Tag: Football

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There’s been a lot of hype recently around Manchester United’s academy graduate Angel Gomes, who departed Old Trafford back in 2020 for LOSC Lille.

Previously, L’Equipe reported an interview with the midfielder about his thoughts of returning to United one day, with Gomes saying: “Do I imagine myself coming back one day? Obviously, it’s home,”

He continued: “I would love to come back. But you never know in football. I just have to keep my feet on the ground, and keep playing, making the most of it. I can’t predict what will happen in the future.”

However, news is now emerging that a United legend has encouraged the star not to move back to Old Trafford.

Former Manchester United midfielder and academy coach Nicky Butt commented that Gomes would not benefit from a move back to The Red Devils.

Butt was in charge of the academy when Gomes graduated back in 2017, believing that the 24-year-old is destined for greatness.

Speaking recently to the PA news agency via The Express, Butt said: “I think he can do better than some of the teams that will be in for him in the Premier League,”

He continued: “The Spanish league is written all over for Angel. He could play in the Premier League easily. He could play for City tomorrow.

“When Angel left United (in 2020), I said to him ‘You’re going to go on and have an unbelievable career and I wouldn’t be surprised if you end up playing against Manchester United for Barcelona or Real Madrid in the next five, six, seven years’, because he was that good. And I’m not just saying that now that he’s made his England debut, I genuinely thought that a long time ago.

“He could play in the Premier League easily. He could play for City tomorrow. But then you put him in at Man United at the minute and he’s got to have the legs to go through the centre of midfield where there’s a massive gap, people run through the Man United midfield like you wouldn’t believe. Then it’s a really difficult game for him.”

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Over the years, the Manchester United academy has turned out an impressive array of talent, with rivals Liverpool now looking to make a swoop for one of their graduates.

United currently have Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho making massive names for themselves having come through the academy, and now being nominated for the Golden Boy award with year.

The pair were the driving force behind United’s FA Cup victory which secured Europe League football this year.

Also in the current squad, we have Marcus Rashford, who despite criticism, is playing well when you look at the stats.

The 26-year-old is out on the wing now but is regularly being compared to his previous striker role where he scored 30 goals in a season.

However, as a supplier rather than a scorer, he’s performing exceptionally well so far this season, recording an average of 0.54 expected assists per game, better than his previous season’s best of 0.19.

Rashford is also joint top in the league with Kevin De Bruyne and Trent Alexander-Arnold for big chances created, showing that he’s doing what he can to supply the balls which are not being converted.

This summer also saw the sale of two other academy graduates in the form of Scott McTominay and Mason Greenwood to Napoli and Marseille, being registered as ‘pure profit’ for United under profit and sustainability rules.

Now, however, Liverpool are being linked with another United graduate who departed the club back in 2020.

Reports from Liverpool Echo claim that the Merseyside club are looking now to LOSC Lille’s Angel Gomes after impressive performances in Ligue 1.

Gomes has been in the headlines of late after England called him up for his first international caps to play against the Republic of Ireland and Finland.

His recent performances have brought him heavily onto the radar, with Liverpool strongly considering a move for the midfielder for next summer.

Gomes will be out of contract next July, having no interest in renewing a contract with Lille, making him a strong candidate for a free transfer.

The former United academy graduate left Manchester in 2020 after struggling to make a significant breakthrough in the first team.

If Liverpool are looking to sign the midfielder, they could find themselves up against Tottenham, Newcastle and Borussia Dortmund who are also keeping tabs on the England international.

Angel Gomes will be free to sign a pre-contract agreement with a foreign club from January.

If he did move back to England and went to Anfield instead of returning to Old Trafford, that would be a heartfelt blow to MUFC fans.

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Manchester United have missed out on Adrien Rabiot’s signature as a free agent.

United’s interest in Rabiot began in Ten Hag’s first transfer window as manager in 2022.

The saga continued to this year but no concrete negotiations were held.

The Frenchman’s mother and agent Veronique Rabiot has been outspoken about Manchester United in the past.

She has explained that relations betweeen Rabiot and United were positive.

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“We are on excellent terms with Manchester United”, she said.

