Tag: Football

Image Credit: Manchester United

As part of Manchester United’s massive rebuild project this summer, the club have started work on modernising the men’s first team training grounds at Carrington.

The £50 million project is refurbishing all areas of the facility, with the aim of delivering a world-class football complex to support future success.

This “high-performance collaborative environment” is expected to be developed throughout the 2024/25 season, meaning that alterations have needed to be made to ensure the training capabilities of all teams in the club this coming year.

Unfortunately for the Women’s team, the men’s first team were reported as moving to their permanent facilities whilst their infrastructure was being refurbished.

The impact of the training facilities revamp on the women’s team

United have been criticised recently for their apparent disregard for the women’s team, with the side having to move into portable buildings at Carrington to make way for the men’s first team.

After this was announced, the Professional Footballers’ Association stepped in to address leadership at United and resolve the supposed neglect of the club’s women’s team.

Now, more information has come to light around the specifics of the women’s temporary facilities, suggesting the move may not be as detrimental as first thought.

BBC journalist Emma Sanders posted on X: “Some more positive news on Man Utd Women’s training facilities after being moved for men. I’m told temporary building for season not a portacabin. Includes canteen area, cooking station and refurbished pitches.”

She added that the women can “access S&C, medial, ice baths/pools at the old men’s site.”

If this report is accurate then it will provide a great opportunity to club’s leadership to begin showing progress away from the negative opinions currently being held resulting from United’s inequitable treatment of the women’s team.

Some more positive news on Man Utd Women’s training facilities after being moved for men. I’m told temporary building for season not a portacabin. Includes canteen area, cooking station & refurbished pitches. Can access S&C, medical, ice baths/pools at the old men’s site. #mufc

— Emma Sanders (@em_sandy) July 31, 2024

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Manchester United have had a considerable overhaul of the first team coach set up at Old Trafford this summer.

On the back of United’s poor performances last year, coming eighth overall in the Premier League, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been determined to not let this happen again.

Not only have the Red Devils been transforming their squad with transfers, but the coaching staff to lead this new team are becoming a completely new set of faces.

Whilst Erik ten hag has been given a vote of confidence with his contract being extended, not everyone was so lucky.

Ten Hag’s assistant coach Mitchell van der Gaag left the club with Go Ahead Eagles manager Rene Hake moving to Old Trafford to replace him.

Club legend Ruud van Nistelrooy has also made his return to England, re-joining his former team as part of ten Hag’s staff, with strike coach Benni McCarthy departing.

Finally long term goalkeeper coach Richard Hartis has left, with Ajax coach Jelle ten Rouwelaar taking his place.

Set-piece expert Andreas Georgson has also been brought in as set-piece coach to help the club with redesigning the tactics of taking and defending spot kicks.

Now, reports are coming in that another major first team coach has officially quit the club.

Jamaica hire United first team coach

Seasoned coach Steve McClaren is has reportedly become increasingly unhappy with his position in the hierarchy of the coaching team, leading him to leave Old Trafford.

Now, McClaren has officially been hired as the manager of the Jamaica national team.

The announcement was suggested as coming by sports journalist Simon Peach who claimed a two-year deal is on the table, taking him as manager to the 2026 World Cup in North America.

It’s understood that McClaren was up against another former Red Devil, Steve Bruce.

Reports suggest that Jamaica began discussions with both men after Heimir Hallgrimsson resigned following the team’s winless campaign at this year’s Copa America.

McClaren certainly has the experience to be taking the role, having been assistant manager to both Sir Alex Ferguson and Erik ten Hag. He left Ferguson’s side in 2001 to take on the manager role at Middlesbrough, however returned to United as a first team coach in 2022 after two decades away from the club.

Unfortunately recently McClaren remained at Carrington whilst the Red Devils are touring the States due to surgery on his foot, focusing on the players who didn’t make ten Hag’s cut.

Now however, the newly appointed national team manager will no doubt be eager to start his new role.

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Stefano Caira is an Italian football agent.

Agents have one job.

To get the best deal for their clients.

One of the ways that they can do that is by negotiating the highest wage possible for their player.

And they’ve been known to use some sneaky tactics in the past to get their clients the best deal.

A common way to do that is namedrop football clubs as having an interest in their player.

The idea here would be that other clubs might think that they’d lose out on the player and then pay a higher amount to get their guy.

But what happens when that’s actually the case?

What if a football club is interested in a player and the agent just lets the world know?

Although rare, it does happen.

Has that happened now?

That could be the case if the comments from Stefano Caira are to be believed.

You see, Caira is the agent for Juventus attacker Federico Chiesa.

Just a couple of days ago, it was reported that Chiesa’s preference was to join Manchester United over other clubs this summer.

