Tag: Football

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Manchester United are determined to become the centre of developing young stars in football, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe setting this as one of his priorities when taking hold of his minority ownership at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils have already had success with some of their graduates, with Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho becoming key parts of the United lineup, even being nominated for this year’s Golden Boy award.

Alongside these, Toby Collyer is showing great promise to follow in Mainoo’s footsteps and integrate into the senior team alongside Harry Amass.

Looking at their academy signings though, United have made some significant recruitments in the form of Samuel Lusale from Crystal Palace, Chido Obi-Martin from Arsenal and Sekou Kone from Guidars.

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Now, reports from Sam C on X claim that The Red Devils are now scouting 19-year-old Peio Canales from Bilbao Athletic.

The attacking midfielder has come through the Bilbao academy, graduating to the senior team last summer. Last season, Canales made 26 appearances for Bilbao, grabbing three goals and an assist in his debut season.

Now, he is a key part of the Bilbao squad for this campaign after gaining promotion from Segunda Federacion Grupo II (Spanish fourth tier) to Primera Federacion Grupo I (Spanish third tier)

Sam C has expressed that scouting and monitoring of the 19-year-old has begun ahead of the upcoming January transfer window, suggesting we may see some movement from United in the new year.

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Manchester United are preparing to hold talks with Adrien Rabiot regarding a potential move to Old Trafford.

The French midfielder is currently a free agent after his contract with Juventus expired.

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Although Rabiot did not secure a transfer during the summer window, he remains a target for several clubs.

Adrien Rabiot eyeing a Premier League move

At 29 years old, Rabiot is keen on making a move to the Premier League, despite offers from Turkish clubs and the Saudi Pro League.

His desire to play in England has given Manchester United a significant boost as they look to strengthen their midfield for the long and demanding season ahead.

Shift in transfer strategy by United

It looks like Manchester United’s new co-owners, INEOS, are considering signing Adrien Rabiot.

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This move would mark a departure from the club’s usual strategy of acquiring younger players with room to develop.

Progress in discussions

According to renowned football journalist Jeremy Cross, talks between Manchester United and Adrien Rabiot are set to take place soon.

Cross reports that Rabiot has already rejected offers from Galatasaray and the Saudi Pro League as he hopes to move to Premier League, increasing the likelihood of him joining United.

Financial terms stalling negotiations

However, a report from Football Insider suggests the opposite – it says that negotiations with Rabiot have not been smooth.

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His wage demands are proving to be a challenge, much like they were in 2022 when a similar transfer collapsed.

Back then, United had agreed on a transfer fee with Juventus, and John Murtough even traveled to Turin to finalize the deal, but the talks fell through due to Rabiot’s salary expectations.

Rabiot’s performance last season

Despite the ongoing negotiations, Rabiot’s ability on the field is well-documented.

Last season, he made 31 appearances for Juventus in Serie A, scoring five goals and providing three assists.

His consistent performances highlight his potential value as a solid midfield option for Erik ten Hag’s team.

Can United secure the deal?

With talks between the two parties now imminent, it remains to be seen whether Manchester United can meet Rabiot’s financial demands and secure his move to the Premier League.

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With several of Manchester United’s academy members and senior squad having left the club this summer, the players are now finding themselves their new homes for the coming season.

Veteran centre-back, Raphael Varane left at the end of his contract and has now signed for Serie A side Como making his debut in the Italy Cup against Sampdoria. However, the French defender was taken off after only 23 minutes due to injury, with him now ruled out for some time.

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Elsewhere Anthony Martial is still looking for his next club, with reports claiming that he is close to joining Brazilian club Flamengo. Whilst AEK Athens were after the striker, looking to make him their highest-earning player ever, it’s now expected for Martial to move away from Europe completely.

Now, news coming from the Isthmian League is that Hartley Wintney Football Club have signed former United Under-21s goalkeeper Kie Plumley.

The 21-year-old has reportedly joined the club after being released from his United contract this summer. Plumley was only with United for ten months after joining from Oxford United’s Under-21 side, however, he only made one appearance for The Red Devils.

Plumley has been signed on with several clubs, including Oxford City, Beaconsfield Town, Weston-Super-Mare and Faversham Town, with the latter competing in the Isthmian League in 2021/22 when the goalkeeper was on loan with them.

The Isthmian League is a regional football league covering London, East and South East England, featuring mainly semi-professional clubs. The league is a part of the seventh level of English football which feeds into the National League South at level six.

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Despite having a very eventful transfer season this summer, Manchester United still have a number of stars in their ranks that they were hoping to offload.

