Tag: Manchester United

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Young French centre back Leny Yoro has been drawing interest all over Europe with sparkling displays at the heart of defence for Lille.

Numerous reports have linked him with top European clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United, PSG and Bayern Munich. Manchester United were in prime position to nab the 18-year-old, but that tide seems to have turned.

As transfer guru Fabrizio Romano confirms, Spanish giants Real Madrid have as well entered the race for the young centre back and are now in prime position to complete the signing.

Romano confirms Los Blancos interest in the young centre back taking advantage of economic situation. Yoro is on contract till 2025 so Lille only have this summer to cash in or Real Madrid could just wait till next year and get him on a free transfer.

According to Spanish media outlet Diario AS, in this race to acquire the promising defender, the La Liga team has an advantage due to the presence of several compatriots.

Yoro’s camp sees this aspect as very important for such a young player to continue his evolution in a locker room where he has teammates who can help him acclimate.

A composed centre-back, Yoro is an expert passer and despite his age, he is a physical presence who excels in aerial duels. Yoro is also very quick once his long legs get going; he is already such a well-rounded defender and he is only going to get better.

Real Madrid maintain a strong interest in Yoro, but they are not prepared to shell out crazy money for his signing. After all, he is just 18 and has a contract that expires in 2025.

It remains to be seen whether Real Madrid or any of the teams interested in him are able to convince Lille to lower their valuation of the French centre-back.

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Incoming Manchester United sporting director Dan Ashworth has reportedly been given the go-ahead to push for two top defenders.

Ashworth’s appointment is all but confirmed, and he is currently on gardening leave at Newcastle as negotiations between the two clubs proceed to strike a deal for the highly rated executive.

As per Givemesport, Ashworth has been given the greenlight to push and secure deals for defenders Jeremie Frimpong of Bayer Leverkusen and Gleison Bremer of Juventus.

The Red Devils are gearing up for what they hope will be an exciting new era and one which can see the club return to challenging for the game’s very top prizes, and top signings like these are not a bad place to start.

Jeremie Frimpong has this season cemented himself undoubtedly as one of the finest full backs in Europe, excelling brilliantly under Xabi Alonso.

He and fellow wing back Alejandro Grimaldo have been a major source of goals and assists for Xabi’s table-topping Leverkusen.

On track to become a title winner in the Bundesliga this season, Frimpong has an incredible 11 goals and seven assists this season.

This very impressive form has deservedly seen him mentioned as a top target for a number of big-spending clubs.

In addition to Frimpong, United’s interest in signing a new centre-half is well documented. Much of the focus has revolved around Juventus’ Gleison Bremer.

Reports in Italy are convinced that Juventus star Bremer is actually their top target, and reports are gathering that talks have already opened over a potential swap deal with the Serie A giants.

Calciomercato claims United have now made it clear to the Bianconeri they are willing to meet the Brazilian’s exit clause, which is pitched at between €50m and €57m.

With Juventus virtually powerless to prevent a deal going through, it is now claimed there is optimism on United’s part that a deal can be done.

 

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Manchester United will definitely be in the market for a centre back this summer with all the uncertainties surrounding the majority of The Red Devils’ senior centre backs.

As Italian journalist Rudy Galetti reports, Bayern Munich and France defender Dayot Upamecano is allegedly on United’s list of potential centre back targets.

According to Galetti, the Frenchman is reportedly open to an experience outside Germany and is on United’s list.

Manchester United’s defensive structure is currently hanging on a string, with no absolute certainty who will still be at the club next season.

Raphael Varane who is arguably the club’s best defender will be out of contract in June, and it is still unclear if the club will decide to offer him a new one with a lower salary.

Lisandro Martínez wo is just as important as been having injury troubles all season and has hardly played.

Erik ten Hag has had to over rely on experienced Jonny Evans as other senior centre backs in Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof have drifted in and out of fitness all season.

The fact that Maguire’s and Varane’s futures at the club are still unclear further emphasize United’s need for a centre back and backs up Galetti’s report.

Dayot Upamecano is without a doubt a very gifted central defender, albeit he is prone to bizarre errors once in a while, ergo a certain level of inconsistency.

He has proven his quality in the Bundesliga, and he will have to cut out the errors from his game in order to truly thrive at the highest level.

The Premier League is arguably the best league in the world, and he will be up against top class players week in week out. He will have to improve and find elite levels of consistency.

Apart from his defensive qualities, the Frenchman will add control and composure at the back with his distribution. He is an impressive passer and his presence will allow Manchester United to build from the back.

It will be interesting to see if United settle on an official proposal to sign the 25-year-old French international at the end of the season.

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Manchester United have time and time again been linked with Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong. In all honesty, United manager Erik ten Hag has been borderline desperate to sign the Dutch midfield wizard.

Frenkie has repeatedly emphasized that he has absolutely no desire to leave Xavi’s project, but there are rumours of that changing and that he is not considered as essential as before especially considering Xavi will be leaving at the end of the season.

