Manchester United’s takeover saga has cost the club to lose out on key signing 

Here’s the latest on the Manchester United takeover for Thursday 29 June.
Takeover saga ‘costs United Kim deal’…

Manchester United’s interest in Kim Min-Jae has been stalled by the takeover saga, with Bayern Munich now favorites for his signature.

The Napoli defender had a €50m release clause, which expires in July. However, Corriere Dello Sport says United’s ongoing takeover prevented them from pursuing their interests, while Ten Hag was unsure of its budget. The outlet claims that Kim actually had an ‘agreement’ with United to make a move this summer and his agents have even unofficially told Napoli that the transfer is going ahead. Now it looks like he will join the Bundesliga champions as Lucas Hernandez joins Paris Saint-Germain.

At first it seemed certain he would stay, then it seemed certain he would leave. A day before his contract with Manchester United officially expires, it’s still unclear what David de Gea will do next.

The 32-year-old won’t technically be a United player this weekend, although his contract expiring doesn’t mean he won’t end up signing a new one either. De Gea is free to sign for whoever he wants, but since January this has been the case for all non-Premier League sides as he could have agreed a pre-contract deal.

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Arsenal’s first six fixtures compared against Man City, Man utd, Liverpool and Newcastle rivals

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The red devils host Wolves in their first 2023/24 Premier League fixture; there are also interesting clashes with Tottenham, Arsenal and Brighton early on…

Manchester United’s season was concluded with FA Cup final defeat making them feel that they have to put in more effort next season.

The 2023/24 Premier League new season is already a major topic of discussion despite the former campaign only just ending. For Manchester United, there will be high hopes about what can be achieved after a promising first season under Erik ten Hag.

Holding onto Champions League football was the stated aim for the Red Devils, so to conclude the season third, win the Carabao Cup and reach the FA Cup final has to be seen as a positive campaign.

There is, however, the ownership situation hanging over Old Trafford. The club is yet to be sold and the saga seems set to continue lingering on.

Supporters may be glad to see next season’s league fixtures are now out so they can focus on what might happen on the pitch rather than the bids of Sheikh Jassim and Sir Jim Ratcliffe.

Here are United’s first six Premier League fixtures for 2023/24 season and compare with immediate rivals.

Man Utd’s first six fixtures 2023/24

The red devils will hope for a better season opener.

While not horrendously frightening, Man Utd have had easier starts to a season than this in the past. The two tours to north London to take on Tottenham and Arsenal really stand out as the toughest fixtures.

Wolves finished the season at a comfortable spot on the table under Julen Lopetegui and Nottingham Forest could be a much more settled outfit by August, while Brighton will likely still be a very good side under Roberto De Zerbi. Vincent Kompany will also be desperate to get a result for Burnley at home.

If United can come through that set of fixtures with six victories, they would have to be taken seriously in the title race. Anything short of 12 points and there may be early concerns from the fanbase that no progress has been made over the summer.

Date / Kick-off Time

Fixture

14/08/2023 / 20:00

Man Utd v Wolves

19/08/2023 / 15:00

Tottenham v Man Utd

26/08/2023 / 15:00

Man Utd v Nottingham Forest

02/09/2023 / 15:00

Arsenal v Man Utd

16/09/2023 / 15:00

Man Utd v Brighton

23/09/2023 / 15:00

Burnley v Man Utd

Man City’s first six fixtures

Manchester City are newly-crowned treble winners.

The narrative gods know what they are doing with this first fixture. Vincent Kompany’s Burnley will host recent treble-winning Manchester City at Turf Moor for their first game of the season. Given the way they ended the season, it seems almost remiss to say any one game is tough for Man City.

There is no reason to believe they will not be machine-like and ruthless again next term and this fixture list looks like one that will put them top of the table after six games.

Newcastle at home is certainly the hardest game for Pep Guardiola to deal with, but he will not fear any opponent right now. Man Utd may well need to win all six of their openers to have any chance of being level with Man City.

