Tag: Football

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Today, England take to the pitch under interim coach Lee Carsley in their opening group game the UEFA Nations League League B, facing Ireland away from home.

England have been drawn in Group B alongside Ireland, Greece and Finland, with the other two teams kicking off later tonight.

This will be the first time that England take to the pitch after their 2-1 loss to Spain in the Euro 2024 Final.

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Ahead of the game, The Mirror has reported that two of Manchester United’s stars are due to feature in Lee Carsley’s first starting line-up as England coach.

The first Red Devil is no surprise, with Kobbie Mainoo continuing his run of form that got him a call-up to the England squad for the Euros this summer. The centre of the pitch is expected to remain fairly unchanged from the European Championships, with Declan Rice partnering Mainoo.

Mainoo has already started this season impressively, registering the most interceptions with 10 in the Premier League after his first two games and currently has the best dribble success rate at 83.3% across all of Europe’s top five leagues.

However, the second is a little more surprising. With Gareth Southgate leaving him out of his Euros line-up, Carsley is reportedly giving the United defender a second chance, with Harry Maguire set to join the starting XI.

Maguire has featured in all three of United’s Premier League matches so far, starting the first two and replacing Matthijs de Ligt in the 69th minute. However, despite two losses so far, Carsley has seemingly been impressed enough with Maguire’s performances to reintroduce him back into the England line-up.

No doubt Carsley will be looking to have a strong showing to mark his first game in charge and send a statement to the opposition and fans as to how his England side is going to perform.

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Manchester United fans have received positive news as academy talent Shea Lacey is on track to return to action shortly after the international break.

Rising star in the academy

United’s academy is currently brimming with talent, boosted by summer signings such as Chido Obi-Martin, Samuel Lusale, and Sekou Kone.

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Among the brightest prospects is Lacey, often called “the Scouse Lionel Messi.”

The 17-year-old right winger is known for his quick dribbling and control in tight spaces, with his left foot giving him an added edge.

Shea Lacey professional contract signed in April

Lacey signed his first professional contract with Manchester United in April, agreeing to a five-year deal.

However, an injury late in the season ruled him out, preventing him from playing in the current campaign so far.

Injury update and potential return

According to Manchester Evening News, Lacey has been recovering well from a muscle injury and is expected to return soon.

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The report stated, Lacey has been sidelined with a muscle injury but has made progress in his recovery and will be in contention to play after the break.

The young star may feature for the Under-18s against Newcastle on September 14.

Managing Shea Lacey return carefully

Manchester United is focused on easing Lacey back into action to avoid any further injury.

With previous medical issues in mind, the club will ensure he is not rushed.

The goal is to reintegrate him steadily into the team.

Lacey’s impact so far

Despite his young age, Lacey has already left his mark.

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Last season, he played 10 games for the Under-18s, scoring two goals and assisting four.

His talents earned him training opportunities with the first team.

He has also represented England at Under-15, Under-16, and Under-17 levels.

Future First-Team Prospects

Lacey is seen as a key player for the future. Clips of his performances have gone viral, showcasing his incredible ability.

If his recovery goes as planned, Lacey could easily follow in the footsteps of academy stars like Toby Collyer and Ethan Wheatley, both of whom recently broke into the first team.

With Lacey nearing a return, United fans are excited to see him back on the pitch, ready to build on his early promise.

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This summer saw Manchester United make some massive waves in the transfer market with some really big signings.

The signing of Leny Yoro from LOSC Lille at the start of the summer sent a massive statement of their intent for the rest of the transfer window. The centre-back is deemed a “generational talent” and looked all set to move to Real Madrid, who Yoro wanted to play for, having no interest in the Premier League. However, United managed to swoop in and sign the 18-year-old for £52 million, convincing him of their project.

Then there’s Matthijs de Ligt, the 25-year-old with an insane career so far. The youngest captain in Ajax club history and the Champions League knockout phase at the age of 19, the 2018 Golden Boy winner, with three league titles and four domestic cup wins across Europe. Starting at Ajax, de Ligt has played for Juventus and Bayern Munich before now moving to Old Trafford, giving him a massive wealth of top-tier experience already.

This is not to mention the signings of Joshua Zirkzee, Noussair Mazraoui and Manuel Ugarte who between them have eight league titles, a Champions League trophy and ten domestic cups.

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Now though, The Daily Mail have reported that United made moves for another big name in the form of Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace.