Casemiro and Antony were two who United were hoping to sell on due to their decline in performances, with Antony barely being used under ten Hag.

Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire were more stars looking to be sold due to their contracts running out next summer, with the club using this window as the last chance to cash in on the players.

However, it’s now being reported that Antony is pushing to leave the club.

Late on in the transfer window, LaLiga side Real Betis put in a bid for loans for both him and Eriksen, however these were rejected.

Now though, The Standard have reported that Jose Mourinho is looking to sign the winger to his new club, Fenerbahce.

The Turkish transfer window is still open until Friday, with United hoping to get a loan deal across the line before it closes.

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Ahead of Erik ten Hag’s appointment at Manchester United for the 2022/2023 season, Ralf Rangnick briefly served as interim manager following Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s departure.

Ralf Rangnick arrival and short-lived success

After Solskjaer was dismissed, Rangnick was brought in with the understanding that he would not be considered for the permanent role.

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Manchester United had already lined up Erik ten Hag to take over after the 2021/2022 campaign. Rangnick officially took charge in December 2021, winning his first game 1-0 against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford.

However, like many of United’s managerial spells post-Sir Alex Ferguson, the initial success didn’t last long.

Decline in performance under Ralf Rangnick

Manchester United’s form quickly deteriorated. The team was knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico Madrid in the Round of 16.

Shortly after, they suffered a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool, a result that further highlighted the gap between United and their rivals.

Although Erik ten Hag’s side later experienced a 7-0 loss at Anfield, this defeat under Rangnick still exposed significant weaknesses.

Rangnick famously stated that Liverpool were “six years ahead” of Manchester United, emphasizing the chasm between the two teams.

Rangnick’s blunt assessment two years ago

In a candid evaluation of the club’s condition back in 2022, Rangnick said, “We need positive energy for the new team and the new manager.

“It’s not the manager’s quality – it’s changing all the other things that have brought the club into a position we are in right now.

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“The good thing – one of the few – is it’s crystal clear. You don’t even need glasses to see the problems. Now it’s only about how you can solve them. Not minor cosmetic things. This is an open-heart operation.

“If everyone realises this has to happen and works together, it doesn’t need to take years.”

Despite plans for Rangnick to continue in a consultancy role under Ten Hag, he left the club at the end of the 2021/2022 season to focus on managing the Austrian national team.

Rangnick’s record and recent assessment

In his brief spell as interim manager, Rangnick recorded the lowest win percentage of any United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement. Out of 29 games, he won nine, drew eight, and lost two.

Recently, Rangnick reflected on his assessment and reiterated that his analysis had been accurate.

“I probably made that statement when the season was almost over about two years ago,” he said.

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“It is probably only two or three weeks since Erik ten Hag was asked the same thing. Then he said that I was right in my analysis. I don’t know how many players they have signed since, but it looks like I was right.”

Conclusion

Rangnick’s recent comments feel like a dig, almost as if he’s rubbing salt in the wounds, given United’s current struggles and their lackluster performance last season.

Erik ten Hag seems to agree with Rangnick’s previous analysis.  However, Rangnick’s remarks appear more directed at the club’s previous management or hierarchy before INEOS took over, rather than the current regime.

To be frank, Rangnick’s assessment isn’t wrong. The positive aspect of the new leadership is that they acknowledge these issues, which is why they have completely overhauled their recruitment policies and structures to fix the underlying problems.

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Manchester United’s new signing Manuel Ugarte has spoken out about his fitness levels despite a lack of game time throughout the pre-season.

With United’s summer-long pursuit of Ugarte from PSG, the Uruguayan wasn’t featured throughout the French champion’s pre-season friendlies, with the club expecting his departure. It was already understood that Ugarte would have a very limited role in Luis Enrique’s plans if he were to stay, promoting another reason to move to Old Trafford.

However, this lack of game time has raised some questions over Ugarte’s fitness, with Erik ten Hag commenting that it may be some time, even months, till we see the midfielder fully integrated into the squad.

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Now though, speaking to ESPN after Uruguay’s recent match vs Paraguay, Ugarte spoke about being on the pitch once again. Discussing being in the squad, Ugarte said: “I felt good physically during the match against Paraguay.”

He continued: “It was a bit of a strange, dirty game. I think we didn’t play very well. We could have won and we could have lost. I think we dominated in general terms, but we could have played much better.”

Ugarte also commented on the mental toll the length of transfer negotiations had played on him, saying: “I tried not to live it with much anxiety, but sometimes it is very difficult.”

