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Arsenal may be unbeaten after five Premier League matches so far this season, but they have failed to impress ex-Manchester United star Paul Scholes.

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• Arsenal unbeaten after 2-2 Man City draw
• Gunners pushing to win Premier League title
• Scholes dismissive of their early form

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Gunners sit two points behind leaders and reigning champions Manchester City after the two teams played out a feisty 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. The north London team came agonisingly close to claiming a victory, only for a late equaliser to ensure they left with a point.

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  After finishing second behind City in the Premier League table for the second year in a row last season, Arsenal are pushing to dethrone Pep Guardiola's team this time around. However, ex-England midfielder Scholes feels they are "struggling" already.

• WHAT SCHOLES SAID

  "Arsenal, at some point, have got to beat them [Manchester City at the Etihad]. They nearly did it, and it was a great effort," he said on podcast. "I sat here at the start of the season and thought Arsenal might win the league, but I’ve been a little bit disappointed with their start to the season.

  "Arsenal have been poor going forward this season. You look at all the goals they scored last year, and everyone was talking about getting a centre-forward in the summer and you thought they probably didn’t need it. But five or six games in, it feels like Arsenal are struggling – it’s not quite clicking."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

  Arteta's team will aim to book a place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup when they take on Bolton on Wednesday. They will then return to Premier League action with a home game against Leicester on Saturday.

Birmingham City fans will just want a settled face in the St. Andrew's dug-out next season, with another new manager walking in through the door very soon owing to Tony Mowbray now stepping down.

Whoever does take on the reins after the ex-Sunderland man will have their work cut out to a degree, trying to breathe life back into the Blues who have slipped down to League One for the first time in 29 years, despite having ambitious new American owners in the background.

In a different reality, Birmingham would have stuck by John Eustace earlier in the season – who secured survival for his new club Blackburn Rovers at the expense of his ex-employers – instead of appointing Wayne Rooney, but not much good can come from being bitter about the past now.

Funnily enough, the new third-tier side could try and show they mean business by going after this former assistant manager to Rooney, who has Championship suitors eyeing up him too.

Birmingham going after ambitious swoop

Football Insider first reported last week that Birmingham were interested in trying to bring ex-Hull City manager Liam Rosenior to St. Andrew's, attempting to fend off a barrage of clubs from the division above going after the in-demand 39-year-old.

With Sunderland and Plymouth Argyle also convinced that Rosenior should be their next manager, rumours have circulated since that the former Tigers man isn't interested in the League One vacancy, according to football journalist Alan Nixon via his Patreon.

Holding out for a job in the league above presumably, having been controversially axed from his job post at the MKM Stadium after securing a reasonable seventh placed finish for Hull, the powers that be at Birmingham will just have to hope they can sell a vision and project to Rosenior to pull off this coup.

The Championship Manager of the Season nominee could well relish the task of restoring the Blues to their former pride if he was to eventually be sold on becoming Mowbray's successor, having succeeded in League One before alongside Rooney and in his own capacity as interim manager at Derby.

Liam Rosenior's record at Derby

Going about his business in an understated manner after Rooney's exit, Rosenior steadied the Rams ship when there was still turmoil in the air in Derbyshire during the start of the 2022/23 campaign before Paul Warne's arrival from Rotherham United.

That short stint seemingly made a sizeable impact, with Sky Sports pundit Clinton Morrison notably stating: "I actually think he’s a top manager. I spoke to a few people at Derby. He was unlucky to lose his job, the players respected him. He’s one of the best coaches ever."

He could well be the ideal manager to calm everything down at Birmingham in the present, therefore, with the club so up-and-down in recent years with a revolving door of bosses coming in and out of the building at a rapid pace.

Going through a ridiculous nine managers in the last five years, with Rowett expected to move on after taking on the reins on an interim basis from Mowbray, Birmingham will hope rolling the dice on Rosenior comes good.