Palace were convinced they’d be able to sell Eze this year, with interest from Manchester United, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. The 26-year-old has a £68 million release clause. However, it’s understood that Palace are open to lowering the conditions of Eze’s release clause next summer to support his exit.

The attacking midfielder is expected to want a move away from Palace to start playing more European football, however, no offers arrived for the star next summer.

With the England international entering the final year of his contract next summer, it’s expected that we’ll see him leave Palace at the very latest on deadline day next August.

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After a long summer away from football, Anthony Martial now looks set to have found his next team.

The start of the summer marked the end of Martial’s nine years at Old Trafford where the Frenchman made 317 appearances for the Red Devils, scoring a total of 90 goals across all competitions with a further 47 assists. During this time, Marital has been a key player in lifting some key trophies for Manchester United, including; the Europa League Trophy, the FA Cup, the English League Cup twice and the English Super Cup.

Since then, the 28-year-old has received a lot of interest from some top-tier clubs, including Lyon, Marseille and Atalanta.

However, this week, bids to sign the striker seem to have stepped up a gear.

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Greek side AEK Athens are extremely keen to sign Martial, willing to offer him a contract that would make him the highest earner in the club’s history.

Now though, Brazilian club Flamengo are looking to rival the Greek club to secure the striker once dubbed the next Thierry Henry. Yesterday Fabrizio Romano tweeted that Flamengo have made contact with the striker.

The South American side are looking to Martial as a replacement to current striker, Pedro, who has suffered an ACL injury, ruling him out of action.

Now, reports from Luca Bendoni via EuroFoot on X have expressed that Martial is expected to join the Brazilian side. It’s unknown if a contract has been agreed or what the terms offered are at this stage, but moving away from Europe would be an interesting move for the 28-year-old’s career.

Anthony Martial (28) is expected to join Brazilian club Flamengo as a free agent, reports @LucaBendoni. pic.twitter.com/zyZ6A9Yucb

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) September 6, 2024

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News has recently emerged that former Manchester United striker Anthony Martial is looking likely to join Brazilian club Flamengo, however, he’s not the only Red Devil to be heading to Brazil.

The 28-year-old has been without a club since the start of the summer, with his contract at United coming to an end. Despite interest from top clubs like Lyon, Marseille and Atalanta, the France international is currently in a two-way battle between Greek side AEK Athens and Flamengo.

Whilst the Greek club are offering to make the striker their highest-paid player in club history, recent reports claim that Martial is expected to move away from Europe.

However, new reports from Fabrizio Romano are claiming that he may come up against one of his former teammates if both ex-Red Devils agree with offers that are currently on the table.

The other former United star is Memphis Depay, who moved to Old Trafford from Ajax under Louis van Gaal in 2015 for £29 million. The winger stayed at Old Trafford for a year and a half, making 53 appearances, grabbing seven goals and five assists, winning the Europa League, FA Cup and English League Cup with the Red Devils.

However, the winger never quite found his previous form displayed at Ajax where he scored 50 goals and grabbed 29 assists in 124 games to win the Eredivisie league title, the KNVB Beker Cup and the Johan Cruijff Schaal Cup, ultimately sealing his move to United.

Ultimately, he was sold to Lyon by the new manager Jose Mourinho in January 2017 for £13.5 million where he remained for four years.

At Lyon, Depay looked like his former self again, grabbing 76 goals and 55 assists in 178 games which saw him land a move to Barcelona at the end of his contract. His time at Camp Nou was brief at only two years, only making 42 appearances, with a limited 14 goals and two assists, before he moved to Atletico Madrid.

Unfortunately for Depay, his performances have dipped once more, with 13 goals and two assists in 40 goals, with his time at Atletico hampered by injury. Ultimately, the LaLiga club decided not to extend his contract, seeing him leave the club without a new side lined up at the start of the summer.

However, now it’s looking likely that the winger is going to be joining Martial in Brazil, signing for Corinthians, with a deal being agreed in principle. The Brazilian side and the Dutch attacker have come to a verbal agreement, however are still drafting documents to be signed.

Whilst limited details have been revealed, we do know the contract will be for two years to see him with the club until 2026.

Corinthians and Memphis Depay have reached an agreement in principle.

Verbal agreement now as documents are still being drafted, checked with his camp.

Key steps to follow ahead of deal being signed for Memphis.

It’d be valid until 2026, as @geglobo reports. pic.twitter.com/4OPLhqT7tu

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 6, 2024

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Manchester United have had a lot of dealings with Bayern Munich this summer, having signed the defensive duo of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.