Amongst the interest, however, her son never pushed for a move to United.

Last night, Marseille announced Rabiot’s signing and that the midfielder is set to complete his medical.

“I am happy to be here. I want my choices to be respected. I have arrived in the biggest place in France”, he said on X.

Rabiot and his former club PSG have had an antagonistic relationship in the past.

In an interview with L’Equipe, Rabiot’s mother made some damning comments about the club.

“He is held hostage by PSG. Soon, it will be dry bread, water, and a dungeon. Adrien is a prisoner!”

“They want him to put on his pyjamas at nine o’clock, before the game, in front of his TV, to go to bed at eleven o’clock”, she said.

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Perhaps this explains the indirect jibes Rabiot made in his announcement.

“I want my choices to be respected” and “I have arrived in the biggest place in France” are combative comments towards PSG.

United may be disappointed to miss out on Rabiot but perhaps the controversy that follows him is best kept away from Old Trafford.

However, the club have a potential contingency plan with Sverre Halseth Nypan.

The 17-year-old central midfielder is being scouted by United and a move could be on next summer.

Je suis heureux d’être ici. Je veux que mes choix soient respectés. Je suis arrivé dans la plus grande place de France.

— Adrien Rabiot (@rabiotadriens) September 15, 2024

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After a comfortable 3-0 victory on the weekend against Southampton, Manchester United will be aiming to put out a similar display in their next fixture.

The Red Devils are set to face Barnsley in the third round of the EFL Cup.

Erik ten Hag clearly values this competition and in his pre match press conference said, “I wouldn’t say it’s insignificant.

“I see the attention from all the teams, owners, managers when they win the trophies like Liverpool did last year.

“I see all the teams battling for it.

“We want the same.

“In football, winning trophies is very important.”

However, despite the significance placed on the EFL Cup, Erik ten Hag will likely use this as an opportunity to rotate his squad.

The United manager has already alluded to the need for squad management.

Typically, the traditional big teams tend to rest some of the bigger names for the early stages of the cups.

With last season’s injury crisis still fresh in mind, ten Hag will be cautious against the League One side.

He will also want to continue his team’s strong momentum after their recent league victory, but will not want to risk any players in a game the team should win easily.

Expect changes, but the desire to progress remains paramount.

With this in mind, here are 5 players we we think Erik ten Hag will drop in order to give them a rest whilst also progressing to the next round.

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Manchester United have been plagued with injuries since the start of the pre-season, with more casualties joining the list, with last year’s injury woes resurfacing once more.

From last season Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia were both still ruled out and remain side-lined while they recover.

However, the pre-season tour in the States managed to rule out new signing Leny Yoro as well as Victor Lindelof and Rasmus Hojlund.

Unfortunately, his didn’t end there, with midfielder Mason Mount picking up a knock against Brighton, ruling him out of action.

However, one of the stars has now returned to full training at Carrington which is normally a good sign that they’re close to full fitness, being able for selection soon after.

Mason Mount returns to team training

The man in question is their most recent injury, Mason Mount has returned to full first-team training meaning he could return to the pitch sooner than expected.

Manchester Evening News has reported that he could even be available again this month, which is a massive boost for United.

Mount’s pressing ability was vital for Erik ten Hag in the early season matches, and he played a crucial role in the team’s adjusted pressing strategy in attack.

In a press conference about the EFL Cup game with Barnsley, ten Hag commented that whilst Mount was “progressing” he would not be available for the cup tie.

Mount’s comments on his injury

When the England international first took his knock, he took to social media to voice his frustration.

On his Instagram story, the 25-year-old posted a note, saying: “During the last game I picked up a minor muscle injury. I’ve had it checked and it looks like I’ll be out for a few games.”

It continued: “Leading up to and during preseason I worked hard to get my fitness back to where it needs to be and I felt, re-energised, sharp and ready.

“I wanted you to hear it directly from me how frustrated I am, as I expect you are too. I will do everything possible to be back in the best shape and help the team.”

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Former Manchester United star Anthony Martial has reportedly now found his next club.

The striker left Old Trafford this summer after nine years with the club when his contract came to an end.

