Reports has linked Jordan Pickford to join Manchester United; Inside transfer rumours
Erik ten Hag is a bit fed up. Manchester United sale is taking forever, Kim Min-jae has opted for Bayern Munich over a move to Old Trafford, Chelsea are asking for £70m for Mason Mount and now even David de Gea is hesitant over a new deal after a Barely Deserved season. He jumps over wobbly balls and kicks the ball out of play as his teammates try to reinforce from behind.
What better way for Ten Hag to lift his spirits than by signing the lovable rascal Jordan Pickford from Everton? United are reportedly preparing to capitalize on Everton’s money troubles by placing a £45m bid on the table at Goodison Park and sweetening the deal by handing the England No.1 a one-time deal. worth twice as much as £200,000 to jump ship.
The situation between the sticks at Old Trafford is an uncertain issue at present with David de Gea’s future up in the air. United confirmed this week they are in talks with their current first choice but Erik ten Hag has been hesitant about the Spaniard keeping his position next year.
With Jack Butland having left and Dean Henderson’s future unclear, a new keeper could be needed. According to the Daily Star, Pickford could be the man to fill the role.
It is understood Ten Hag sees Pickford as the perfect option in goal due to his shot stopping abilities and distribution. The newspaper adds manager Sean Dyche has been told he needs to balance the books despite the Toffees avoiding the drop.
Pickford signed a new deal at Goodison Park in February which commits him to Everton until 2027. United are understood to be convinced the blue half of Merseyside will have to accept the offer as they look to offload players.
Meanwhile, La Liga side Real Betis are reportedly weighing up a move to sign Eric Bailly this summer. The 29-year-old spent last season on loan at Ligue 1 giants Marseille.
After 23 appearances, the French club were unconvinced about making his move permanent and the Ivorian is set to be welcomed back to United this pre-season. According to Mundo Deportivo, Betis’ director Ramon Planes is a driving force in his club’s interest in Bailly and has been watching him closely.
Despite still being under contract at United, Bailly may have burnt his bridges with United following an interview with The Times in September where he accused the club of bias towards English players – a move which was interpreted as a dig at club captain Harry Maguire.
Axel Disasi is also expected to rival Lisandro Martínez and Raphaël Varane in central defence, with Monaco demanding £44million to let the France international go.
Also read…
Manchester United compile list of five strikers following discission reached on Harry Kane
Manchester United have reportedly compiled a shortlist of five strikers to target for a contract this summer.
The shortlist was announced days after the club decided not to pursue the transfer of Surrs striker Harry Kane, citing the potential cost of a transfer.
According to the Guardian, manager Erik ten Hag has conceded that United ‘cannot exceed a certain level’ when it comes to the 29-year-old’s transfer fee and salary.
Kane has been United’s number one target for the summer but at the start of what could be a busy summer they now have to focus on other things.
They have been heavily linked with a move to Rasmus Hojlund, with Fabrizio Romano saying the Danish striker, who has scored nine league goals this season, would be interested in a move to Old Trafford. According to a new report, the 20-year-old is one of five forwards United are keen to sign this summer.
Man Utd ‘have shortlisted five forwards’
According to Athletic, Aston Villa star Ollie Watkins is on United’s radar as he has been watched by club scouts.
The 25-year-old striker has impressed in a more central role under Unai Emery this season, scoring 15 Premier League goals.
The report adds that there is only a ‘small group of players’ capable of fulfilling Ten Hag’s tenure for United.
His other reported targets – Benfica’s Goncalo Ramos, Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen – could therefore all be outside the club’s price range. A replacement for Darwin Nunez, Ramos has scored 19 goals in 30 La Liga Portugal games this season. Last month, United vice-captain Bruno Fernandes spoke about his potential to become “one of the best strikers in the world” in an interview with Sport TV (via A Bola).
Osimhen, meanwhile, recently won the Serie A Golden Boot and landed his first Scudetto with Naïli. But the Italian giants want to sell him for £150m, according to various reports.
Kolo Muani featured in the World Cup final against France and his all-around performance will have impressed Ten Hag. Along with his 15 goals, the striker has provided 11 assists this season in the Bundesliga. He can play both wide and central and Frankfurt have reportedly set an asking price of £78million.
Signing any of the above options would cost United a significant amount of money – but it’s a priority position for their manager this summer.
Read also…
PSG set to sell 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.
Also cont…..
“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.”
The Serie A duo aren’t the only ones on Saha’s radar, but the pair have caught the eye this term. 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.”
Also read…
Premier League summer 2023 transfer window – all offers from Europe’s top five leagues
It is clear that some clubs are playing it safe and trying to use their resources to get the best players during the transfer window and Manchester United tops this list of clubs. They always look for the right players at the right price before signing, but that could also be risky.
When Mikel Arteta spoke of a restart after Arsenal missed out on the title, most people meant mentally, but it seems he wants a whole new midfielder – one without Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka. Sources have revealed that the Ghanaian midfielder is for sale at the right price; 50 million pounds and you can go down. There is interest from clubs in Italy and Spain but they are all broke, so the Gunners are hoping the Saudis enter the race after Al-Hilal beat everyone for Ruben Neves. Roméo Lavia has already been designated as Partey’s replacement, and Arsenal have preceded Chelsea, United and Liverpool for the Belgian teenager who can buy Manchester City back from Southampton for £40m next summer if he’s up for a year in the championship.
To be continued…..