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With a lot of work to do at Old Trafford, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly already turned his attention towards the summer transfer window and bringing a Bundesliga star to Manchester United.

Man Utd transfer news

Those at Old Trafford look set to enjoy a busy summer on the transfer front with some ruthless decisions on the cards along the way. Among those will reportedly be showing the exit door to Christian Eriksen, who is unhappy after losing his place to Kobbie Mainoo. The United academy graduate has starred in recent weeks, even earning his first England cap at just 18-years-old.

Meanwhile, when it comes to incomings, United have been linked with a big-money move for Ivan Toney amid reports also linking the Brentford striker to the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. There's no doubt that welcoming Toney would be a major sign of intent from Ratcliffe to start his tenure with a bang.

Man United now eyeing £40m Casemiro replacement who fits Ratcliffe profile

Casemiro has struggled this season.

By
Tom Cunningham

Mar 22, 2024

Away from Toney, however, it could be Donyell Malen who becomes Ratcliffe's first signing. According to Dean Jones for Sports Lens, Manchester United are the most likely destination for Malen this summer, despite links to Premier League rivals Arsenal and Liverpool.

With the Dutchman's ability to play all across the frontline falling into United's plans to sign a right-sided attacker this summer, Malen could soon find himself lining up alongside the likes of Rasmus Hojlund, who shares an agent with the Dortmund star.

United would also be smart to use Jadon Sancho's current loan spell at Dortmund in their favour when negotiating a deal for Malen this summer. Those at Old Trafford may have the chance to work some kind of swap deal involving the two attackers in the coming months in a deal that would suit all parties.

Is Malen is bettter than Antony?

Whilst it would be difficult to find a winger who has been in worse form than Antony in Europe's top five leagues so far this season, United would be wise to zero in on Malen if they are to upgrade on the former Ajax man. The Dutchman has quickly become an important part of Edin Terzic's Dortmund side, as they look to squeeze into the Bundesliga's top four after a relatively disappointing campaign so far.

What's more, Malen has earned the approval of World Cup winner and former Dortmund man Mario Gotze during his time in Germany. The former midfielder said, via the Bundesliga website: "Donyell is extremely fast and very dangerous. If he has a chance, it's usually a goal, too. He's still young, but has really good abilities."

Now it is United who are looking to benefit from that speed going forward, as they look to replace goal-shy Antony this summer.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has explained his approach to coaching after returning to Manchester United as one of Erik ten Hag's assistant managers.

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• Van Nistelrooy returns to United in coaching role
• Dutchman excited for Old Trafford return
• Preaches clarity in coaching outlook

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Van Nistelrooy returned to United in the summer after being enticed back to the club, 18 years after leaving as a player to join Real Madrid. He wasted no time in making his presence felt in United's training sessions during their pre-season tour of the United States and he will continue to work with Erik ten Hag and the rest of his backroom staff to improve the club's fortunes on the pitch.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Van Nistelrooy's arrival came as United made changes to their coaching staff, with Mitchell van der Gaag, Steve McClaren and Benni McCarthy – all of whom were brought in by Ten Hag two years ago – departing. Not only does the Dutchman know the club, but he also has a clear coaching style that he wants to implement at Old Trafford.

• WHAT VAN NISTELROOY SAID

  “On a collective level, it's important to get the different game phases into the team, what is expected in the pressing or in the build-up or in the mid-block or in all the phases of the game,” he told United's website.

  “Like clear: what do we want? How do we want the execution to be and how do we translate it into the training pitch?

  “I think we both are aligned with that and also with the manager, of course, and from there on you look to make an influence on individuals or units.

  “In the end, when we're on one page, then we are definitely the strongest. That's our aim and it will take time, but I think we had a good start so far.”

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• WHAT NEXT FOR VAN NISTELROOY & MAN UTD?

  United were tested in pre-season, with games against Arsenal, Real Betis and Liverpool on their US tour. The serious stuff begins now, though; the Red Devils will take on Premier League champions and rivals Manchester City in a repeat of the FA Cup final in Saturday's Community Shield.

Aston Villa were cruising to all three points against Brentford on Saturday as goals from Ollie Watkins and Morgan Rogers had given the Midlands side a commanding lead.

In the space of seven minutes, however, Brentford scored three goals of their own to take a shock 3-2 lead and threatened to dampen the atmosphere at Villa Park.

Thankfully, Watkins netted an equaliser with ten minutes left to salvage a point, but it was certainly two thrown away.

This was down to a leaky Villa backline, with Pau Torres being the main culprit for Brentford’s goals during the Premier League tie.