Unfortunately for the France international, when he left, he was yet to line up his next team, meaning he’s been without a club throughout the summer.

This doesn’t mean though that Martial hasn’t had offers. The Frenchman has been taking his time to make sure his next club is the right fit for him. As such, top teams like Lyon, Marseille and Atalanta have contacted the star, however no agreement has been made. That is until now.

Recently it was understood that Martial was looking at a move to South America, with Brazilian side Flamengo extremely interested in signing the striker. However, negotiations seem to have fallen through around wage demands.

This won’t be the case with Greek side AEK Athens though, with the club reportedly looking at making Martial their highest paid player ever.

The current highest earner is former Tottenham star Erik Lamela, and whilst it’s not know what Martial has agreed to, it’s set to considerably overshadow Lamela’s earnings.

Reports from Matte Moretto on X claim that Martial and AEK have now come to a verbal arrangement for the Frenchman to remain in Europe and join the Greek side.

Whilst at United, Martial was earning £250,000 per week, however its yet to be confirmed how much AEK have agreed in order to snatch the star from Flamengo’s grasps.

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Last week former Red Devil, Cristiano Ronaldo, spoke to Rio Ferdinand and raised his thoughts about Erik ten Hag’s management at Old Trafford.

The Ballon d’Or winner took no prisoners when discussing the club and his thoughts on what needs to change to get back to their winning ways of when he was at Old Trafford for his first stint.

During the interview, Ronaldo criticised ten Hag’s comments saying they cannot win the League or the Champions League, saying you mentally have to commit to trying to win them.

The Portuguese star commended Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s involvement with changing the infrastructure and investing in the training grounds, however, commented that ten Hag needs to listen and take advice from Ruud van Nistelrooy, having a good knowledge of the club.

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Now, on his YouTube channel Rio Ferdinand Presents, former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand, spoke about his visit to Carrington to interview ten Hag after Cristiano Ronaldo’s interview was released.

Rio Ferdinand recounts his visit to Carrington

Speaking on the channel, Ferdinand commented that he was at the United training ground the day the interview with Ronaldo came out, two hours after its release.

Whilst he was expecting the atmosphere to be tense or frosty, in reality, everything was fine, with the former Red Devil commenting: “We see all this craziness that’s built up by the media, but when you get into the heart of a club, there’s bigger fish to fry.”

He continued: “It’s just a comment from one of the players, Cristiano is a huge player and a huge voice obviously, but the manager’s thinking what he’s doing on the training pitch, he’s got sessions he’s got to put on, he’s got results to get and performances to get, so he’s absolutely fine.”

Ferdinand even went on to say that he “liked what he saw” while he was there, with the atmosphere being the “cleanest and purest” he’s felt for a while.

The former centre-back even picked out two United stars, saying that when doing a walk-round with ten Hag after training, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford were still on the pitch doing shooting drills, laughing and having a competition.

Going on to speak about Rashford, Ferdinand commented on his recent worries about the winger seemingly being unhappy on the pitch and with United. However, Ferdinand said he stopped the interview with ten Hag during the training session, to comment on seeing Rashford laughing and smiling saying it “warmed my heart”. Ten Hag reportedly responded to this comment saying: “Yes, but this is the Marcus [Rashford] I see every day. This is the Marcus that we see here and know every day.”

This report on Rashford’s mood in training is reassuring for United fans with it being common knowledge that the star has been doing one-on-one training with Ruud van Nistelrooy and during the international break, ultimately seeing him score in United’s first game back against Southampton.

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With Manchester United’s upcoming EFL Cup match against Barnsley only two days away, Erik ten Hag has now spoken out about those likely to feature in the game.

The match will be United’s first outing in a domestic cup since their loss to Manchester City in the Community Shield. However, ten Hag is determined to continue his streak with getting another trophy this season, with the EFL Cup being his first opportunity to do so.

The side have unfortunately already been plagued with injuries, with the likes of Rasmus Hojlund, Victor Lindelof and new signing Leny Yoro having missed the start of the season already.

However, some of ten Hag’s men have taken some knocks in their recent game with Southampton.