The Red Devils’ pursuit of de Ligt went on for a considerable time throughout the summer despite agreeing personal terms with the centre-back quite quickly. The 25-year-old has recently spoken out on his desire to join United, saying: “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.”

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The interest in Mazraoui didn’t last anywhere near as long, coming seemingly out of nowhere alongside de Ligt. However, his signing was reliant on the sale of Aaron Wan-Bissaka to generate funds and clear space. Ultimately Wan-Bissaka moved to West Ham United, allowing for the deal with Mazraoui to go through.

Now, The Daily Mail has reported that United’s interest in Bayern Munich stars isn’t yet over, with a strong interest in one of the German giants’ new stars who The Red Devils were keen on signing this summer.

Former Crystal Palace star Michael Olise was a hot prospect this summer, with Chelsea and Manchester United wanting the French winger, with United even looking to use club legend Sir Alex Ferguson to persuade the 22-year-old to move to Old Trafford.

However, Bayern Munich had already activated a complex £60 million release clause to bypass negotiations with Palace to sign Olise.

Although Olise is now settling into life in Munich, after an impressive showing at the Paris Olympic Games with two goals and five assists in six games, United is expected to be at the front of the queue if the France international decides he wants a move away from Bayern.

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With Manchester United making several new signings this summer, some existing Red Devils are likely to fall down the pecking order.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Dan Ashworth shortlisted several players they wanted to offload this summer, with a number still at the club due to lack of interest from other parties. These have included Harry Maguire, Victor Lindelöf, Cristian Eriksen, Casemiro and Antony.

With Lisandro Martinez being a firm favourite of Erik ten Hag, there’s only one other centre-back space to compete for. Now, with the signing of Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro, Maguire and Lindelöf have even more competition for a space in the squad.

In midfield, the signing of Manuel Ugarte to partner Kobbie Mainoo has provided more of a battle for both Casemiro and Eriksen, with it looking more likely for the pair to be fighting for a place on the bench rather than in the starting line-up.

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Oddly, Antony is the only one of the five not to face further competition from new signings, and if anything, he now has less pressure thanks to the deal which saw Jadon Sancho move to Chelsea.

However, one of the five has now spoken out about wanting more minutes at Old Trafford.

Christian Eriksen wants more game time

Last night saw Eriksen take to the pitch with the Danish national team to take on Switzerland in the opening game of the UEFA Nations League with both countries in Group 4 of League A.

Denmark managed to come off the victors with a 2-0 win which saw two Switzerland stars, Granit Xhaka and Nico Elvedi, sent off, taking the Swiss down to nine men. Eriksen started the match for the Danes and had a strong showing before being taken off in the 62-second minute, replaced by Mikkel Damsgaard.

After the match, the United man spoke with TipsBladet, discussing his desire to play more minutes. Addressing this conversation, Eriksen said: “I want to play more! I want to play something more.”

The midfielder also went on to discuss his form and his performance in the game, saying: “I just think that the last thing is missing. I think there were a couple of times where I could have done a little better in one way or another. But the body is fine, and there are no flaws.”

Eriksen’s desire to play more minutes is an echo of a warning that was given by the interim coach for Denmark, Lars Knudsen. The national team coach recently said that whilst Eriksen can still contribute well to the team, as seen in the recent Euros, he needs more game time to keep his spot in the squad, whether that be at United or a new club.

Speaking to Bold about the midfielder’s lack of club football, Knudsen said: “It is clear that his current situation is unsustainable in the long run. I hope Christian will play football. Whether it’s at Manchester United or somewhere else, time will tell, the fact is that he has to play more.”

Eriksen was recently offered to his former club Ajax at the end of the transfer window, however, this was shot down by Eriksen’s agent and Ajax with the Eredivisie side unable to create enough space in the squad for the Dane, and the midfielder not wanting to leave Old Trafford in the first place.

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With the closing of the transfer window last week, Macclesfield FC have still managed to grab themselves a new signing as a free agent.

The Northern Premier League side are currently in third place, fighting for a promotion after coming second last year but lost to Marine 2-1 in the play-offs final to gain promotion.

Now, the club are hoping that bringing in a new striker will get them across the line and into the National League North.

The striker in question is former Manchester United graduate D’Mani Mellor who came through the academy in 2019. Whilst Mellor was a great academy player, grabbing 9 goals and an assist in 29 games and 12 goals and 8 assists in 31 games for the United Under-23s, he never quite made it to the senior squad.