Winning seven of the 12 games he took in charge of the Rams on an interim basis, with just three losses in League One managed from these games to come away with a 58.3% win ratio, the 39-year-old also proving himself at Hull would stand him in good stead to be a success with Birmingham.

Described as doing a "superb" job with the Tigers before his dismissal by Arsenal legend Ray Parlour, with the former Rams face a success in initially securing survival for Hull in his first season before nearly making the playoffs, Birmingham would certainly make a statement getting Rosenior in if they can.

Birmingham offered chance to bring in promotion expert Mowbray replacement

He has earned four promotions in his career so far.

By
Henry Jackson

May 13, 2024

As the summer transfer window approaches, change is on the cards at Newcastle United with one fringe player's future now reportedly closer to a resolution as he prepares to leave St James' Park as a free agent.

Newcastle transfer news

After a fairly tame summer window last time out, the Magpies are reportedly wasting no time before landing reinforcements for Eddie Howe and his side, with deals for both Lloyd Kelly and Tosin Adarabioyo on the cards in the coming weeks. Both players are set to be out of contract at the end of this month and free to complete moves to St James' Park in what should be looked at as bargain deals.

Two central defenders, Howe should also see any defensive depth issues cease once and for all to hand his side a major boost ahead of the next campaign, having been forced to shoehorn the likes of Dan Burn into the role in the season just gone. As two players likely arrive in free deals, however, another is on his way out in similar fashion, with his future now becoming clearer.

Newcastle targeting "monster" signing who'd take Isak to the next level

He’s enjoyed a brilliant season during 2023/24.

By
Ethan Lamb

May 28, 2024

According to reports in Italy via The Shields Gazette, Como 1907 are close to signing Loris Karius, who wants to move to Italy to be closer to his family. The former Liverpool shot-stopper has even appointed an Italian agency with the explicit intent of finding a new home in Serie A, with the Magpies also confirming he is free to find a new home.

The Italian side meanwhile have just earned promotion to top flight, with Cesc Fàbregas playing his part as assistant manager, and now the former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder could use his Premier League expertise to welcome Karius on a free deal this summer.

Karius played just twice for Newcastle and will leave hoping to finally earn a starting role to put an end to a nightmare few years and get his career back on track at last.

Last chance saloon for "great" Karius

Since quite literally fumbling his Liverpool career in a Champions League final defeat against Real Madrid in 2018, Karius has been unable to return to a starting role, finding himself as low as the number three spot behind Nick Pope and Martin Dubravka at Newcastle. Now 30 years old, a last chance beckons for the shot-stopper and a last chance that he must take.

The German will be hoping to find the form that he showed in one of his two Newcastle appearances in their Carabao Cup final defeat against Manchester United last season. Howe was full of praise for Karius after his performance, saying via The Metro: "I think his all-round demeanour was good, his distribution was good.

"I thought he made some great saves, especially when we were chasing the game. He was always going to have to play well in that second half as we were leaving grass behind our back line, but he can be really proud of his efforts today."

Once a Champions League goalkeeper, Karius looks set to get one more chance to take a number one role in Italy this summer, potentially working under a Premier League legend.

George Baldock was tragically found dead at age 31 at his residence in Greece and the defender's cause of death has now been reported.

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• George Baldock found dead at age 31
• Found unresponsive by emergency services
• Cause of death reported as drowning

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  On Wednesday evening, Baldock was found dead in his swimming pool at his villa in Athens after reports were raised by his wife to the emergency services. Despite the medical personnel's best efforts, they were unable to resuscitate the 31-year-old. While the police are yet to release the official cause of death, Greek outlet Ekathimerini have reported Baldock's cause of death was determined by a medical examiner to be drowning in water. A toxicology report has also been carried out, with results to come in several days.

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  Baldock made more than 200 appearances for Sheffield United – including 83 outings in the Premier League – before joining Greek side Panathinaikos this summer. The circumstances surrounding the British-Greek defender's death haven't been fully disclosed but the Hellenic Police in Athens have ruled out criminal activity while they continue to investigate the matter.

