Tag: Manchester United

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Sevilla manager Quique Sánchez Flores has provided a fresh update on on-loan Manchester United midfielder Hannibal Mejbri.

The Spanish tactician lauded the Tunisian midfielder just a few weeks after icing him out of the first team for a hellish start to his loan spell in Spain. Sevilla beat out Everton in January to secure Hannibal on loan by including a  buy option, which probably will not be activated.

He struggled to adapt, so much so that the manager did not even consider him for selection.

“After being with him, talking to him and having seen his first minutes in Girona, we are going to give him the necessary space to understand where he is, that he is at Sevilla and what it means,

He has to know where he is, and we want to see him. Let’s see if the boy applies himself and I think that in the end he will understand perfectly what we want” Flores said on 27 January.

This was after Hannibal played only 28 minutes in a huge 5-1 loss to Girona. The midfielder was then used sparingly, playing only 9 minutes in the next 7 games.

Hannibal has made a complete 180 turn and even made his first start for Sevilla over the weekend in a 3-2 win over Real Sociedad, playing just over 50 minutes.

The manager provided a positive update, stating he is pleased with the midfielder’s recent improvement and progress, even implying he is now in his plans.

“The boy is reaching another level of understanding and is now capable of playing at any time.

This has been a more mental adaption than a footballing one. Going from the Premier League to La Liga, which is very different.

And moving to a team with a very difficult situation. From Manchester United, which was fighting among the top five, to Sevilla, which is among the bottom seven. It is very different. He had to be grounded, put [the challenge] into perspective, and now it is the coach who has to play him.”  Sánchez Flores told Diario de Sevilla 

It is still unlikely that Sevilla will activate the 19-million euro buy clause, albeit it will be interesting to see if he can keep improving and impressing his manager.

 

 

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Sofyan Ambrabat’s loan spell at the Mancunian side has not exactly gone to plan, with reports coming in that his parent club Fiorentina are very concerned his market value may be going down. This is according to reports from daily mail.

In addition to his market value going down, Fiorentina are also concerned they may be unable to find another home for the midfielder if they need to offload him in the summer. This is in the very likely event that United decide not to make the move permanent.

Most of this backlash is on account of his error over the weekend that led to Erling Haaland scoring a third and putting the derby to bed. Amrabat failed to control the ball, got dispossessed by Rodri and Haaland did the damage as he always does.

The 27-year-old Moroccan completed a much awaited move to Old Trafford last summer on deadline day. Manchester United paid 9 million euros loan fees to Fiorentina while also covering the midfielder’s salary. The deal also included a 20 million euro buy clause and 5 million in add-ons.

Erik ten Hag was looking to bolster is midfield option and running on a bleak budget, the inly choice was to dip into the loan market and Amrabat was the best option.

Amrabat arrived with a lot of hype, especially after his world cup 2022 displays. He unfortunately arrived carrying injury niggles that delayed his debut. When he finally got better and available for selection, he was deployed at left back to cover for our injured full backs, which did not help his case at all.

Whenever a midfield slot was available, ten Hag preferred playing Scott McTominay, who in return saved his skin multiple times with a couple of clutch goals.

The emergence of Kobbie Mainoo, who is a generational talent in all honesty, has also hindered his chances to gain a run of games and form.

Amrabat has ergo had a very minimal rotational role, often being a last resort or plan E if you will. He has only made 13 Premier League appearances, with only 7 of those as a starter. In all competitions, he has made 21 appearances, and it is very unlikely United will make the move permanent.

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According to The United Stand, Erik ten Hag has been given 3 games to save his job. The fixtures in question are Everton home, Liverpool at home and Brentford away.

This is off the back of an astonishing 11th loss in the Premier League alone this season, and with only 27 games played, this is an absolutely unacceptable statistic for a club of our stature and grandeur. To put that into context, former manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær only lost 12 Premier League games in his 2 full seasons in charge.

To be fair to ten Hag, he has had a nightmare with injuries. In fact, Diogo Dalot, Alejandro Garnacho and captain Bruno have been the only outfield players to avoid injury this season. As it is, we currently have 10 first-team players on the injured list.

Players like Tyrell Malacia and Mount have been injured for just about the whole season. Malacia who’s an excellent deputy for Shaw has not played even a single minute, resulting in Amrabat and Lindelof having to play when Shaw is injured.