This is according to El Nacional who report that Frenkie may be one of the players who will leave in a summer that is expected to have numerous departures to raise revenue for a financially-struggling Barça.

De Jong is one of Barça’s top earners, and Deco and his team have been strategizing on reducing the financial strain in the club using means like letting go of the high-earners.

On that note, they report that Barça president Joan Laporta has a €90 million offer for de Jong on his table from The Red Devils.

Frenkie has been having a rather quiet season this, struggling with injury after injury, but his overall quality can improve any midfield in the world.

This possible purchase of de Jong will fit with Man United’s philosophy and further bolster the squad.

A number of midfielders are expected to leave Old Trafford in the summer, and the Dutch midfielder would be ideal for the Red Devils.

Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Sofyan Amrabat all have uncertain futures at the club

His excellent working relationship with manager Erik ten Hag just may be a bright spot in an otherwise long shot in the dark as far as United are concerned.

The Dutch maestro was an integral part of ten Hag’s all conquering Ajax team that shocked the whole world a few years ago with that impressive Champions League run that saw them eliminate the likes of Juventus and 14-time winners Real Madrid.

If Man United can pull this off, they will have that midfield sorted and perfectly balanced, with captain Bruno and rising star Kobbie Mainoo partnering him.

 

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According to ESPN, Manchester United want to talk to O’Neil about taking a role in the new coaching setup, but it isn’t clear whether he would replace Erik ten Hag or work alongside him.

O’Neil was handed his first managerial role by Bournemouth in November 2022, after a successful three-month interim spell. He then fought to keep the Cherries in the Premier League before being subjected to a shock sacking in June 2023.

The 40-year-old was then snapped up shortly afterwards, joining the team at Wolves, and is leading them to surprise success in the top-flight.

He’s enjoyed an impressive season, leading the once relegation-bound side into European contention, having taken over less than a week before their first fixture of the 2023/24 campaign.

INEOS director of sport, Sir Dave Brailsford, is leading the attempts to build a new coaching structure and United admire O’Neil’s skill set and are interested in offering him a role in the coaching setup.

What remains unclear is the exact role United are willing to offer him, but it is rumoured it will be under the head coach position.

The English coach is under contract with Wolves until 2026, meaning United would have to pay them a compensation fee to bring him in.

It is also reported that the manager has been made aware of United’s interest, albeit the exact role is still fuzzy to those involved.

You could argue the 40-year-old is still a bit inexperienced as a manager, so taking control at Old Trafford could be viewed as a huge gamble by Ratcliffe and INEOS, but it looks as if it will be one to keep an eye on.

Erik ten Hag is still positive about his job security and has on occasion mentioned he has had extensive talks with the new hierarchy, and he is very confident they trust him completely.

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Both Liverpool and Manchester United have had injury-plagued season albeit the impact on both teams has been night and day in contrast.

Liverpool are fresh from winning the Carabao Cup, are into the last 16 of the Europa League, are currently second in the league only on goal difference.

Manchester United by contrast are languishing in sixth place and did not even make it out of their group in the Champions League.

Perhaps the only silver lining in this otherwise very unfair comparison is last week’s wild F.A Cup tie that saw United knock out their bitter rivals and will be heading to Wembley for a semi-final date against Coventry City.

The North West rivals will be meeting again in two weeks at Old Trafford on April 7th for a classic Premier League clash.

Liverpool’s injury situation is looking up as their superstar right back Trent Alexander-Arnold could be back for the clash.

He has been sidelined since sustaining a knee ligament injury during the match against Burnley in mid-February. This injury is a recurrence of the same issue that caused him to miss three games in January.

Since the beginning of the year, the 25-year-old has only managed to complete a full 90 minutes twice.

As The Telegraph reports, Trent has taken another step forward in recovery, and they target a return just in time for that North West derby.

“Alexander-Arnold is increasing his workload at the club’s AXA training centre during the international break.” they reported.

This will be a major boost for the Merseyside club as they continue nursing so many injuries.

Joel Matip, Ben Doak, and Thiago Alcântara are all still on the sidelines with long-term injuries.

Versatile forward Diogo Jota who was feared could miss the rest of the season could be back after the international break – same case for midfielder Curtis Jones.

 

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Manchester United have scored only 39 times in the Premier League after 28 games, and they are the lowest scorers among the top 13 teams.

They are on course to record their lowest-ever scoring season, with the record currently standing at 49, registered during Louis van Gaal’s final season in charge, which fans will remember for being a very boring era.

As such, it has been repeatedly reported that Manchester United will be in the market for a striker to alleviate the pressure on new signing Rasmus Hojlund who has been finding his feet in the past couple of months.

Givemesport are now linking The Red Devils with young, promising Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, who has been subject to admiration across England.

Manchester United are interested in the forward, as they view the 19-year-old prodigy as someone who could support and complement Rasmus Hojlund. Whether the Red Devils consider this a priority signing in that position remains the question, assuming they have needs in other areas like in defence and central midfield.