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His only match for the club’s senior team came in the Europa League in 2019/20 under Ole Gunner Solskjaer against FC Astana where The Red Devils lost 2-1. Mellor came on in the 65 minute for Tahith Chong on the right wing, but couldn’t affect the result of the game with United already being 2-1 down.

Unfortunately the then 19-year-old tore his ACL at the end of the 2019/20 season, ruling him out for an entire year with two operations being required.

Upon his return, the striker saw himself out on loan with Salford City, however, he only made three appearances, seeing him get recalled by United and ultimately released by the club in 2022.

Mellor was signed then as a free transfer by Wycombe Wanderers, with the manager Gareth Ainsworth having high expectations for the youngster, saying: “He is an exciting prospect but to be at Man United for so long show his calibre and shows what he is all about. He is going to be an exciting, attacking prospect for us.”

However, the striker saw himself out on loan on three occasions in two years, twice with Rochdale and once with Sutton United. Across these two years for while with Wycombe, across all three clubs, Mellor has played 49 games with only two goals and two assists.

With Wycombe releasing him this summer, Mellor has found himself dropping down three leagues to join Macclesfield who are currently being managed by former Manchester United trainee and ex-Premier League player Robbie Savage.

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This weekend sees Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney return to Old Trafford.

Rooney spent 13 years with The Red Devils after arriving from Everton for €37 million back in 2004. Over this time he represented the club 559 times with an incredible 253 goals and 139 assists to his name. The striker was a vital part of the club’s success, winning five Premier League titles, Champions League and Europa League trophies, the FA Cup, four League Cups and four Community Shields.

Now, the day is nearly here when Rooney will be taking to the pitch once more as a part of the United vs Celtic Legends game.

Bryan Robson is set to manage the Red Devils with Andy Cole as his assistant. Rooney will be reuniting with former teammate Antonio Valencia, Dimitar Berbatov and Paul Scholes.

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Wayne Rooney looks forward to his return

Now, the 38-year-old has released a statement on the club website addressing his return to his former club. It reads:

“It will be a special moment to be back out there at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon for the Legends game, and it is all for such a good cause.

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At the end of last season, there was a high expectation that Erik ten Hag would be leaving Old Trafford after a poor season coming eighth in the Premier League and crashing out of the Champions League group stages. His only saving grace, winning the FA Cup.

In the final game of the season, Manchester United rocked up at Wembley and unexpectedly defeated Manchester City 2-1 thanks to goals from Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho.

Ultimately, Sir Jim Ratcliffe gave Erik ten Hag a vote of confidence by keeping him on and extending his contract by an extra year.

However, INEOS and the Manchester United operational directors had already started developing a shortlist of potential replacements in case they decided to part ways with the Dutch manager.

On this list were some impressive managers now making their name in top-tier football like Kieran McKenna of Ipswich and Thomas Frank of Brentford. However several high profile, elite managers were also considered. Fresh of his sacking from Chelsea, Mauricio Pochettino was added to the list alongside Bayern Munich’s then manager, Thomas Tuchel.

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Manchester United’s advanced talks with Thomas Tuchel

Reports at the time suggested that Sir Jim Ratcliffe met with Tuchel in Monaco to have an informal conversation about the job.

During these conversations, Tuchel raised issues with United’s defence, suggesting Antonio Rudiger as a perfect fit to solve the issues in the back line. Ultimately, The Red Devils didn’t take note of the suggestion, opting for Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt instead, however, new details are emerging suggesting that Tuchel turned down the offer of becoming United’s manager.

German newspaper Bild has now reported from pundit Marcel Reif, that a source close to the Tuchel situation is claiming the deal to see the German manager take over at Old Trafford was in its final stages.

The report said: “As far as the squad is concerned, the considerations were different. Tuchel said pretty much at the finish line: ‘I’m not doing that! I won’t do that to myself again, that I go to a club and then things come from outside.’”

These comments look to be referencing United’s new recruitment strategy, with the Premier League club taking some of the control from ten Hag and having the newly appointed operational directors take the lead. INEOS have brought in transfer and recruitment guru Christopher Vivell, whose contract has now been extended until January, showing Ratcliffe has been pleased with his contributions this summer.

Tuchel however is a manager who likes to be in control, so this step away from having such a heavy influence on the transfer dealings seems to be a significant issue for the 51-year-old.

This new information around Tuchel not taking on the United role may also serve to dampen the rumours currently emerging of the German manager being considered once more to replace Erik ten Hag if no progress is seen in the coming months.

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