Tag: Manchester United

Earlier this week, it emerged that Manchester United were possibly looking at potential replacements for Erik ten Hag in the event that they decided to change managers at the summer.

One of the names being thrown around was England Manager Gareth Southgate.

Erik ten Hag has been having a more than difficult season at Utd failing to replicate even a modicum of the swagger and success he achieved last season.

Underperforming at a big club, especially United, definitely puts your job on the line and it remains to be seen what Sir Jim Ratcliffe will decide to do come the summer.

One of the managers being looked at is England Manager Gareth Southgate.

Southgate is going into the Euros, his final major tournament, with the Three Lions as his contract is set to expire by the end of the year.

A report from TEAMtalk reveals Southgate has now given his stance on the potential of being next Utd manager.

The report claims that Southgate appreciates the consideration albeit cautiously, seeing it as more of a recognition for the good work he’s been doing with England rather than being top of the options in the list.

What is for certain is Southgate wouldn’t turn down the opportunity were it to fall his way.

He has previously stated that no job nor team is too big for him. He backs himself for success no matter the job.

The aforementioned list of manager options is stacked with some young and very promising managers, just like Gareth Southgate.

Some of the other names being mentioned are Italian Roberto De Zerbi.

The Brighton manager plays some splendid football although his Seagulls have been somewhat struggling this season.

He is however reportedly happy at Brighton and a swoop just may not materialize.

Another manager being considered is Graham Potter.

This is mainly on account of his relationship with incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth whom they worked together in his Brighton stint.

 

 

 

 

 

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The club has been having a horrible season and with a rebuild coming up after Sir Jim’s takeover, the may be close to 20 players leaving the club in the summer.

It is only the natural way of things for there to be a major rebuild when a club’s ownership changes, and this will be no different. There may even be a change in the dugout, with ten Hag’s job hanging delicately in the balance.

In fact, the next few weeks till the end of the season will be absolutely crucial in determining where the club goes from here. Erik ten Hag and his boys simply have to deliver the goods and turn around what as been an absolutely abysmal season.

Tyrone Marshall on Manchester Evening News reports that there could be a mammoth exodus of players at the club: the number could even get close to 20 with only 7 assured starters.

He reports that the only safe players include new number 1 Andre Onana.

The Cameroonian shot stopper had an absolute nightmare of a start but has since found his step with calm, assured performances which are what’s needed of a Manchester United keeper.

Some other names that may be safe are Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martínez. The pair have been injured for most of the season, and lack of left-footers on that wing has hurt Manchester United’s build up and progress altogether.

In the midfield, only captain Bruno and young emerging star Kobbie Mainoo may be safe.

You needn’t say much about Bruno: His leadership, commitment, constant availability, output and passion for the club is rare to find.

We have to give ten Hag credit for thrusting young Mainoo into the fray, as his performances have been nothing short of exemplary: well beyond his years. Word of advice to the incoming regime: build the midfield around the 18-year-old.

On the attacking front, only Hojlund and Garnacho are guaranteed starters.

Rasmus Hojlund had a slow start, but he has settled well into the shirt and just maybe has that #9 role on lock for years.

Youngster Alejandro has also impressed with his performances from the left and from the right as well. At only 19, he is one for the future and beyond with limitless potential.

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In a surprising turn of events, Barcelona are allegedly eyeing up a move for disgraced United winger, Mason Greenwood.

As Tony Juanmati of SPORT reports, the Catalan giants have made an initial attempt in exploring the possibility of nabbing the 22-year-old Englishman.

According to the report, the United man is highly rated by Barcelona, and they are open to the idea of signing him in the summer.

He is viewed as a low-cost, high return option to bolster their attack with main hitman Robert Lewandowski ageing.

The Spanish club has already made some moves to contact Greenwood, although they have not made a commitment of any sort.

His exploits at fellow La Liga side Getafe have piqued Barça’s interest in the forward.

He has been at Getafe on loan since last summer, making 26 appearances for the club.