And now Caira has let the world know that United have been looking at the player.

What did Stefano Caira say?

Speaking on 1 Football Club radio station, as per CalcioNapoli24, the agent has suggested that United and other English Premier League sides have been looking at his client.

“He is an outgoing player,” Caira said about Chiesa.

“The technical plans have changed and evidently the new coach [Thiago Motta] does not see him among the primary players.

“That said, if he continues to ask for a salary higher than €6million… I know that West Ham, Manchester United and Chelsea were following him.

“I guarantee you that West Ham would not even give him €6million. Chelsea cannot do crazy things and United would go for other profiles.

“Napoli? Maybe it could be the signing of August 30th.”

So there you have it.

Stefano Caira confirms that Manchester United were following Chiesa, but it seems that they’ve decided to look at other options now.

He also rules out both West Ham and Chelsea due to the player wages.

Based on his comments, it seems that he’s pushing Napoli as a potential next destination for Chiesa.

Whatever the case may be, it seems that United looked into the player but ultimately decided to look elsewhere. For what reason, is unclear.

United fans won’t be too disappointed with this news, however.

Although an impressively talented player, as shown in UEFA Euro 2024, Chiesa has been a little inconsistent throughout his career.

The Red Devils already have a number of attacking wide players who fit a similar description. So this is probably one that the club would do well to steer clear of.

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This summer sees one of Manchester United’s top priority targets leave Serie A following his contract ending.

In the pursuit of suitable candidates to rebuild the midfield, United have turned to French midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

Rabiot was recently contract to Juventus, having been there for five years having moved from PSG on a free transfer.

Thoughts of the star’s contract were put on hold towards the end of his run, with the midfielder on international duty. Rabiot was called up to the France national team at Euro 2024 this summer in Germany, making this his sole focus. Whilst the former Juventus man featured heavily in Didier Deschamps side, unfortunately the side were knocked out in the Semi-Finals. Spain managed to get the better of France with a 2-1 win with goals from Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo.

Ultimately the star refused to enter negotiations to extend his stay at Juve, with speculation that the Red Devils were keen to sign the star on a free transfer.

Now, Rabiot’s contract has ended, he’s without a club, and the star has sent an emotional farewell to his former team.

Rabiot says goodbye to Juventus and Serie A

Taking to his Instagram, Rabiot posted a reel of his highlights at the club, captioned: “After 5 seasons at Juventus, 5 years in Turin, I want to say goodbye and thank you. All of you who have been there for me. The club and all its staff. And you fans, always close and very affectionate!”

It’s been reported that the veteran midfielder has been in contact with United to negotiate terms, having already rejected a contract from Liverpool.

The 29-year-old is now getting alot of interest, which is no surprise given his quality, with Newcastle United and Aston Villa also both interested.

As long term fans of Rabiot, Erik ten Hag’s side are the front runners to sign him this summer, coming as a cheaper option with no transfer fees for the star.

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Manchester United is facing a setback as their new signing, Leny Yoro, is set to miss the first three games of the season due to a metatarsal injury.

The 18-year-old, who joined from Lille, sustained the injury during the club’s US Tour opener, a 2-1 loss to Arsenal.

Reports indicate that Yoro’s injury was a non-contact ankle issue, which occurred in the first half, leading to his exit with the help of a physio.

Today, a video emerged on X showing Yoro using crutches and wearing a protective boot at United’s UCLA training base in Los Angeles.

Yoro’s injury update and return date

The Sun’s Neil Custis has now reported that Leny Yoro has suffered “metatarsal injury” and will likely be sidelined until early September.

In the same match against Arsenal, Rasmus Hojlund also left the field with a hamstring concern. However, his injury is believed to be a minor pull, possibly keeping him out only for the tour’s next match against Real Betis.

Yoro’s injury timeline suggests he could miss the Community Shield clash against Manchester City on August 10, as well as the initial games of the regular season.

This means he may return for the away fixture against Southampton on September 14.

The timeline appears more feasible given it allows additional recovery time, reducing the likelihood of an immediate call-up by Didier Deschamps for the French national team, even if fully recovered.

For Erik ten Hag, this development is a significant blow as he had intended to start the season with Yoro partnering Lisandro Martinez at the core of United’s defense.

Ten Hag mentioned that he and his staff had been “especially careful” with Yoro in the lead-up to the match since he had only recently joined training sessions.

Last season, United dealt with 66 instances of player injuries or illnesses, a troubling trend they hoped to mitigate this year. Yoro’s injury adds to the club’s challenges as they aim to start the new season strong.

As the new season approaches, United’s medical team will be keen to ensure Yoro’s thorough rehabilitation, hoping for his swift return to bolster their defensive lineup.