Date / Kick-off Time

Fixture

11/08/2023 / 20:00

Burnley v Man City

19/08/2023 / 15:00

Man City v Newcastle

26/08/2023 / 15:00

Sheffield Utd v Man City

02/09/2023 / 15:00

Man City v Fulham

16/09/2023 / 15:00

West Ham v Man City

23/09/2023 / 15:00

Man City v Nottingham Forest

Liverpool’s first six fixtures

Liverpool could look quite different next season.

There are two clear standout games here for Liverpool to fear, and the six games overall are not the easiest. Going away to Chelsea on the opening weekend is a very tough one to predict. With Mauricio Pochettino getting the whole summer to work with a talented squad, we have to assume they’ll be better than last season.

A home game against Bournemouth is favourable, but then there is another tough away trip against Newcastle. If Liverpool do not hit the ground running, they could find themselves playing catchup very early when it comes to the title or top four race.

Aston Villa, Wolves and West Ham are all teams Liverpool will expect to beat but could also cause the Reds problems next season if they hold onto the right players during the summer.

Date / Kick-off Time

Fixture

13/08/2023 / 16:30

Chelsea v Liverpool

19/08/2023 / 15:00

Liverpool v Bournemouth

26/08/2023 / 15:00

Newcastle v Liverpool

02/09/2023 / 15:00

Liverpool v Aston Villa

16/09/2023 / 15:00

Wolves v Liverpool

23/09/2023 / 15:00

Liverpool v West Ham

Arsenal’s first six fixtures

Mikel Arteta must find another way to beat Man City.

This is very much a fixture list of two halves for Arsenal. They have been handed an ideal-looking first three games of the season to build some momentum before things get a bit tougher.

The victims of that could be Man Utd, as they are the fourth team to face last season’s Premier League runners-up.

The Everton game is tougher to call given the Gunners lost the same fixture last time out, but if Arsenal can beat both Man Utd and Tottenham in their first six games they will at least think they have the edge on most top-four rivals.

Date / Kick-off Time

Fixture

12/08/2023 / 12:30

Arsenal v Nottingham Forest

19/08/2023 / 15:00

Crystal Palace v Arsenal

26/08/2023 / 15:00

Arsenal v Fulham

02/09/2023 / 15:00

Arsenal v Man Utd

16/09/2023 / 15:00

Everton v Arsenal

23/09/2023 / 15:00

Arsenal v Tottenham

Newcastle’s first six fixtures

Newcastle will think they can stay in the top four next season

We could learn a huge amount about Newcastle’s ability to continue mixing it at the top of the table at the start of next season.

They have been handed a very tough run of games to get started. They need to take on both Man City and Liverpool, while matches against Aston Villa and Brighton could be really tough as well.

Man Utd will probably expect to be ahead of Newcastle by the end of the first six games and there will be concern if they are not, as it could come as a result of summer stagnation while others kick on.

Fixture

12/08/23 – 17:30

Newcastle vs Aston Villa

19/08/23 – 15:00

Man City vs Newcastle

26/08/23 – 15:00

Newcastle vs Liverpool

02/09/23 – 15:00

Brighton vs Newcastle

16/09/23 – 15:00

Newcastle vs Brentford

23/09/23 – 15:00

Sheffield United vs Newcastle

‘What we all dream of’ – Manchester United fans send transfer message to Harry Kane after fantastic goals at  England vs North Macedonia 

Manchester United fans were quick to note the interaction between Harry Kane, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford in his goal at Old Trafford on Monday.
Kane scored the first goal of the night on 29 minutes, deflecting Shaw’s cross from eight yards and putting the ball inside. United talisman Rashford played his part, putting the left-back in an excellent position with a deft ball.

Shaw admitted last week he would like to have Kane at United and Erik ten Hag’s interest in the 29-year-old was genuine. The Dutchman is desperate to score more goals for his side and has made the Tottenham striker his prime target. The message from north London is that Daniel Levy won’t be selling his star to a Premier League rival, but while United don’t believe Kane is for sale, their interest isn’t entirely extinguished.