The first of these 3 fixtures is a date with Everton at the Theatre on Saturday afternoon. Of the 3 fixtures, this may be the easiest, and it is a must win, just like the other two. The toffees are on a 10 game winless run in the Premier League, with their last win coming against Burnley on the 16th of December.

They recently received a boost after their points deduction was reduced to 6 points from 10, propelling them to 16th in the table, 5 points clear of the relegation zone. The first leg was an easy 3-0 win, punctuated by that Garnacho worldie of a bicycle kick.

The next game against Liverpool will be the most important – make or break, as they say. It is this fixture that gave us perhaps the worst result of our lifetimes, that hellish Anfield 7-0 decapitation.

Erik ten Hag has a horrendous record against top teams, and if he ever needed a result against the big boys, now is the time.

Klopp’s boys are top of the table and on a six game winning streak in all competitions. They always find a way to win this season, and they seem determined to decorate Klopp’s last season with all the gold.

We however are the only side to keep Liverpool from scoring in the Premier League this season, and I hope that will be the case too come 17th of March.

The last of these 3 fixtures will be a trip to the Brentford community stadium.  A fixture against Brentford is never an easy one, and they always find a way to make themselves a nuisance, especially against ‘the big boys’.

We almost lost the first leg against the Bees but for an incredible McTominay brace in stoppage time to put us 2-1 up.

These 3 matches will probably define ten Hag’s future at the club, and it will be interesting and nerving to see how it unfolds.

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According to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea’s left back Marc Cucurella could be one to watch in the upcoming summer window. The Italian journalist has revealed that the Spanish left back could be headed for the door, less than two years after Chelsea made him the most expensive left back ever.

In the summer of 2022, Chelsea and Todd Boehly spent an incredible 73 and a half million euros to acquire his signature from Brighton.

It is worth noting that he is not the only expensive mistake Chelsea and the new owner Todd have made, with players like Wesley Fofana and world-cup winner Enzo Fernández struggling to justify their prodigious price tags.

It is safe to say that the move hasn’t worked out well for both player and club, especially for an astronomical transfer fee like that. After impressing all and sundry at Brighton, he has struggled to replicate similar quality and form. He has however not been given adequate opportunities to do so to be fair to him.

Cucurella has only appeared 12 times for new Blues boss Mauricio Pochetinno, although he is only returning from ankle surgery in December.

Manchester United fans will perhaps be glad that the loan move that was super close last August did not pan out. Cucurella was available on loan in the final days of the transfer window, but the move failed to pan out. Fabrizio Romano explained that this was due to United’s plan to include a January break clause that Chelsea rejected.

Cucurella is on contract at Stamford bridge until 2028 which strengthens the case for a loan deal. His market value is currently around 26 and 43 million euros – a massive loss from Chelsea’s initial investment. It is for this reason why they may not be willing to incur such a huge loss and opt for a loan move instead.

“My understanding is that he is one of the situations to be assessed at the end of the season. Cucurella, Chalobah and more…these players are waiting to see what Chelsea decide to do in terms of project, tactical plans for next season, the manager situation.” Fabrizio stated.

The transfer expert suggests that the 25-year-old left back is most likely headed for La Liga.

 

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Sir Jim Ratcliffe taking over the club’s operations has brought hope of a rebuild for the club. Personnel boosts in particular are paramount to the rebuild we hope for.

Many positions are in dire need of reinforcements, and especially at centre back.

To that effect, 20-year-old Portuguese Antonio Silva has been on Manchester United’s radar. The young man has caught the eye of top European clubs, including the mighty Bayern Munich, according to Sport.

Antonio Silva is best known for his accurate tackling and prowess at winning possession. He is right-footed and normally operates on the right side of a centre-back pairing, although he can also play on the left side on account of being comfortable on both feet.

The Benfica man is valued at around €100 million and at only 20 years old, it speaks to his quality and sheer potential.

Manchester United will definitely be among the top clubs chasing after his signature come the summer transfer window.

It however may prove to be quite an uphill task as German giants Bayern Munich have intensified their pursuit for the defender according to the Spanish publication.

Bayern Munich recently confirmed English defender Eric Dier’s move on a permanent transfer on a contract that lasts until 2025.

But that apparently hasn’t toned down their interest in Antonio Silva.

One of the main reasons for this is that Bayern’s newly appointed sporting director, Max Eberl, is a huge fan of Silva.

The other reason is Barcelona’s reluctance to let go of their Uruguayan defensive stalwart Ronald Araújo.

The German champions were willing to part with €100 million for Araújo in January, but Barcelona complicated the move by refusing to even open negotiations.