The Republic of Ireland international’s form has however fallen off a cliff this season, with the 19-year-old not scoring since November.

Once Ferguson refines his game, gains experience and plays alongside higher calibre players, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him regularly breach the 20 goals per season barrier.

Ferguson has been a special talent for the Seagulls on his day and has been widely tipped to become a £100m player when the time comes to leave.

Ben Jacobs states a deal for Ferguson could potentially be made for the lower sum of £80m, though acknowledged Brighton may hold out for nine figures.

Signing Ferguson would prove a big statement of intent from Manchester United.

The only question mark will be on whether INEOS’ decision to spend big on players like the Brighton star would not come at the cost of not strengthening other areas of the pitch.

 

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Mason Greenwood has been enjoying life in Spain away from the scathing English media and cameras whilst on loan in Getafe. His resurgence has seen him gather interest mainly from Spain where he is currently at, even from giants like Barcelona and Atlético Madrid.

His resurgence has not been without shades of controversy, as his past mistakes still haunt him – this in reference to that incident with fellow Englishman and Real Madrid superstar Jude Bellingham.

This perhaps would suggest it is unwise for Greenwood to return to Manchester United or English football for that matter.

This however has not stopped some English clubs from closely following the forward’s revival, as confirmed by transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The Italian journalist was recently asked in an interview about the prospects of Greenwood’s future and which clubs were looking to sign him. He reaffirmed the waves he is making in Spain and added that some English clubs may also enter the fray.

“Many clubs in Spain, but in England there is also some interest,” Romano mentioned.

This comes as a huge surprise, especially considering how the English public in general feel about the disgraced United forward.

After all the charges against him were dropped last year, The Athletic leaked that Manchester United were planning on integrating him back into ten Hag’s squad.

The move was met with so much backlash and outcry the club had to double down and hastily arrange a loan move for Greenwood.

It stands to reason that were another Premier League club to try having Greenwood in their squad, they would be met with just as much hostility as United last year.

Regardless of this, however, Romano explained it is a good situation for United, because there are many clubs interested and the Reds are prepared to cash in to generate as much income as possible.

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Manchester United will be internally discussing England and Brentford striker Ivan Toney as they build up their summer transfer list according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano.

Toney returned from an eight-month ban from football in January and initially returned to scoring ways with four goals in his first five matches.

It is reported that Man Utd are on the hunt for a new striker to partner new signing Rasmus Hojlund and assist in his development.

A number of different strikers have been linked and now Romano insists their interest in Toney “could be one to watch” this summer.

Romano wrote in his Caught Offside column: “Ivan Toney attracted a lot of headlines back in January before eventually staying at Brentford, but we’re now hearing about Manchester United possibly being suitors for him in the summer.

Toney’s purple patch since returning from his ban has significantly diminished, failing to find the net 5 games in a row, but that does not deter his suitors as he is a tried and tested Premier League calibre striker.

“It’s just one of the options to be considered and discussed internally. As I said here multiple times, Man United are still in early stages of the process to decide which striker they want to sign; experienced or young. Talks are gonna take place internally, Toney will be one of the names available on the market so could be one to watch,” Romano concluded

It has also been previously reported that Arsenal and Chelsea are interested in the England international.

Toney recently spoke to Sky Sports about his ideal summer and he mentioned he would be open to moving were Brentford to sell him.

“If Brentford was to sell me, they make their money, I move to Madrid and it’s all good,” he told Sky Sports.

Depending on the price tag The Bees put on Toney, he could be a very valuable signing to partner young Hojlund and fast track his development with less pressure on him.

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French defender Raphael Varane has been an integral part of Erik ten Hag’s team for the past season and a half, especially last.

Varane will be out of contract this June and speculation after speculation have followed his future, especially after links to Saudi clubs.

The French centre-back joined the Red Devils from Real Madrid in 2021 for a reported fee of £41 million and is now one of the club’s highest earners. The 30-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of the season, picks up a whopping £340,000-per week.

This huge salary is part of the decision why United hierarchy have allegedly decided to let go of the World Cup winner. This is according to a report by Fichajes who report they have decided to let Varane go to bring down the club’s extraordinarily high wage bill.

As such, Varane’s future remains in doubt as it was also recently reported that the club was willing to offer him a new contract with a lowered salary, and he would have signed it no doubt.

This is in reference to Varane’s recent remarks where he mentioned he was only willing to retire at one of the clubs he has played for which include RC Lens, Real Madrid and of course Manchester United.

It has been reported multiple times that lots of Saudi clubs are interested in the 4-time Champions League winner but considering his quality and sparkling resume, it is very unlikely he will end up at Saudi, especially considering he is still only 31.

On that note, it stands to reason that multiple European clubs will be after Varane’s signature if United indeed decide to let him go.

A free agent of Varane’s calibre will have top European clubs scrambling to entice him away from United, where his heart indeed does lie, as he was reportedly willing to lower his salary for a new contract.