And so it was a bit bittersweet for United fans to see the striker complete a game too well prepared by Shaw and Rashford, with many taking to social media to send a message to their primary target.

Tottenham’s insistence that Kane is not for sale makes such a link unlikely in United’s red numbers with Ten Hag’s side working on alternative targets. The name of Rasmus Hojlund often came up, but there is also interest in Victor Osimhen from Naples or Randal Kolo Muani from Eintracht Frankfurt.

England earned another win in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with a ruthless display against North Macedonia at Old Trafford. The visitors had never lost in England and for 20 minutes looked up to the task of keeping the Three Lions quiet despite the gulf in quality.

Harry Kane’s opener, turned in from a Luke Shaw pass, opened the floodgates and Gareth Southgate’s men feasted on a plethora of chances. No more so than Bukayo Saka, the brightest rising star of England’s next cohort. He opened his own account with a fine twist and finish inside the box before adding two more after half-time to earn a first career hat-trick.

He is forming a cut-throat partnership with Trent Alexander-Arnold, once again pushed into midfield, which could become the foundation stone of Southgate’s next European Championship campaign.

There were impressive performances elsewhere too. Marcus Rashford was a constant threat on the left and became the first Mancheser United player to score for England at Old Trafford since David Beckham. He made a strong case to start ahead of Jack Grealish and Raheem Sterling tonight and there was also a first international goal for substitute Kalvin Phillips who was left with a tap-in inside the box.

What do you Man Utd fans feel about the striker?

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Good News as Marcus Rashford agrees to resign a new contract that projects his monthly earning

Marcus Rashford’s contract expires in a year but Manchester United are confident of securing the England international’s long-term future after a stellar season

Manchester United will offer Marcus Rashford a £375,000-a-week contract, replacing David de Gea as the club’s top earner.
Rashford, 25, has just completed the best season of his career to date, scoring 30 goals for United. The England international’s excellent form helped Erik ten Hag’s side finish third in the Premier League, win the Carabao Cup and reach the FA Cup final.

As reported by The Sun, United are offering Rashford £375,000 a week and De Gea £200,000 a week. Rashford’s current deal, which expires in a year, is worth £200,000 a week. The two players would effectively exchange wages.
It is claimed that United aren’t too worried about losing De Gea this summer. If De Gea accepts the proposal, they can afford to offer Rashford a lucrative deal. If the Spaniard says no, he can enter the market, sign a younger keeper and build for the future.

United are reportedly interested in Everton defender Jordan Pickford, who is currently England’s No.1. According to the Daily Star, the Red Devils are ready to pay £45m for Pickford and offer him a £200,000-a-week deal, doubling his salary with the Toffees. Crucially, United will offer that £200,000 a week wage to Pickford if De Gea leaves Old Trafford. Another United target goalkeeper is Brentford’s David Raya, although Tottenham are leading the race for the 27-year-old Spain international.

With De Gea’s future at stake, United would certainly secure the services of Rashford for the next phase of his career. The striker won the FA Cup, Europa League, Community Shield and two Carabao Cups with his youth club.
Speaking about Rashford’s future in April, Ten Hag said: “No, it’s not a concern for me. I don’t want to comment on the process because I don’t think it will support the process. But I’m quite relaxed.”

Paris Saint-Germain have previously shown interest in Rashford, who refused to talk about his future last season. He even took to Twitter in March to quell a transfer rumor.

Rashford tweeted: “Just before this starts making the rounds! Its total rubbish. The club and [myself] have had respect for each other and will continue to do so.” My goal is only to do my best in the league and win trophies.

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PSG set to sell it’s star  Kylian Mbappé to Man Utd as Qatar takeover nears

 

Manchester United to sign Kylian Mbappé from Paris Saint-Germain this summer should Sheikh Jassim’s takeover bid prove successful: PSG planning transfer

Paris Saint-Germain are set to sell Kylian Mbappé to Manchester United this summer if Sheikh Jassim’s Qatari-backed takeover bid for Old Trafford proves successful.
Mbappé will not sign a one-year contract extension into his contract with PSG, meaning his contract will expire in 12 months. Mirror Football understands the French club’s priority is to ensure he doesn’t leave without a transfer fee, meaning they are set to monetize the superstar this summer.