After that rejection, Bayern Munich turned their attention to other promising young centre backs, among them being Antonio Silva.

Navigating this potential transfer will be very tricky for United, especially considering what happened the last time they spent close to €100 million on a young, promising talent in the shape of Brazilian Antony.

It is worth noting that Silva already looks like a proper player and will probably not find adapting as hard as Antony has.

To add to that there are other top teams such as Arsenal and Chelsea also interested in the young Portuguese.

This further complicated this potential transfer and adds more competition from rival clubs in England.

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Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has confirmed a fresh injury blow before the much-anticipated Manchester derby, as English winger Jack Grealish is set for another spell on the sidelines. The 28-year-old had to come off in the first half in his side’s 6-2 drubbing of Luton town in the F.A cup.

“No, he will not be fit for this weekend, We don’t have an alternative, setbacks in life are always there, it’s how you overcome.” Guardiola lamented.

Grealish had only come back from a groin injury sustained in the Champions League against Copenhagen that kept him out for two weeks. It was his first start in six matches, struggling to battle a niggling groin issue. The winger looked absolutely devastated after coming off, even hiding his face in his coat for a while.

Although is numbers this season, 3 goals and 2 assists in 26 appearances, have been quite underwhelming, he is still very crucial to the Cityzens.

Grealish joins Croatian centre back Josko Gvardiol on the injured list. Man City are still in contention to win 3 competitions, and these injuries do them no good.

It is unclear when Grealish will return, although Guardiola stated that he does not expect him back before the international break at the end of March. This means that on top of missing the derby, he will also miss a key Premier League bout against Liverpool, an F.A cup meeting with Newcastle and the return leg of the last 16 Champions League match against Copenhagen.

Pep will now have to decide who to start on the left, with his options being Phil Foden and tricky Belgian winger, Jeremy Doku.

The Spanish tactician will however be delighted to have his star attacking duo of Kevin De Buyne and Erling Haaland back on firm. The dynamic duo is only recently back from long injury lay-offs and are now getting their rhythm back.

To my point, Haaland scored 5 goals with De Bruyne assisting 4 of those in City’s last match, an away F.A cup trip to Luton town.

The situation on the red side of the city is much more dire, with injuries plaguing United all season. The side has an upward of 8 injured first team players as in Premier injuries. Among these injuries is Rasmus Hojlund who has been on fire of late, scoring at will.

 

 

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Bayer Leverkusen creator-in-chief, Florian Wirtz, has been catching the eye of top clubs all across Europe, including Liverpool and Manchester United. The 20-year-old is enjoying a fine season for Xabi Alonso’s table topping Bayer Leverkusen.

The young maestro has been at the heart of every Leverkusen attack, recording 8 goals and 17 assists in all competitions this season (31 appearances). In the league alone, he has recorded an impressive 5 goals and 10 assists in 23 appearances.

Bit by bit, he has rediscovered his magic touch that was his trademark before tearing his ACL and missing most of the 22/23 season.

His displays on the pitch have naturally attracted interest from some of Europe’s big boys, most notably, Liverpool and Manchester United. His father who is also his agent has however downplayed these rumours categorically stating that his son is on contract with Leverkusen until 2027.

“Florian has a contract in Leverkusen until 2027. That will also roughly be the amount of time he will spend in Leverkusen. There is no answer to what happens when. We should wait for the next two years, and then we will see where the path leads, “Hans-Joachim Wirtz told Kolner Stadt-Anzeiger.”

Bayer Leverkusen has been enjoying a stellar campaign under the stewardship of former midfield maestro Xabi Alonso. They are top of the Bundesliga, into the round of 16 in the Europa League and into the semis of the DFB Pokal. They in fact are still unbeaten in all competition, and we are in March!

As it is, they are till in contention to win the treble, and this may convince the German international Wirtz to see out Xabi’s project much longer.

There have been rumours of Xabi Alonso replacing the outgoing Jürgen Klopp at Anfield, where he was the midfield general between 2004 and 2009. These rumours have naturally birthed suggestions of Flo Wirtz following his beloved manager to the Merseyside club.

Wirtz Snr has completely played down these rumours as his son continues to gain the attention of Europe’s top clubs. He further reiterated what a great relationship his son has with Xabi Alonso, his teammates and the club in general.

With all these factors into consideration, it may be a while before these transfer rumours amount to anything solid, at least not until his contract runs out in 2027.

