revealed this news in a 2018 interview with talkSPORT.

“Toni Kroos had agreed to come to Manchester United with me. I met him and his wife and we agreed it all when he was at Bayern Munich”, he said.

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Kroos was happy to play under Moyes, but settled on a move to Spain after Van Gaal’s appointment at United.

It is unlikely Kroos regrets that the deal did not materalise, after such a successful career in Madrid.

However, United fans can only dream about how the German could have revolutionised their midfield in his prime.

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Manchester United have had a rocky start to the season, currently sat in 11th place in the Premier League.

The Red Devils have managed wins over Fulham and Southampton, a draw with Crystal Palace and loses to Brighton and Liverpool, all leading to having seven points so far on the table.

However a massive 7-0 win over Barnsley in the Carabao Cup was a huge lift for United fans, with their Europa League tie against FC Twente tonight.

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Erik ten Hag will be hoping for success over his former club, with a lot riding on the upcoming performances of United under the Dutchman.

Whilst ten Hag was given a vote of confidence by Sir Jim Ratcliffe at the end of last season, The Red Devils are now reportedly looking at alternatives once more incase they need to part ways with the Dutchman.

Manchester United look to Newcastle’s Eddie Howe

News from Football Insider have claimed that United are now looking at Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe as a potential replacement to ten Hag.

It’s understood that whilst Howe has experienced a lot of success at Newcastle, his recent bust up with the Newcastle bosses could cause his future at the club to be more uncertain.

United are now weighing up the potential of making the most of the situation with a swoop for Howe if he were to leave Newcastle.

However, it’s unsure if this is being done as a proactive thing just in case, whilst still allowing ten Hag to develop his team, or if there is more concern behind it.

Ten Hag has famously now won two trophies in two seasons, which has done well so far in retaining his role at United.

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This summer saw Manchester United sign forward Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna, replacing Anthony Martial who left the club at the end of his contract.

At the time, Rasmus Hojlund was left as The Red Devils’ only striker, with Marcus Rashford being moved out onto the wing.

However, with Rashford now finding his form once more up top, Zirkzee starting to fit into the squad and Hojlund now getting back from injury, United have a few options to play up top.

However, this isn’t stopping The Red Devils from looking at other reinforcements as early as January.

Now, reports are claiming that Manchester United are joining Arsenal in their interest in one of the Bundesliga’s top strikers.

Manchester United’s long-term interest in RB Leipzig forward

Reports from TEAMtalk have announced that the Premier League giants are both looking at RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko has been on United’s radar for some time now, with attempts to sign him as far back as 2018. Sesko was playing for Slovenian side NK Domzale Under-17s, also representing the Slovenian Under-15s team in five friendlies, scoring in four of them.

United’s vast scouting network at the time picked noticed Sesko and had the opportunity to sign him for a mere €2 million. Ultimately United only submitted a €1.2 million bid whilst RB Salzburg secured the signing with a full €2 million. The Austrian side then went on to sell him in 2023 to their sister club Leipzig for €24 million.

However, this summer saw The Red Devils renew their interest in the forward. Unfortunately for United, Sesko committed his future to Leipzig, feeling it was the best move for his development. In staying at Leipzig, Sesko has signed a new contract which removed his £55.3 million release clause, in place of a “gentleman’s agreement”, for the 21-year-old to leave the club in 2025 if he so wishes.

The Red Devils plot a move for Benjamin Sesko

Although it’s not expected that the striker will move in January having just agreed on a new contract, it is possible that the summer could see him move on to a new club.

As such both United and Arsenal are monitoring the situation, being keen to capitalise on any hint of the striker wanting a fresh start elsewhere.

Supporting the potential move, Sesko’s agents have visited both Old Trafford and the Emirates in recent months. Conversations have been held with the club’s representatives to discuss the conditions of a potential transfer.

It’s understood that Sesko is keen for guaranteed game time as a first-team player which will no doubt be a vital part of any transfer consideration.

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Former Manchester United and Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane has reportedly retired from professional football, just two months after signing for Serie A club Como.

The 31-year-old left Manchester United at the end of last season upon the expiry of his contract and subsequently joined Como on a two-year deal.

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However, Varane sustained a serious knee injury during his debut for the club in a Coppa Italia match against Sampdoria.

The French defender was forced off the pitch after just 23 minutes and, due to the severity of the injury, was removed from Como’s Serie A squad.

Varane has faced several injury issues in recent years, and according to reports, this latest setback may have brought an end to his illustrious playing career.

The 31-year-old’s impressive list of achievements includes the World Cup, four Champions League titles, three La Liga trophies, and an FA Cup victory.

In July, after joining Como, Varane expressed his excitement about helping the club establish itself in Serie A.

The Frenchman had been eager to work alongside former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas, who currently manages the team.

“I’m very happy and excited about this new project, and I can’t wait to get started and meet up with the team and my team-mates,” Varane said at the time.

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“There’s also the physical preparation for the season to look forward to.”

He went on to explain how the unique nature of the project had caught his attention: “At first, I was curious to find out what the project was all about, and then I immediately saw that it was special, different from any other I’d been offered, so I wanted to know more.”

Now, Raphael Varane has officially announced he has retired from professional football.

In a statement made on Instagram Varane said; “They say all good things must come to an end.

“In my career I have taken on many challenges, rose to occasion after occasion, almost all of it was supposed to be impossible.

“Incredible emotions, special moments and memories that will last a lifetime. Reflecting on these moments, it is with immense pride and a feeling of fulfillment that I am announcing my retirement from the game that we all love.

“I hold myself to the highest standard, I want to go out strong, not just holding on to the game.

“It takes a big dose of courage to listen to your heart and your instinct. Desire and needs are two different things.

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“I have fallen and risen a thousand times, and this time, it’s the moment to stop and hang my boots up with my final game winning a trophy at Wembley.

“I have loved fighting for myself, my clubs, my country, my teammates and the supporters of every team I have played for.

“From Lens to Madrid to Manchester, and playing for our national team. I have defended every badge with everything I have, and loved every minute of the journey.

“The game at the highest level is a thrilling experience. It tests every level of your body and your mind.

“The emotions we experience you cannot find anywhere else. As athletes, we are never satisfied, never accepting of success. It is our nature and what fuels us.

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“I have no regrets, I wouldn’t change a thing. I have won more than I could have even dreamed of, but beyond the accolades and trophies, I am proud that no matter what, I have stuck to my principles of being sincere and have tried to leave everywhere better than I found it. I hope I have made you all proud.

“And so, a new life begins off the pitch. I will remain with Como. Just without using my boots and shin pads. Something I am looking forward to sharing more about soon.

“For now, to the supporters of every club I played for, to my teammates, coaches and staff… from the bottom of my heart, thank you for making this journey more special than my wildest dreams could ever foresee.

“Thank you, football. With love, Rapha ”

Raphael Varane leaves behind a legacy as one of the most accomplished defenders of his generation.

His achievements at Real Madrid and Manchester United are a testament to his skill and determination, with Old Trafford remaining a place where he is fondly remembered after winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup during his time with the Red Devils.

Varane’s retirement would mark the conclusion of a storied career, and fans worldwide will undoubtedly wish him the best for his future endeavors.

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