Pau Torres’ game in numbers vs Brentford

The Spaniard has been Unai Emery’s undisputed number-one centre-back this season, especially after Tyrone Mings’ season-ending injury, but he was poor against the Bees.

The defender won just three of his six contested duels throughout the encounter, while making just one tackle and losing possession ten times.

Torres managed 70 touches during the match, meaning he lost the ball once every seven touches, and he didn’t look comfortable in the second half.

He was even awarded a match rating of just 3/10 by Birmingham World for his defensive display, with journalist Charlie Haffenden saying he was ‘solid in the first half but undid his good work with three big defensive errors’ during the second half.

He was liable for all three Brentford goals and with a massive clash coming up against Lille in the Europa Conference League this week, should Emery drop him to the bench in favour of someone else?

The player to replace Pau Torres

With Mings out until next season and Ezri Konda deputising on the right side of the defence due to Matty Cash’s injury, Emery only really has Clement Lenglet to pick from against Lille if he wishes to drop Torres to the bench.

The Frenchman started five of Villa’s six European group stage matches, while also being unleashed in the first leg against Ajax last month, indicating that he is used to performing on the continental stage.

Among his teammates in Europe’s third competition, Lenglet currently ranks first for accurate passes (64.1) while also ranking first for accurate long balls (4.1), fourth for interceptions (0.9) and fifth for clearances (1.3) all per game, showcasing his defensive abilities.

These statistics should convince Emery that the Frenchman is the best person to be deployed alongside Diego Carlos against the Ligue 1 side on Thursday evening, especially if he wishes to secure a positive result.

Villa’s 28-year major trophy drought could come to an end this season, as they remain one of the best sides left in the Conference League. Dispatching Ajax 4-0 on aggregate in the previous round shows just how impressive Emery’s side have been.

A defensive duo of Carlos and Lenglet against the French side could see the club keep their third successive European clean sheet and give the club a wonderful chance of progression into the semi-finals.

Barcelona are ready to sell Vitor Roque just eight months after the Brazilian wonderkid's arrival at the club.

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• Barcelona in talks to offload Roque
• Deco met Sporting CP officials over the Brazilian's transfer
• Roque has offers from Premier League clubs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Roque's much-hyped move to Barcelona has only lasted eight months as the Blaugrana are reportedly prepared to part ways with him before the ongoing transfer window closes. Per Relevo, Barca sporting director Deco has landed in Portugal to negotiate a deal with Sporting CP as the Catalan giants look to sell the player for €30million (£25m/$33m).

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sporting CP were initially sceptical about the move due to the player's high salary in Spain, however, they have now reportedly agreed to sign him with the player willing to make a move to Portugal. The Portuguese giants have agreed to pay €20m (£17m/$22m) initially and €10m in add-ons.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Catalan club are yet to register new signing Dani Olmo despite the player being physically ready to take the field. Along with Olmo, Ronald Araujo has also not been registered as the Uruguayan defender remains injured post-Copa America 2024.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR VITOR ROQUE?

  The young attacker had earlier rejected a lucrative offer from the Saudi Pro League to stay at Barcelona. He also garnered interest from Premier League clubs Bournemouth and Everton, however, Roque is believed to have agreed to move to the Portuguese league.

Andy Cole believes Chelsea's £25m Jadon Sancho transfer "could be a steal" as the Manchester United loanee has "so much unlocked potential".

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• Sancho joined Chelsea on deadline day
• Currently on loan but has an obligation to buy clause
• Cole believes it could be a "very good deal"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Blues secured the winger on a deadline-day loan deal, which includes an obligation to buy him next summer. The transfer fee is expected to be between £20 million (€23m/$26m) and £25 million (€29m/$32m), depending on Chelsea's final standing in the Premier League. This is a shrewd piece of business by Chelsea given the Red Devils forked out around £73 million ($101m) to buy Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in 2021.

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  WHAT COLE SAID

  United legend Cole believes that the Sancho deal could turn out to be a bargain for the London club.

  "Manchester United paid over £70 million for Jadon three years ago, so it’s a lot of money lost, isn’t it?" Cole remarked in an interview with

  Jadon’s a very talented kid and he’s still only 24 years old, so if Chelsea can get the best out of him like Borussia Dortmund did last season, then it would be a steal. There’s so much talent and so much unlocked potential there, so if Chelsea can unlock it and get him to the peak of his powers, then it would ultimately be a very, very good deal for them."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Nonetheless, Cole is unsure how Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca will fit Sancho into a squad that is already bloated with several forwards.