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Report coming in from Mundo Deportivo indicate Manchester United are among big English clubs in the picture to sign Girona’s star left back Miguel Gutiérrez.

The English club has been interested in him for a while, and his 7 goals contribution in a well-overachieving Girona side have only strengthened said interest.

United are in desperate need for a left back on account of Luke Shaw’s injury proneness.

His usual understudy, Tyrell Malacia, has been injured all season, further echoing the need for a left back.

Miguel Gutiérrez has excelled as a full back for Girona this season after joining them in 2022 from Real Madrid.

His intelligence and interpretation of the game are like that of a seasoned midfielder, and that is exactly what Manchester United need in a left back.

The 22-year-old’s best attribute is his positioning, and he is always available and ready as a passing option. He is incredibly press resistant and combines this with fantastic technique and vision to start attacks for his side.

His overall pedigree in his understanding of the game is displayed throughout in simple actions like moving into midfield to cover the hole left by a midfielder, who dropped back to support build-ups. When said midfielder brings the ball back up the pitch, Miguel is intelligent enough to move out further wider to offer an option on the flanks.

On the defensive side of things, he has thoroughly improved, especially physically, in contrast to last season when he struggled to consistently play 90 minutes.

His best defensive attribute is his ability to defend in tight spaces. He is able to anticipate and recognize when the centre back leaves his position to meet the oncoming ball carrier, and is prepared to cover for him if needed. He is able to maintain his role as an ‘attacking fullback’ and still provide balance to the backline when a centre back is out of position.

The left back spent 11 years at Santiago Bernabéu before the Los Blancos sold him to Girona for €4 million euros and 50% of his rights and a sell-on clause.

He is having quite the season with the La Liga dark horses and that has propelled his market value to around €15-25 million according to footballtransfers.

His abilities on the ball as well as the fact that he can be deployed as an inverted full back makes his a fantastic option for Manchester United.

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According to reports, Manchester United have sent scouts to the UEFA U16 development tournament to watch 15-year-old Danish starlet Jacob Ambaek.

The young centre forward has been turning heads with his impressive displays leading the attack for the Danish U16 side and his club Brondby. He is yet to make his debut for the Danish club’s senior team, albeit he has already represented them up to the U19 level. About his abilities on the pitch, he has smashed in 21 goals in just 13 appearances for the Brondby U17 side this season. Stats like this are a clear indication he is a potential world beater in the making.

Manchester United will be looking to add to the Danish connection of midfield maestro Christian Eriksen and the young Rasmus Hojlund as part of the rebuild under Sir Jim Ratcliffe. A young talent like Jacob would make a great addition to the youth setup and potentially the first team eventually.  Manchester United have already shown a willingness to commit to Dutch talent, splashing 72 million euros on Rasmus Hojlund. The 21-year-old striker had a tough start to life at Old Trafford, with his first Premier League goal coming in December in that rollercoaster win against Villa on Boxing Day. He has since caught fire, bagging 5 goals and an assist on his way to a Premier League player of the month nomination in February. The centre forward position at the Mancunian club has somewhat been wanting, but it finally feels like Hojlund is the man for the job.

Manchester United are not the only club interested in the young marksman. According to Dutch source Tipsbladet, Italian club Roma also have their eye on the teenage sensation and have even invited him to train with the U17s to have a better look at what he offers on the football field. The youngster’s current deal expires in 2025 indicating a potential move very soon to a big club.

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Manchester United is aware that the possibility of recovering the investment they made for Donny van de Beek is slim. The midfielder, who was acquired from Ajax in 2020 for a fee reported by Sky Sports to be £34.6 million, has not lived up to the high expectations set upon his arrival in the Premier League.

Despite the initial excitement surrounding his transfer, van de Beek has struggled to secure a regular place in the team, both under the management of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his successor, Erik ten Hag, despite previously working under ten Hag at Ajax.

The 26-year-old Dutch international has found himself on a series of loan spells, the most recent of which is with Eintracht Frankfurt. Having joined the Bundesliga side in January, van de Beek wears the number 25 jersey and has a chance to make the move permanent if he makes a significant impact. A deal has been set at £9.4 million for the transfer, a figure significantly lower than what United paid, signifying a substantial loss.

Football Insider has now reported that Manchester United is prepared to offload van de Beek should Frankfurt express an interest in retaining him after this season. This would entail a considerable financial loss of around £25 million for United. Despite not scoring for Frankfurt yet, van de Beek has participated in five matches, starting four of these in the league.