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Manchester United have recently received a massive boost with one of their recent transfer targets.

The Red Devils are looking to sort out their midfield situation with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen waning last season and Scott McTominay looking likely to depart soon with an official bid from Galatasaray amid interest from Spurs and West Ham.

Looking to recruit to the centre of the pitch, United are meeting PSG this week to discuss the details and terms which would see Manuel Ugarte move to Old Trafford with Jadon Sancho going the other way.

Now, United have received a boost from another one of their targets who formerly played for the club.

Jose Mourinho’s interest in Sofyan Amrabat

Former United manager, Jose Mourinho has recently joined Turkish club Fenerbahce and is looking to another former Red Devil to join the club.

Football365 have reported that The Special One is extremely keen on signing Morocco international Sofyan Amrabat from Fiorentina.

Unfortunately for the Portuguese manager, Amrabat “only has Man Utd on his mind this summer”. The 27-year-old has recently returned to Fiorentina from his loan spell at Old Trafford at the end of the season, but is desperate to get back to the Premier League club.

The asking price for the midfielder is currently set by the Serie A club as £12.5 million (€15 million), however United would only consider a loan deal at this time.

Fiorentina are looking to offload the 27-year-old with the star not quiet about wanting to leave the club and return to Old Trafford.

It’s possible for United to secure the loan deal if they were to include an obligation to buy at the end, with a valuation of up to £10 million. With the star so keen to leave the Italian side, we could see Fiorentina easing their demands as the transfer window goes on.

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Since INEOS have come into Manchester United, they’ve been making big changes to positions off the pitch.

It started off with the announcement that they’ve snapped up Omar Berrada as CEO from rivals Manchester City.

Jason Wilcox has also been brought in as new technical director.

And Dan Ashworth was finally brought into the club after compensation was agreed with Newcastle United.

It seems that the backroom changes have not stopped there.

One current Manchester United employee has just announced that he’s set to leave the club after two years in his role.

Director of Data Science, Dominic Jordan, joined the club in March 2022.

It was viewed, at the time, that United’s data science department was massively behind other clubs and Jordan was tasked to build it up.

During his time at the club, he hired a number of key personnel to try to get a better handle on how United dealt with data.

He has now announced that his time at the club is over.

As head of a pretty important department at the club, it’s a major role being vacated.

Dominic Jordan confirms he’s leaving MUFC

Writing on LinkedIn, Jordan said: “It’s been quite a personal and professional journey, but today is my last day at Manchester United.

“I want to thank all my colleagues for their support over the years and willingness to embrace new technology and ideas.

“We created innovative algorithms and best-in-class metrics wrapped up in processes which made a huge difference across all football departments: all the things I set out to achieve when I joined the club.

“In particular I want to pay tribute to my team, who are – and this is saying something – the best team I have ever put together.

“They are everything a manager would want.

“So thank you Chris Shumba, Andrew Davies, Alex Kleyn and Max Adema, as well as my team at DXC – together we built stuff which got very close to the pitch. In Chris’s words we ‘grew what matters’. I’m glad I shared the experience with you.

“That said, for everything I achieved, and however it contributed to the long and short-term success of the club, I could not have done it without the support and understanding of my family.

“Thanks for putting up with me working all those weekends and evenings, for stressing over game plans and signings, and for my changeable moods. You’re the best!

“I’m going to spend time on holiday with the family, watch the Olympics, catch up on some personal projects and then, for the first time since University, I will be actively looking for a new challenge.”

The statement doesn’t seem clear whether Dominic Jordan decided to leave on his own accord or if it was the club’s decision to go in a new direction.

Whatever the case may be, it seems that work is ongoing as the new leadership put together a new team behind the scenes.

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Manchester United are intensifying efforts to secure midfield reinforcements ahead of the upcoming Premier League season, with Manuel Ugarte, Martin Zubimendi, Youssouf Fofana and Adrien Rabiot emerging as a key targets.

Recent reports indicate that United are making significant strides in negotiations to bring the French midfielder to Old Trafford on a free transfer.

Chelsea and Villa compete for Rabiot

Liverpool and Newcastle have also been targeting Adrien Rabiot this summer.

The latest clubs to register their interest and make a move for Rabiot are Chelsea and Aston Villa, according to GiveMeSport.

However, the report states that United are currently outpacing their English rivals.

Rabiot, who debuted for Paris Saint-Germain in 2012, has been a prominent figure in European football. Since joining Juventus in 2019, he has consistently played for top teams in both France and Italy.

With his contract at Juventus having expired, Rabiot is now a free agent, and United are reportedly optimistic about reaching an agreement.