The French superstar has confirmed he intends to stay with the Ligue 1 champions beyond this summer, but it is clear PSG will push for his departure, aware the alternative is to lose a historic transfer fee altogether.
However, relations between the club and Real Madrid remain tense. That relationship deteriorated during the previous saga surrounding Mbappé’s future, when several transfer offers, especially public ones, for Real Madrid were rejected by the French club. The Blancos were hopeful of seeing Mbappé enter as a free agent in 2022, but he extended his contract in Paris.

Last weekend, Florentino Perez, president of Real Madrid, answered a question about a future move by Mbappé: “Yes. But not this year.” That announcement came just days before Mbappé outlined his future plans and could speed up a possible move to this summer, given Real Madrid’s needs and PSG’s intention to raise funds.

Real Madrid’s focus is now on the forwards after Karim Benzema confirmed his departure from the Spanish giants last week, while Eden Hazard, Asensio and Mariano Diaz – the latter of whom was the only recognized centre-forward in the first Real Madrid team – all leave as free agents this summer. However, it is Mbappé who holds the power. All signs are that he will leave Parc des Princes this summer and the French club’s QSI owner is preparing to sell the striker to United, according to El Pais, as they prefer to do business with Sheikh Jassim if his takeover offer were to be successful. . , then Madrid.

United are desperate for an elite striker this summer but have backed out of the move to their first-choice target Harry Kane, while the switch to Napoli striker Victor Osimhen is priceless. While Mbappé would claim an England record fee, relations between the two clubs could allow for a sensational deal.

Paris Saint-Germain chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi is believed to have played a key role in Sheikh Jassim’s bid to buy United. While the PSG boss insists his role would not go beyond offering advice, the shared Qatari track record and exact funding source behind United’s offer is the subject of a further examination.

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“There are not many alternatives to Kane for Man Utd,” Saha said. “Victor Osimhen is an obvious one at the moment, though, he’s scoring a lot of goals for Napoli. Very fit, very strong and agile. But it may take him more time to adapt.

“There is a young boy in Hojlund at Atalanta. But no one offers the guarantees like Kane does.”

Osimhen is the leading scorer in Serie A, helping Napoli win their first league title since 1990, while 20-year-old talent Hojlund scored five goals in two Euro 2024 qualifiers for Denmark in March.

Another man linked with a move is Randal Kolo Muani. The Eintracht Frankfurt star scored for his country at the World Cup, but won’t come cheap with Bayern Munich also linked.

“I think Randal Muani would be a very good signing for Man Utd,” Saha added. “Not only as a number 9, he can play either side of a three. He’s a very clever player, very quick, sharp with his feet and very intelligent.

“He’s already established a good link with Kylian Mbappe for France. He’s aware of everything, he has the talent to go short or long, he’s very clever and he will be a real danger in the Premier League if he comes, especially with [Marcus] Rashford and [Jadon] Sancho.”

 

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Transfer News: Man United now target £26m ‘chameleon’ who is ‘amazing goal threat’

Manchsteг United and Admiгeгs of Bayeгn Munich midfield Leon Goгetzka while Eik Ten Hag looks set to bolster his midfield with some quality additions tɦis summeг, suggested reporter Dean Jones.
What’s the latest tгansfeг news about Mancɦesteг United and Leon Goгetzka?
According to German Sky journalist Floгian Plettbeгg, Mancɦesteг United and Goгetzka as a potential alternative to Declan гice, he was also a goal for the Devils window.

On Twitter, Plettbeгg said: “Goгetzka news: Man Utd is monitoring the situation! MUFC understands that it is future and uncertain because of the ice. But still no concrete talk about the negotiations. Goгetzka remains calm and his position is clear: ɦe absolutely wants to stay because ɦe identifies 100% with FC Bayeгn! E: гummenigge supports ɦim».