• WHAT THE POLICE HAVE SAID

  A statement from Hellenic Police in Athens, released on Thursday, said [via Sky Sports]: "The preliminary investigation is carried out by the Attica Security Directorate. A forensic pathologist was called to the scene and examined the body with no evidence of criminal activity.

  "The police searched the house to determine if there were any signs of a burglary with a negative result. In addition, a specialised team of the Criminal Investigation Directorate of the police carried out a check on the house in order to rule out the possibility of criminal activity."

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  GREECE AND ENGLAND TO PAY TRIBUTE TO BALDOCK

  Greece and England are set to take each other on later today in a Nations League group-stage match after the Greek FA saw their request to postpone the match owing to Baldock's untimely death denied by UEFA due to a lack of available dates, according to the Daily Mail. There will be a moment of silence in honour of the defender before the start of the match at Wembley, and the players will also wear black armbands.

Portuguese Magnifico, Bruno Fernandes, is without doubt Manchester United’s most important player.

The attacking midfielder fully understands what it means and takes to wear the Red Devils shirt, hence why he wears the captain’s armband.

Fernandes has been the heartbeat of the team ever since his first game against Wolverhampton Wanderers back in 2020, and this season, he ranked first in the squad for goals, assists, chances created, and shots in the Premier League.

However, there’s one current player who’s worth two times more than the number eight, despite only joining last summer.

What Man Utd paid for Rasmus Hojlund

Having starred for Saturn Graz in Austria, Rasmus Hojlund became an Atalanta player in 2022 and he instantly showed his class.

Despite starting just 20 matches in Serie A and playing 57 minutes per game on average, the Danish striker scored an impressive nine goals and was a handful every single time he stepped onto the field.

Because of his quick rise to success and his profile, Man Utd made Hojlund a red, signing him for a huge £72m to lead the line last season.

The then-20-year-old signed a five-year deal at the club with an option to extend for a further 12 months, and based on his debut season, he’ll have a good chance of starting up front for years to come.

Hojlund’s transfer value in 2024

Despite initially struggling to adapt to the tempo of the Premier League, Hojlund’s first season at Old Trafford was extremely promising.

The number 11 hadn’t scored in the league until Boxing Day against Aston Villa, but he’d already netted five in the Champions League, which proved that it was only a matter of time until he started thriving.

The 21-year-old ended the campaign with 16 goals across all competitions, often playing through fatigue due to the lack of depth in the striker role.

There are plenty of aspects that Hojlund can work on, which is the case for any youngster, but he’s certainly shown that he’s a deadly finisher when provided with service.

As you can see, according to CIES’ Football Observatory, Hojlund is now Man United’s joint-highest valued player alongside 19-year-old Alejandro Garnacho.

This also means that the centre-forward is currently worth two times more than Fernandes, who scored ten goals and provided eight assists in the Premier League last season.

For context, Hojlund is now valued as joint-third amongst Premier League strikers, only now worth less than the Manchester City duo of Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez.

The fact that he was signed for such a large fee and his value has risen since proves just how talented Hojlund is and also how much he’s impressed, with football creator Liam Canning even calling him “the real deal.”

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe targeting a centre forward this summer as a backup to Hojlund, he should continue to develop next time out, and therefore, his worth should continue to increase.

Man United have truly hit the jackpot by signing Hojlund, and it looks as though they’ve finally found a permanent solution for the striker problem that’s haunted them for over a decade.

What Man Utd's dream XI could look like after £230m spending spree

Marcus Rashford doesn’t make the best eleven.

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By
Tom Lever

Jun 7, 2024

Mary Earps admits that Paris Saint-Germain’s Women’s Champions League exit was “gutting”, with “extraordinary” feats now expected from her.