He has certainly made himself a nuisance to La Liga defenders, scoring 8 goals and assisting 5 more. Averaging a goal or assist every 2 games is certainly decent enough output to garner attention from top clubs.

Barça’s idea for Greenwood is to cover the left side of attack, which will potentially be left wanting after João Félix’s loan ends.

Greenwood is extremely versatile on account of his ambidexterity and can be deployed on any of the 3 attacking position, although he prefers coming in from the right or leading the line.

His current contract with United ends next year, which could make this summer very interesting. It is perhaps the last chance for United to make a sale and make some profit.

Greenwood’s current market value is only around 7 and a half million euros, and for someone of his quality, that’s a bargain and a half!

Barça’s finances have been an utter mess since Bartomeu’s days as president, and they will be looking to see how their checks and balances are looking come the summer before making some real decisions.

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has accelerated the development of 16-year-old winger Bendito Mantato calling him up to first team training ahead of the weekend clash with Everton.

The young lad, who has been likened to Arsenal star Bukayo Saka, will be looking to impress the manager as the club struggles to deal with an injury crisis.

Erik has already shown he is not afraid to throw the youngsters into the deep end, handing full debuts to Omari Forson, Dan Gore, Willy Kambwala and the simply sensational Kobbie Mainoo.

With the shortage of attackers present as we host Everton at the weekend because of the numerous injuries, Bendito will be hoping for a first team debut.

Bendito has been with the club since he was nine years old. He made his debut for the U18 two years ago aged just 14.  He has and has made 7 appearances for them this season, chipping in with one goal and two assists.

He has represented England at the youth level and recently made his debut for the Three Lions U16 team.

The youngster has been closely followed, and his talents went viral when a clip of a goal he scored went viral in November last year.

His play-style has often been compared to Bukayo Saka, with nimble dribbling and a wand of a left foot cutting in from the right wing.

Just like Saka, he too began his footballing journey as a defender, and he ventured further forward as he grew older. To that end, he can also be deployed at left back.

Still only 16, he is already catching the eye of several top Premier League clubs. The Red Devils will be hoping the young lad will commit his future to the club and sign a professional contract next year when he turns 17.

Other youngsters to join first team training this season include: Harry Amass (16), Ethan Williams (18), Ethan Wheatley (18), Louie Jackson (18) and Habeeb Ogunneye (18).

 

 

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According to reports from GIVEMESPORT, Man Utd are compiling scouting reports on Bologna and Dutch striker Joshua Zirkee.

The 22-year-old has been having a good season with Serie A side Bologna and his performances have seen him attract interest from top teams including Manchester United and Arsenal, who may both be in the hunt for a new centre forward.

Manchester United’s striker position has been utterly lacking depth this season.

Erik ten Hag only has two natural strikers at his disposal in Anthony Martial and Rasmus Hojlund.

The former has struggled for consistency through injuries and just when the latter was getting in form, he got injured.

United have been in the market for a new striker, and the names that have been whispered around have been Three Lions skipper Harry Kane and Napoli talisman Victor Osimhen.

Kane was strongly linked with a move to United last summer, but the move failed to materialize : same case for the Nigerian Osimhen.

United may not be working on a massive budget, which rules out a move for any of the two strikers.

Furthermore, they both are guaranteed starters, ergo they may pose a challenge to Hojlund’s development and growth.

Joshua Zirkee would offer a much more affordable and realistic option. His role would be more rotational, and that competition may push Rasmus Hojlund to stardom.

The Dutchman had a tough start to his Bologna career last year but has since found his feet, especially this season as they continue fighting towards a Champions League berth.

He has done his part with 11 goals and 6 assists in all competitions, with ten of those goals coming in the league.

Tuttosport reports that Man Utd had scouts in attendance to watch the striker as he scored a penalty in a 2-1 crucial win against Atalanta.

Zirkee is on contract with Bologna, who value him at over 60 million euros, until 2026 although his former employers Bayern Munich attached a 40 million euro buy back clause should they require his services again.

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Manchester United will certainly be in the market for a top centre back this summer, and they have been constantly linked with 26-year-old Juventus man Gleison Bremer.