He continued: “It was a long wait and sometimes I was overwhelmed by anxiety, although these are things that we players have to live with and manage.

“Now that it has been resolved, I am very happy.”

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Eberechi Eze is having a great run of form lately, being called up to the England squad for both Euro 2024 and the recent Nations League fixtures. The midfielder had a great season for Crystal Palace last year, grabbing 11 goals and four assists in 27 games.

Already this season, Eze has started well, despite Palace’s poor showing, with a vital goal from the 26-year-old saving a point in their 1-1 draw to Chelsea.

Now, the Crystal Palace chairman and co-owner, Steve Parish, has commented that Eze would be “a gift to any football club”, with interest from Manchester United still lingering.

United had their sights on Eze throughout this summer, with Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur also interested, however no official offers were submitted. The Red Devils were firmly focused on the signing of Manuel Ugarte in the midfield, however, are keeping tabs on Eze for next summer.

the midfielder has a £68 million release clause which can be activated next summer, with United set to lose Christian Eriksen at the end of his contract, and likely to want to offload Casemiro from his declining performances.

It’s also known that Eze’s ambition is to move to a bigger side to start playing European football to further his development.

Speaking to Sky Sports as reported by Manchester Evening News, Parish was surprised that they didn’t receive any offers for Eze this summer, commenting: “I was really worried from a club point of view of losing Michael (Olise) and Ebs in the same window.”

He continued: “We didn’t have in Ebs the interest that I thought we would have. I was astounded – genuinely astounded. I mean, the guy’s just an outstanding footballer, an outstanding person. He’s a gift to any football club.

“I don’t think any Crystal Palace supporter would mind the fact that, at some point, Ebs wants to play at the highest level. He’s playing regularly for England, back in the squad again which we’re so proud about.

“Ebs is still here and it’s great for the football club. I was surprised that that’s what happened.”

With Eze’s run of form continuing to improve, it’s unlikely that the 26-year-old will still be at Palace come next summer’s deadline day, but we’ll have to wait and see if a move to Old Trafford is truly on the cards.

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After a busy summer for Manchester United, signing five new stars, The Red Devils are already looking at their plans for next summer.

Already Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui are establishing themselves in the starting lineup, with Mazraoui starting as right-back in all three of United’s Premier League games so far. Whilst de Ligt has featured in all three games, his first start came at home to Liverpool at Old Trafford before the international break.

Much like de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee has featured in all three, only starting against Liverpool, however, has already grabbed his first goal for United on his debut coming off the bench to score past Fulham to grab a 1-0 win.

Unfortunately for Leny Yoro, an injury in the pre-season has ruled him out until at least November, having undergone surgery on his metatarsal. As for the latest signing Manuel Ugarte, we could see his debut come against Southampton in United’s first game back after the break.

However, Dan Ashworth and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are very aware of signings they missed out on and upcoming contract expiries which will need to be covered.

Next summer will see Victor Lindelof leave for free, with the centre-back eligible to negotiate with other clubs directly in the January transfer window. Fellow centre-back Jonny Evans is expected to hang up his boots at the end of this season at the age of 36, and the club aren’t sure yet whether they want to extend Harry Maguire’s contract by an extra twelve months or to see him leave the club with Lindelöf.

This means that United have a real risk of losing three centre-backs next summer which would leave them with Yoro, de Ligt and Lisandro Martinez, meaning a least one other centre-back is vital.

To fill this gap, The Red Devils are continuing to monitor their missed man, Jarrad Branthwaite. Despite multiple bids for the Englishman, Everton deemed his price tag much higher than what United were willing to offer. United’s highest bid for £50 million was rejected, with The Toffees wanting upwards of £70 million.

The next area of concern is midfield. Whilst United signed Ugarte, they also wanted to offload Casemiro and Christian Eriksen with Eriksen’s contract ending next summer, and Casemiro’s performances significantly declining. Whilst United have found a young gem in Toby Collyer, another midfield signing wouldn’t hurt. The Red Devils are continuing to track Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace, with the 26-year-old having a release clause of £68 million which could be activated next summer.

Then we have the wingers. Whilst Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho are showing immense promise, United only have Marcus Rashford and Antony as their alternate options, making this position a vital signing next summer, if not before.

Finally is a position that United were looking for this summer, however didn’t make any signings to, left-back. With Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia experiencing significant injuries last season, United were expected to sign a natural left-back rather than having to rely on Diogo Dalot. Unfortunately, this never happened despite being linked with several potentials, so it’s highly likely that this will be made a priority next summer.

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