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• Left Man Utd for new challenge in France
• Suffered early exit from European competition
• Operates under the brightest of spotlights

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The England international is a two-time winner of the FIFA Best Women’s Goalkeeper award and helped the Lionesses to European Championship glory in Euro 2022 – helping to raise her profile throughout the world. She took the brave decision to leave her homeland at Manchester United in the summer of 2024 and head to France.

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  WHAT EARPS SAID

  PSG suffered elimination from elite continental competition early in Earps’ time with the club, and she has told of suffering a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Juventus in the second round of qualifying: “I can’t really put it any other way than it was gutting. Especially with that being a massive factor into why I made the move to Paris. It was unfortunate, the way it happened. I think, in all honesty, we didn’t play our best and we got what we deserved, but it was just really unfortunate and is really hard to get past.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Earps’ efforts in Paris were always going to come under scrutiny, with any supposed wobbles being magnified. She added on operating under the brightest of spotlights: “It is a massive compliment but you do get criticised more and held to a higher standard than what other people do. Then the extraordinary is expected. But, the reality of it is that I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m really grateful for everything that I’ve achieved and the exciting thing for me is that I still feel like I’ve got room for improvement.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Earps faces fierce competition for places with PSG and England, meaning that she has to find a way of maintaining impressive individual standards. The 31-year-old will never back down from such a challenge and remains determined to play important roles for club and country.

Man City boss Gareth Taylor has responded to claims of a 'relationship breakdown' with Lionesses star Chloe Kelly, whose contract is soon to expire.

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• Kelly struggling for game time with Man City
• Report claims relationship with Taylor is 'fractured'
• City boss responds and provides contract update

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kelly has found game time tougher to come by than usual in recent months. She lost her place in the Man City XI to Australia star Mary Fowler towards the end of last season and has only started twice this term, with summer signing Aoba Fujino increasing the competition on her side of attack. When City beat Liverpool on Sunday, Kelly was an unused substitute.

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  A story published by on Monday added to the situation, as it was claimed there had been a 'breakdown' in the relationship between Taylor and Kelly. The winger is in the final year of her contract at the club and the report says that renewal talks are at an 'impasse', with a new deal 'difficult' to strike in 'the current situation'.

• WHAT TAYLOR SAID

  Asked about the story in his press conference on Tuesday, Taylor said: "There's no news on the contract front. I felt like the story was a bit of a non-event if I'm honest, particularly after such a solid performance from us at the weekend. It just beggars belief really that people want to focus on that. But Chloe's been great. She's really working hard, she's really engaged, she's really aligned with what we're doing and she understands, like the rest of the players at the top end of the pitch, that things are slightly different from maybe the last season or two. We have been able to strengthen in those areas. She's contributed this season, for sure.

  "You've got to be ready to play. If you're needed, of course, go and do your bit. But if you're not, you need to be mentally prepared for the next opportunity. Chloe's doing that really well, I have to say. She's been great in that sense. She's really aligned. She's with the team, for sure. She's really, really trying to work so hard for the team and sometimes you get the rewards off the back of that and sometimes you don't, but she's doing everything that we expect of her. She's contributed with goals and assists already this season, in the limited time that she's had, and that's exactly what we're looking for."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  It's a big season for Kelly, and not just because she is in the final year of her contract. Next summer, England will go to Switzerland to defend their European Championship title and the Man City star, who scored the goal that won the tournament in 2022, will be eager to be on the plane. However, she will need more game time to be sure of her place in Sarina Wiegman's squad.

Manchester City were unsuccessful in defending their treble in the 2023/24 season. Two campaigns ago, they completed the historic achievement, becoming only the second English club to do so after Mancunian rivals Manchester United in 1999. However, it was not to be for Pep Guardiola’s men last term, and they 'only' walked away with one trophy.

The Cityzens lost their crowns in both the FA Cup and the Champions League. They lost the FA Cup final to Erik ten Hag’s Red Devils, who sealed won the competition for the 13th time in their history thanks to goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo.

City’s Champions League dream was crushed by Real Madrid, who beat them on penalties in the quarter-final. Los Blancos also went on to lift the competition, for the 15th time in their history.