The Brazilian has been closely followed and watched by United scouts, with the top brass keen on acquiring his services.

Weighing up all the factors, Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande just may an even better alternative for Man Utd over Bremer.

The 20-year-old Sporting Lisbon breakout star had been thrown into the list of potential CB targets in last October along with names like Antonio Silva, Bremer and Gonçalo Inacio as reported by Fichajes.

Diomande is a centre back who is known for his composure on the ball. He is comfortable in possession and playing out from the back – a true testament to Ruben Amorim’s style of play.

He also has a penchant for diving into those ‘South-American style’ tackles we see from centre backs like Rojo, ‘Cuti’ Romero and Lisandro Martínez.

Diomande only recently turned 20 years old and still has his whole career ahead of him, unlike Bremer, who turns 27 this March and only has 5-6 more years at the top.

Bremer has a 60-70 million euros price tag, which may not be a good return on investment, considering he only has a few more seasons left in his prime.

Diomande on the other hand has a release clause of 80 million euros, which could be a fantastic long term investment, putting into account he has at least 12-14 more years to improve and reach his potential.

The young Ivorian has made tremendous progress in Lisbon, becoming an integral member of Ruben Amorim’s side since his move from Midtjylland.

On matters wages, Bremer is currently on €178,000 a week, a figure which just may balloon as is the norm when players sign for Manchester United.

Diomande is on a meagre €11,000 a week, so offering him satisfactory wages that are nothing close to overpayment will not be a problem.

All things considered, Diomande may be a better option than Bremer.

 

 

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According to a report by The Times, Manchester United star forward Marcus Rashford has been included on Paris St Germain’s list of summer transfers.

The Parisian club is preparing to deal with a huge blow as mega superstar Kylian Mbappé is set to leave the club in the summer.

This season has been a shadow of last for Marcus Rashford, struggling to find the form that had defences all over England shivering at the sight of him.

The English winger has even been dropped from the match day squad twice by Erik ten Hag for disciplinary reasons.

Rashford is currently on 12 goals and assists in 33 appearances this season: an underwhelming return vis a vis his 30-goal haul last season.

All in all, the season has not been quite colourful for Marcus and PSG are looking to pounce.

PSG and Luis Enrique will be looking to find a solution to life without their star forward, Mbappé, who always seems to have all the answers.

His future destination is still a tad murky, albeit most reports have Real Madrid as his final destination.

Rashford would do just fine filling in for Mbappé as both players are relatively of the same profile: rapid, direct, ball carrying and can come in from the left or play as a striker.

The report also claims that PSG’s football advisor Luis Campos had previously had talks with Marcus and his contingent over a possible move back in the summer of 2022.

That however failed to materialize as financial restrictions got in the way.

The shaky, somewhat unhappy, season Rashford’s been having coupled with the disciplinary issues may give PSG some semblance of hope that the move will materialize.

Rashford however is Mancunian born and bred. It will be nigh on impossible to woo him away from his boyhood club.

The winger is also fresh from signing a new 300,000 pound a week deal last July until 2028 giving United the high ground were there a formal approach for Rashford from the Parisian side.

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has accelerated the development of 16-year-old winger Bendito Mantato calling him up to first team training ahead of the weekend clash with Everton.

The young lad, who has been likened to Arsenal star Bukayo Saka, will be looking to impress the manager as the club struggles to deal with an injury crisis.

Erik has already shown he is not afraid to throw the youngsters into the deep end, handing full debuts to Omari Forson, Dan Gore, Willy Kambwala and the simply sensational Kobbie Mainoo.

With the shortage of attackers present as we host Everton at the weekend because of the numerous injuries, Bendito will be hoping for a first team debut.

Bendito has been with the club since he was nine years old. He made his debut for the U18 two years ago aged just 14.  He has and has made 7 appearances for them this season, chipping in with one goal and two assists.

He has represented England at the youth level and recently made his debut for the Three Lions U16 team.

The youngster has been closely followed, and his talents went viral when a clip of a goal he scored went viral in November last year.