  "However, you can flip it on its head and ask where he's going to play?" he asked. "Unless football becomes 24-a-side, he’s going to struggle like everybody else at Chelsea because nobody knows what’s going on there. They’ve got loads of big names but they can only choose eleven players to start, so it will be interesting to see how he does at Chelsea."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SANCHO?

  At Chelsea, Sancho will be looking to rediscover his earlier form that led United to pay such a hefty fee for him a few seasons back. The Blues will resume their Premier League campaign after the international break with a match against Bournemouth on September 14, and Sancho will be eager to make an impact.

Tottenham have made an out-of-window bid to sign one club's star player and £17 million forward, as manager Ange Postecoglou seeks another striker this summer.

Spurs a work in progress as Ange suffers 4-0 defeat at Newcastle

The north Londoners endured their heaviest defeat of the campaign last weekend with a dismal 4-0 defeat away to Newcastle United, and it's a loss which significantly dampens their chase for the top four, with Aston Villa sealing a win away to Arsenal.

Club now panicking as Tottenham line up move for £21m "monster"

The Lilywhites are reportedly eyeing up a swoop for the impressive central defender.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 15, 2024

Postecoglou has won plenty of admirers with his brand of attacking football and has rejuvenated Tottenham overall following Antonio Conte's miserable last season in charge, but it's clear that they're still very much a work in progress.

Top four and qualfication for the Champions League is still very much a possbility, but Unai Emery's Villa are firmly in the driving seat, so Spurs will be relying on a slip up in the Midlands to regain some ground.

Postecoglou, speaking after his side's slump at St. James' Park, says that growth is "painful" and this won't be the last time Tottenham suffer a heavy defeat as they try and build a winning team long-term.

“Newcastle were good, credit to them”, said Postecoglou after Tottenham's defeat to Newcastle. “We just didn’t really get a grip of the game at all. We never really wrestled control at any stage and we paid the price for that.

“We allowed them to dictate the way the game was played. We weren’t brave on the ball. A lot of it was self-inflicted. It’s the same as every other game. There’s no point sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. We’ve got another game in two weeks’ time.

“It’s not the first time it [a heavy defeat] has happened to us; it won’t be the last. It’s part of our growth. Sometimes that growth is painful. I was concerned with all of it. There was no one area that cost us today. We never got to any sort of tempo.”

The summer transfer window will prove pivotal to Spurs' growth, and it is believed technical director Johan Lange is eyeing a striker to replace Harry Kane.

Tottenham make out-of-window Mohamed Amoura bid

A player to be linked in this regard is Union St. Gillosie star Mohamed Amoura, who's bagged an impressive 22 goals in all competitions across 2023/2024.

He looks like Algeria's next star after Riyad Mahrez, with outlet Le Soir now claiming Tottenham have made an out-of-window bid to sign Amoura, who Union value at around £17 million.

The nature of Spurs' offer, or Union's reply, hasn't exactly been disclosed – but chairman Daniel Levy knows the price to get a deal done if he wishes to back Postecoglou with more fire power.

The Real Madrid forward's stunning long-range strike was the difference as the Selecao earned a crucial three points on the road to 2026

Rodrygo came to the rescue as Brazil defeated Ecuador 1-0 in CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifying on Friday. The Selecaowere tested heavily by Moises Caicedo and La Tricolor, but the Real Madrid star's incredible first-half goal made all the difference.

Rodrygo's opener, and ultimately the winner, arrived in the 30th minute off a Lucas Paqueta assist. The winger received the ball on his left foot, switched to his right, and fired a 20-yard strike past the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

After a disappointing showing at Copa America 2024, where Brazil exited in the quarter-finals, Dorival Junior's side bounced back with a win in front of their home fans. Ecuador didn’t make it easy for the home side, though. The visitors’ best chance came in first-half stoppage time when Chelsea midfielder Caicedo found himself one-v-one with Alisson Becker. However, the Liverpool shot-stopper came up big with a massive save to deny him.

With the three points, Brazil leapfrog Ecuador and Venezuela from seventh to fourth place, and after seven matches in the 2026 cycle, they now sit on 10 points. They return to the pitch on Tuesday as they look to secure six points from two matches, with Paraguay hosting the Selecao.

GOAL rates Brazil's players from Estádio Major Antônio Couto Pereira…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Alisson (8/10):

  Brilliant save in first half, the difference between one and three points.

  Danilo (8/10):

  Was slinging the ball on a platter all evening, with some sensational cross-field switches and crosses. Won 100 percent of his aerial duels, as well.

  Marquinhos (6/10):

  A veteran performance. He didn't stand out by any means, but was composed when called upon.