Despite failing to retain either of their titles in the knockout competitions, City did retain the Premier League last season. Once again, it came down to a hard-fought title race against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side. However, City just pipped them, finishing three points clear of the Gunners to win a historic fourth consecutive Premier League trophy.

Despite tasting success in the top flight once again, Guardiola will no doubt be desperate to regain his other titles. City may well dip into the transfer market to help strengthen their prospects of doing so and have already been linked with one player who could become a difference-maker for them next season.

Man City targetting Bundesliga midfielder

The player in question here is RB Leipzig and Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo. It has been another successful season in Germany for the Spaniard, who will be at Euro 2024 across June and July, and he has been linked with a move to the Premier League following the conclusion of the tournament for Spain.

At least, that is according to French outlet Sports Zone. They report that Olmo is a target for Guardiola’s City, as well as two other European heavyweights, namely Bundesliga side Bayern Munich and French champions Paris Saint Germain, who need to replace Kylian Mbappe after he moved to Real Madrid.

According to the report from Sports Zone, Leipzig will only allow the sale of Olmo if one of the three interested clubs activates his release clause, which is worth £51m. This would represent great profit for the German side, who paid £25.3m for Olmo from Dinamo Zagreb in 2020.

At this stage, none of the three clubs linked with Olmo have advanced talks to a serious stage. However, Sports Zone states that all three have inquired, and that “initial information has been taken” should a transfer come to fruition.

How Olmo fits in at Man City

Olmo is a player City manager Guardiola has spoken highly of in the past. Whilst he was still a Dinamo Zagreb player, Olmo scored against the Premier League winners in the Champions League in 2019. This led to high praise after the match from the legendary Spanish manager, who said “he is an incredible player”, before stating he believes the 26-year-old has “a bright future” in the game.

Frustratingly for the Spain international, his season has been hampered by injuries. Olmo missed 29 games for club and country last term. However, he still featured 25 times in all competitions for Leipzig, scoring eight times and registering five assists.

He scored a game-winning hat trick in the German Supercup against Bayern Munich at the start of 2023/24 too. As Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig explained, the 26-year-old can “produce magic”, which he showed on the biggest stage in that particular final.

Olmo could make the move to the Etihad Stadium as a long-term replacement for City’s talismanic Belgian Kevin De Bruyne. The legendary attacking midfielder has been linked with a move away this summer, and he gave a recent interview where he said “You have to be open to everything”, referring to a potential move to Saudi Arabia.

Given De Bruyne’s injury record last season, a campaign where he missed 41 games, the most he has ever missed in a single season, and his age, a move away might be the best for all parties. On top of that, the 32-year-old's contract expires in 12 months. Should the Belgian move, it would allow City the chance to build for the future, with the likes of Phil Foden and Olmo, if he signs for the Cityzens.

How Dani Olmo compares to Cole Palmer

However, whilst Olmo would be brought in as a De Bruyne replacement, he is stylistically more like former City winger Cole Palmer – according to FBref's similar players model – who joined Chelsea last summer.

Guardiola hoped Palmer would stay, as he discussed in an interview in April, explaining he said to Palmer “No! Stay! Stay!” in an attempt to convince him to remain at the club. He has since scored and assisted 33 goals in the Premier League last season.

However, in signing the Spaniard, he could have a clone of the City academy graduate in his squad. One of Olmo’s standout attributes is his dribbling ability, and he has superb close control and quick feet. This is also an area where Palmer also excels. As per FBref, Olmo averages 4.47 take-ons per 90 minutes, and completes 1.93 on average, compared to Palmer’s 3.57 attempted take-ons, and the 1.79 take-ons that he completes.

In terms of progressive carries, the pair are once again neck and neck. Olmo averages 3.73 progressive carries per 90, compared to Palmer’s 4.02, although the Spaniard edges it when looking at final third carries, with 3.04, with the Englishman averaging 2.27, likely because he carries the ball from deeper areas in the pitch more often, given his slightly deeper role. Once again, it is close for carries into the penalty box, although Palmer’s 1.58 per 90 just trumps Olmo’s 1.12 per 90.