His play-style has often been compared to Bukayo Saka, with nimble dribbling and a wand of a left foot cutting in from the right wing.

Just like Saka, he too began his footballing journey as a defender, and he ventured further forward as he grew older. To that end, he can also be deployed at left back.

Still only 16, he is already catching the eye of several top Premier League clubs. The Red Devils will be hoping the young lad will commit his future to the club and sign a professional contract next year when he turns 17.

Other youngsters to join first team training this season include: Harry Amass (16), Ethan Williams (18), Ethan Wheatley (18), Louie Jackson (18) and Habeeb Ogunneye (18).

 

 

Image Credits: Getty Images

The Manchester United winger, once capped by England, has been offered another chance at international football by Jamaica. Greenwood is eligible to play for the Caribbean country via his father, Andrew.

While speaking to The Athletic, Jamaica coach Heimir Hallgrimsson explained how he does not like to think about it, but the ‘what if’ does linger in his mind once in a while.

“I would love to have him in my team. Like all coaches, I would like to have the best players in our team, but it’s always up to the player himself if he wants to do it.” Heimir explained.

When asked whether his Greenwood’s issues with the law would interfere with their decision if the winger was willing to play for them, Heimir stated that it would be up to the Jamaican Football Federation.

Greenwood hasn’t featured for United or England for over two years now, since his arrest for attempted rape in January 2022.

All the charges against him were dropped last February and United even attempted reintegrating him back into the squad.

These attempts were met with so much backlash, the club had to back down and sent him out on loan to Getafe for the 2023/24 season.

He is doing just alright with the La Liga club, chipping in with 6 goals and 5 assists in 23 appearances.

That is a pretty respectable return, especially considering he had had zero professional football experience for close to 2 years prior to his loan move.

New United part-owner Sir Jim had hinted at being open for a possible return to the club after his loan run out.

In an interview with BBC, Sir Jim explained how a lot had to be taken into consideration before making a decision on Greenwood’s would-be return.

“We need to look at facts, judge fairly and take into consideration what the values of the club are.

‘Then we come out of that with a decision. It is not appropriate for me to comment on Mason Greenwood.” the INEOS director commented.

 

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Manchester United has been grossly underperforming this question, which begs the obvious question: will Erik ten Hag still be the manager come August?

The club has struggled to find a long-term successor since Sir Alex retired. All things considered, only José Mourinho, a proven winner, came close to something that resembles success.

There has been so many rumours surrounding ten Hag’s future at the club, and rightly so. The club is currently experiencing one of its worst seasons ever under his tenure.

This comes off the back of what one might consider a successful season in the 22/23 season. A trophy, cup final and 3rd in the League was very commendable for ten Hag in his first season at the hottest seat in world football.

Whenever there is a looming managerial change at United, there normally is a contingent of possible replacements the top brass is looking at.

Sir Alex put his trust in Moyes after his resignation, and that did not go well.

Moyes was biting well, more than he could chew and there was a line of elite managers being whispered of.

Now outgoing Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp was he fans’ choice for the job, while Ferguson fancied Don Carlo Ancelotti. Passionate Atleti manager ‘Cholo’ Simeone was also piqued for the job, with Antonio Conte also being in the running.

Former United Chief executive Ed Woodward ignored all the noise and settled on Louis van Gaal, which did not exactly go well.

After Mourinho’s tenure, United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjær was appointed on an interim basis, with Mauricio Pochettino being the obvious choice for the long term.

The Norwegian, Ole, charmed United’s board and landed himself the job on a permanent basis.

After his sacking and Ralf Ragnick’s interim tenure, which was some of the toughest moments for United fans, Poch was again the favourite to land the job permanently before ten Hag piqued him.

Erik ten Hag’s time at Old Trafford may be coming to an end, but there are currently no obvious replacements. Graham Potter’s name has come up in a report or two on account of his well-standing relationship with incoming sporting director Dan Ashworth, but we all remember what happened the last time he was viewed as a club’s saviour.

Chelsea had put all their eggs in his basket and he ended up being sacked after 31 games.