Caught Offside reports that talks between United and Rabiot, represented by his mother and agent, are progressing positively. Despite a strong performance at EURO 2024 with France, Rabiot remains available, and United seem to be leading the race to secure his signature.

Rabiot has long expressed a desire to play in the Premier League, and United’s proposed contract reportedly could offer him a salary of around £6.75 million per year, potentially rising to £7.6 million annually, equating to approximately £145,000 per week.

Without a transfer fee involved, Rabiot’s acquisition would be financially attractive for United, even without a signing-on bonus.

In parallel, United are also monitoring Youssouf Fofana as a potential alternative if the Rabiot deal does not materialise.

AC Milan is currently leading the pursuit of Fofana, but they are waiting on player sales before making a formal offer to Monaco for the midfielder.

It is understood Rabiot dreams of joining Manchester United this summer.

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Since Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS assumed control of Manchester United’s sporting operations, numerous behind-the-scenes changes have been implemented, including a comprehensive overhaul of the coaching staff.

Following a disappointing eighth-place finish in the league, Erik ten Hag’s future at the club was uncertain. However, after a thorough end-of-season review, the new co-owners decided to retain the former Ajax coach.

In what was considered a significant move, Ten Hag’s assistant Mitchell van der Gaag was replaced by Rene Hake, formerly of Go Ahead Eagles, and former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, who joined as assistant coaches.

Additionally, long-serving goalkeeping coach Richard Hartis was replaced by Jelle ten Rouwelaar from Burnley.

Steve McClaren, who rejoined the club as assistant manager when Ten Hag arrived, was saved from potential dismissal due to his connections with INEOS figureheads.

However, he was demoted to a technical coach and is not part of the group currently on the US pre-season tour due to a foot injury.

Instead, he remains at Carrington, training players who arrived late for pre-season.

Steve McClaren could quit United

McClaren, who had previously worked with Sir Alex Ferguson during United’s Treble-winning season, is reportedly unhappy with his current situation.

According to reports from Football Insider, McClaren might quit his role following his demotion rather than wait to be sacked.

The report indicates that McClaren, who was a key tactical advisor to Ten Hag last season, feels his position is now under threat and is contemplating leaving the club.

Darren Fletcher has been assisting with coaching drills in the US, and McClaren’s diminishing role could result in further changes to the coaching staff. Whether this will transpire remains to be seen.

McClaren’s extensive knowledge of the club is well-known, but Ten Hag now has the support of Nistelrooy and Fletcher, both former Red Devils players familiar with the club’s inner workings.

INEOS has also restructured the management team with the addition of Dan Ashworth as sporting director, Jason Wilcox as technical director, and former Manchester City executive Omar Berrada as the new CEO.

The shake-up reflects the new owners’ commitment to revamping the club’s operations and enhancing its prospects.

As the changes unfold, the impact on the team’s performance and overall stability will be closely monitored by fans and analysts alike.

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Manchester United’s midfield makeup has been hotly debated this summer.

We’ve had links to Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Manuel Ugarte.

Casemiro has been linked with a move to the Saudi Pro League.

Headlines have even been made by youngster Toby Collyer, who is expected to start in the Community Shield.

It’s clear that the midfield engine room at Old Trafford will get tweaked further the closer we get to the new season starting.

One of the other names linked to the club has been Sporting Lisbon midfielder Morten Hjulmand.

Hjulmand caught the eye of many observers when he scored for Denmark against England in UEFA Euro 2024.

But those who have followed the Portuguese Primeira Liga will have known about his talents for some time.

United dealt blow as Morten Hjulmand is named club captain

Despite many feeling that now would be a good time for the midfielder to move on, it seems that he’s set to stay in Lisbon.

That’s because the 2024/25 Portuguese champions have just named Hjulmand their new captain.

Previous captain Sebastian Coates, known to English fans for his time at United’s arch rivals Liverpool, left Sporting to rejoin boyhood club Nacional back in Uruguay.

Sporting fans flocked to the Estadio Jose Alvalade on Saturday to bid farewell to their long serving captain, when the club officially announced Hjulmand as the man to take over the armband.

Coates himself was the man to put the armband around Hjulmand’s arm to signify the passing of the torch.

With such a public display, it seems to signal that Hjulmand will be staying in Lisbon for a while longer.

It’s hard to believe that the club would make such a big deal of him becoming captain if they thought he would be leaving soon.

Therefore, it’s fair to conclude that Morten Hjulmand will not be joining Manchester United this summer.

If that deal was ever to be concluded, then it would likely be some time in the future.

Depois de receber a braçadeira abençoada por @SebastianCoates, Morten Hjulmand estreou-se como capitão dos Leões em Alvalade pic.twitter.com/lJzQoo9fKa

— Sporting CP (@SportingCP) July 28, 2024

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