Although the game finished with a 3-0 win for United, some of their top defensive stars were taken off with suspected injuries.

Speaking about the recent injuries with Lisandro Martinez, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, ten Hag has commented: “They are all available [vs Barnsley]. They are good.”

However, one man who is still ruled out is left-back Luke Shaw, with ten Hag commenting: “Luke Shaw, he’s progressing but not ready yet to be selected. Of course, we have a plan in our head when he can be ready but you are always dependent on how the progress will go.”

He continued: “You can’t think, you can’t make a suggestion [of a return date] because there are so many factors why a plan can accelerate or slow down.”

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Amad Diallo is starting to show his potential at Manchester United, heavily featuring for The Red Devils at the start of their Premier League campaign.

Already this season, of United’s five goals, Amad contributed to two with a goal against Brighton and an assist with Marcus Rashford’s goal against Southampton, with the 22-year-old being awarded United’s Player of the Month for August.

Unfortunately for United, the winger has now entered the final year of his contract at Old Trafford, however, The Red Devils do have the option to extend his contract to 2026 if they wish. If not, Amad will be free to discuss a new contract with other teams when the transfer window opens in January to move as a free agent in the summer.

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However, United are very keen to keep hold of the star, so much so that Manchester Evening News has reported that the club are looking to enter negotiations around a long-term contract in the coming months, to secure his future at Old Trafford before January.

It’s expected that Amad will be remaining at United next summer, with his contract end being discussed during the pre-season tour.

Amad Diallo’s comments on remaining at Old Trafford

When asked about his desire to stay with United, Amad commented: “Yeah, why not?”

He continued: “I’m very happy here. I think everyone is happy with me because I smile with everyone, good energy. Why not stay here all my life?”

This is a massive boost for Erik ten Hag with Amad so content at the club, and willing to sign up for a long-term future at Old Trafford.

Despite his five-month injury last season, Amad returned, determined to secure a spot in the first team, with ten Hag giving him his first meaningful Premier League start in May against Arsenal.

After goals against Rangers and Real Betis in the pre-season, Amad has continued to shine, cementing his role in the team, so it’s no surprise that the club want to reward his recent run of form.

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This summer saw Manchester United make a massive signing in the form of Matthijs de Ligt from Bayern Munich.

The 25-year-old joined The Red Devils in a double signing from Bayern alongside Noussair Mazraoui, with the pair reuniting with former Ajax coach Erik ten Hag.

Previously de Ligt has spoken out as to why he chose United, having rejected Barcelona and PSG to move to Old Trafford. When explaining his reasons, the Dutchman said: “This summer when United came for me and, yeah, the trainer [Ten Hag] also wanted me really badly — and the club also — it made it, for me, really easy,”

He continued: “To get the chance to get to the Premier League first of all, and second of all to, I think, the biggest club in English football history.

“For me, it was a really easy choice to make.”

The sale of de Ligt upset a lot of Bayern fans, with a petition being drawn up to encourage the club to keep the centre-back, forcing the Bundesliga side to explain their rationale for selling their star defender.

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Bayern Munich’s previous comments on selling Matthijs de Ligt

After selling de Ligt to United in a deal worth up to £42.9 million, Bayern Munich director Max Eberl discussed the reason behind the sale, saying: “I understand that there are fan favourites, but we don’t make decisions based on fan favourites.

He continued: “We made decisions with Kompany regarding defence, we wanted a left-footed defender.

“You can’t go into the season with 35 players or do like Chelsea with 45 players. We spent money on Olise, Palhinha and Hiroki. So, as a club, you have to generate money.”

However, now more has come to light regarding other concerns that the German club had regarding de Ligt fitting into the club’s style of play.

New concerns surface from the German giants

Now, new concerns are emerging that were the route of Bayern’s decision to sell the Netherlands international.

90min have reported that speaking once more about the sale and the fan response to the club’s decision, Eberl commented: “I followed [the fan response], including the petition. I know that many fans identify with him.”

He continued: “Nevertheless, I had to make this decision because we also had to sell players. We felt more comfortable with Upamecano and Kim because they can defend higher up the pitch. And then an offer came in for De Ligt.”

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