  Gabriel Magalhaes (8/10):

  Outstanding in and around the box, including a goal-line clearance in the first half. Really impressive.

  Guilherme Arana (6/10):

  Didn't link with the attack much, but was defensively sound and a reliable outlet when passing out of the back.

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  Midfield

  Andre (7/10):

  A surprise start for the new Wolves signing, he impressed in place of Joao Gomes. He challenged Caicedo all night long and held a feisty Paez quiet in the second half

  Bruno Guimaraes(6/10):

  Really struggled learning a new midfield partner in Andre, and didn't look too comfortable next to him. Not his best day. Subbed off midway through second half.

  Lucas Paqueta (7/10):

  Cheeky assist on Rodrygo's goal. Was firing passes all night. Top performance.

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  Attack

  Rodrygo (8/10):

  Lovely footwork to create the opener, was a threat in and around the box all night. A lively performance.

  Vinicius Junior (6/10):

  A really quiet night for the Madrid star. Couldn't get anything going, looked rather uncomfortable all evening.

  Luiz Henrique (5/10):

  Struggled to notice he was on the pitch. Failed to make anything of the opportunity handed to him.

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  Subs & Manager

  Estevao Willian (6/10):

  The Chelsea-bound teenager made his international debut off the bench in the 62nd minute, completing 12 of 12 passes. Was quietly composed and looked the part, too.

  Gerson (6/10):

  Replaced Guimaraes in the 62nd minute, put in a solid shift off the bench.

  Lucas Moura (N/A):

  Introduced with 15 minutes to go. Replaced Paqueta.

  Wendell (N/A):

  Replaced Arana late, a like-for-like change.

  Joao Gomes (N/A):

  Subbed on for Andre with minutes to spare.

  Dorival Junior (6/10):

  It wasn't a blistering performance from the, but they earned three points, and in the grand scheme of things, that's all that mattered. The defence was rock-solid, but the midfield lacked a sense of unity, struggling to connect with the front-three. Dorival should be ecstatic to claim victory, but he should know it was nowhere near their best.

Manchester United fans will hope Erik ten Hag's men can pick up an away win at Crystal Palace up next in the Premier League, after having to make do with an underwhelming point against relegation-threatened Burnley on home turf last time out.

That 1-1 draw followed on from the Red Devils thankfully brushing side basement club Sheffield United 4-2 at Old Trafford, but that victory didn't exactly get the Man United supporters off their seats at any point with the Blades even taking the lead early on.

It looks as if the underperforming crop will end up losing Ten Hag his job, with a number of replacements being lined up to step in and revitalise the club after a poor season to date under the under-pressure Dutchman.

This one name could well have legs as his immediate successor – with reports suggesting he's a 'top contender' – having only lost twice to the Red Devils during his managerial career so far.

Man United manager news

Despite the intense pressures that come about with the Man United job post, the vacancy at Old Trafford is always going to be an alluring and attractive position for a new manager to fill.

A whole host of names from the football world are being linked with a move to the red side of Manchester, including the likes of England manager Gareth Southgate.

Yet, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co could well opt for former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel instead of going left-field or outside of the box with Football Insider's Pete O'Rourke stating that he is now a 'top contender.'

With the German manager leaving Bayern Munich at the end of the season after this current disappointing Bundesliga campaign saw Bayer Leverkusen crush the Bavarians in the Bundesliga title race, the 50-year-old could be revitalised by the task of restoring pride to Man United after succeeding with Chelsea in England before.

Why Tuchel should replace Ten Hag

Lifting the Champions League as Blues boss during his one year in charge, Tuchel has only ever tasted defeat twice when facing off against the Red Devils as a manager and could now be seen as the best possible replacement for a fading Ten Hag.

After all, the German was a hit at Stamford Bridge during his brief time with the Blues, overseeing 63 wins from 100 games in charge of the West London club. That said, none of the four victories he's managed as a boss against Man United came when managing in England.

Once more, it's on the continental stage where the "incredible" manager, as Chelsea's Ben Chillwell labelled him, defeated the Red Devils. Those victories came when Tuchel was in charge of Paris St. Germain and in his current role as Bayern boss in 2023 with the Bavarian outfit prevailing in the Champions League group stages.

Still, the wins in the table above suggest that he has the beating of the Red Devils on the intense stage of European action and this mentality as a manager to deliver key wins when the pressure is ramped up would stand him in good stead to be Ten Hag's immediate successor.

Bruised by his recent experiences in his native Germany, Tuchel will have the bit between his teeth to salvage his slightly tattered managerial reputation and restore pride back to the red side of Manchester if given a chance to shine again in the Premier League.