Like Tɦe Daily Mail, Bayelyn Municɦ is also enthusiastic about West ɦam United’s battle in midfield, potentially creating a domino effect; Today, Tɦe Guaгdian ɦave since he revealed that 24-year-old tɦat tɦe could move to Aгsenal in a £100m deal.

In 2022/23 Goгetzka, hailed as a “chameleon” and an “incredible goal” by the Bundesliga, made 40 appearances for Bayeгn Municɦ in all competitions and managed to score six goals and six assists, as peг Tгansfeгmaг kt .

Salaгy was introduced to the German international on £231,000 a week in a contract running until the summer of 2026.

In this column on GIVEMESPOгT, journalist Jones writes as indicated that Goгetzka is definitely a theater actor loved by the cɦiefs of Old Tгaffoгd. Jones suggested: “They also have to choose the midfielder as Macel Sabitze was on loan last season and the Fed and Scott McTominay have agreed to leave their contract once and for all.” We saw them at Mason Mount having made great strides but watch out for the likes of Goméo Lavia. Other players look up to £230,000-a-week star Leon Goetzka – who is described as an ‘extremist’ player – Declanice and Adien Gabiot, but top target Fénkie De Jong is taboo.

Deal set as Man United in talks to sign £80m ‘machine’, he would serve as response to Rice opinion

The Brighton midfielder would play a similar role

According to talkSPORT, Manchester United have opened talks with Brighton & Hove Albion over the signing of Moises Caicedo, Chelsea would remain top of mind.

Manchester United transfer news – Will they sign Moises Caicedo?

With negotiations with Chelsea over the signing of Mason Mount having apparently failed so far, Manchester United appear to have been forced to turn their attention elsewhere and possibly Caicedo. The irony, of course, is that Chelsea would be at the forefront of their search for a Brighton midfielder this summer, but it was the Blues who could have welcomed the Red Devils into the race by excluding them from a move for Mount.

The 21-year-old is valued at around £80m or more by his club, so any deal for Erik ten Hag and company, who were reportedly given a budget of £120m this summer, would come at a hefty price tag, unless you advance players.
However, there is still a long summer ahead of us, with many twists and turns in the Caicedo saga.

Would Moises Caicedo be the reflection of Declan Rice?

Not only is there an argument that Caicedo can deliver the same quality as Declan Rice, there’s also evidence that he’s even better than the England international in some areas. On the ball, the Brighton man splits far more often than his West Ham United counterpart and made more passes last season, according to FBref.

The difference is that Caicedo is more risk-free in his passing range, opting to recycle the ball more often than to progress it.
Last season, Manchester United goalkeeper made fewer progressive passes than Rice, but was dispossessed less often. That said, according to FBref, they are known as similar players, perhaps an ode to their field position and defensive qualities.

Such qualities suit Ten Hag’s squad, who don’t need a midfielder who can make things happen in the future. After all, they already have it in the form of Bruno Fernandes.
What they need is a balanced player between Fernandes and Casemiro; a player who is safe on the ball and gets it back quickly when he is not there. Given Caicedo’s 248 steals last season, this is a role he could fill.

Speaking of the Brighton man’s qualities, Garth Crooks wrote in his BBC column, via Caught Offside, after the Seagulls beat Arsenal: “Arsenal wanted to buy Moises Caicedo from Brighton and after this performance against the Gunners i understand why.

“After meeting Gabriel Martinelli it was clear that he is an old school player and that he is making his way. “They’ve made two offers for the Ecuador international this season and it’s caused a stir.
Brighton turned down the offers and they were substantial.

“The player was understandably upset and took a long time to process his disappointment, but to his credit he worked through his differences with the Seagulls and continued to excel despite the Gunners’ extraordinary defeat on their own ground.”

The 21-year-old was also praised on Twitter. Football Talent Scout said in August: “The market value / offer price of Moisés Caicedos will be astronomical next summer. And it will be worth every penny. the man-machine. He’s 20, by the way. 20 years.

While United will likely be without Rice, Caicedo wouldn’t exactly be a disappointing alternative.