Man Utd eyeing Ten Hag upgrade who could be "like Ange Postecoglou"

The Man United target has lost 12 games fewer than Erik ten Hag this season.

By
Tom Lever

Apr 26, 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo is set for a new manager after Al-Nassr parted company with head coach Luis Castro.

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• Al-Nassr have made slow start to season
• Manager Luis Castro sacked
• Ex-AC Milan boss set to replace him

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After picking up two draws from their opening three Saudi Pro League games this season, Al-Nassr have decided to terminate the contract of manager Castro. Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, former AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli is their 'main candidate' to succeed the Portuguese after talks over a proposed move to Al-Ittihad collapsed.

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• WHAT AL-NASSR SAID

  In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Al-Nassr wrote: "Club have officially decided to terminate the contractual relationship with the first team coach, Mr. Luis Castro. We appreciate all the efforts he made with Nassr, and wish him success 💛."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Milan decided to move on from Pioli at the end of a trophyless season in 2023/24. Paulo Fonseca took his place in the dugout, leaving Pioli out of work. While a move to Al-Ittihad failed to come to fruition, he could manage all-time great Ronaldo at Al-Nassr. They want to dethrone Al-Hilal as league champions, so an upturn in form is essential to keep alive their silverware ambitions.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Ronaldo's Al-Nassr side, who are seventh in the table after picking up five points from a possible nine, take on Al-Ettifaq in Saudi Pro League action on Friday night. It remains to be seen if Pioli will be in charge in time for that match.

The nerves will already be in the air in West Yorkshire ahead of tonight's decisive Championship semi-final second-leg clash between Leeds United and Norwich City, with a winner coming out victorious at the end of play no matter what even if a penalty shoot-out is required.

Daniel Farke's Whites will hope it's a more straightforward affair sealed in normal time for the sake of the tense Leeds fans watching on around Elland Road, with the promotion hopefuls wanting to attack from minute one to score early to calm down anxiety levels.

To achieve that, the German boss could be prepared to make some bold selection calls which could even see Sam Byram drop out of the starting XI despite putting in a valiant defensive effort in the stalemate first leg in Norfolk.

This could well be the switch that makes the Whites more gung-ho on the ball, as opposed to allowing the Canaries to play on the nerves of the home team struggling to break them down to then try and eke out a result.

Sam Byram's performance vs Norwich in numbers

Byram, up against his former employers, put in a rock-solid shift at right-back to ensure Leeds weren't breached making the trip down to Carrow Road.

Completing five tackles in total, which included one heroic effort to thwart an advancing Borja Sainz for David Wagner's men, the 30-year-old full-back also won an impressive eight duels from the 13 he attempted on the day.

Still, the defender's attacking game in Norfolk arguably left a lot to be desired which has been the case for the majority of the season too.

Failing to complete a single accurate cross in the contest, on top of zero on-target efforts and zero key passes being registered, the ex-Norwich man didn't ever really strike fear into the Canaries down the flanks.

Looking at the table above, Roberts could well give Leeds more of an attacking impetus from down the channels if selected ahead of Byram tonight with the Welshman raring to make a difference after a stop-start loan switch to date with Farke's side.

How Roberts could impact the game

Roberts' directness as an attack-minded full-back helped Burnley to pick up the Championship title during the 2022/23 season, hopeful, in the here and now, that he can aid Leeds in their own promotion story.

The 28-year-old's "boundless energy" – as it was referred to by The Athletic's Laurie Whitwell – would be a very effective calling card for Farke to play tonight, especially if Norwich sit back.

Indeed, Roberts could just run and run until the Canaries can't keep the Leeds attacks at bay any longer.

Already scoring a big goal this season in front of the Elland Road masses, firing home the equaliser against Leicester City in February when automatic promotion still looked achievable, Roberts is the man for the big occasion as was showcased with the Clarets.

His strike against Middlesbrough towards the latter stages of the 2022-23 campaign clinched promotion up to the Premier League for Vincent Kompany's men, with the potential for him to play another starring role if selected against Norwich.

Leeds will know Norwich won't be pushovers and will come with a staunch gameplan in mind, with the likes of Blackburn Rovers winning by a solitary goal in the regular season by frustrating the home side in this manner.

But, in such a huge contest, the Whites will need to be firing on all cylinders in attack and Roberts could be a smart call to start alongside the usual suspects of Crysencio Summerville and Georginio Rutter.

Farke drops Rutter to the bench in predicted Leeds lineup vs Norwich

The possible starting XI that the German boss could select to take to the field on Thursday night.

By
Dan Emery

May 15, 2024