Where Palmer excels over Olmo is his creativity in the final third, last season averaging 6.77 progressive passes per 90 and 2.47 key passes, with the Leipzig attacker averaging 4.22 progressive passes and 1.99 key passes.

Adding Olmo to the City squad allows them to add a profile like Palmer back into the squad, which Guardiola wishes he still had, judging by his quotes, and also bring in a direct replacement position for De Bruyne.

Even though Olmo’s output is not at the level of the Belgian, he is clearly well thought of by his fellow Spaniard, Guardiola and could thrive in a team which includes the deadly Erling Haaland. It could well be a match made in heaven for Olmo and Man City.

Man City could sign £100m Kovacic upgrade who finds Rodri "annoying"

Man City are in the mix to secure a perfect Rodri partner…

By
Ross Kilvington

Jun 9, 2024

Vinicius Jr.'s entourage might be reconsidering the player's future in Spain following an unforeseen Ballon d'Or snub.

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• Vinicius Jr. finished second in Ballon d'Or rankings
• Might be tempted to leave Madrid
• Has garnered interest from Saudi Arabia and England

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Vinicius Jr. could decide to reconsider his future at Real Madrid following his surprise Ballon d'Or snub earlier this week, with Manchester City's Rodri taking the honours at the gala in Paris. Per a report from AS, the 24-year-old's entourage are studying options for the future as they feel a number of circumstances are not quite right for the attacker at his current club.

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  Vinicius has had a tough time in Spain ever since he arrived from Brazil at the tender age of 18 in 2018. His first few seasons at Real Madrid were riddled with inconsistency, until Carlo Ancelotti unlocked his potential and transformed him into a world-beater.

  While Vinicius certainly feels loved by his coach, team-mates, president Florentino Perez, as well as Madridistas all over the world, the story flips whenever he visits opposition stadiums.

  Not only does the Brazilian winger feel unprotected by the referees, but has also had to deal with countless episodes of racial abuse over the years. That, coupled with the Ballon d'Or snub and interest from Saudi Arabia and the Premier League, could see Vinicius seek greener pastures, with his Real Madrid contract expiring in 2027.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  According to Vinicius' management staff, it was the player's continued battle against racism which led to his Ballon d'Or snub. "The football world is not ready to accept a player who fights against the system," Vini's management staff told Reuters.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR VINICIUS JR.?

  The former Flamengo prodigy will now turn his focus to Real Madrid's important visit to the Mestalla this weekend, where he has been targeted with racial abuse in the past two seasons.

Manchester United have reportedly made contact over a potential deal to sign Erik ten Hag's first signing of the summer, as the Red Devils look to make a return to the Premier League's top four next season.

Man Utd transfer news

With the decision made to keep hold of Ten Hag rather than turning their attention towards Thomas Tuchel and Gareth Southgate, even reportedly closing in on a new contract for the Dutchman, United have seemingly shifted their focus towards incomings. Recent reports have linked the Red Devils with the likes of Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite as well as Bologna forward Joshua Zirkzee.

Branthwaite enjoyed an excellent campaign at Goodison Park last season, leading to United's reported £43m bid, which was turned down by Everton, who are still looking to stand their ground on their reported £80m price tag this summer.

It remains to be seen whether Sir Jim Ratcliffe will match such a price, but there's no doubt that, whether it's Branthwaite or another option, United need a defensive reinforcement following Raphael Varane's exit.

It's not just the Frenchman who the Red Devils may need to replace this summer, however, with Casemiro's future still in doubt and an ideal option seemingly lined up. According to Fabrizio Romano's for Caught Offside, Manchester United have made contact over a potential deal to sign Manuel Ugarte this summer.

Man Utd star who earns more than Hojlund has agreed personal terms to leave

The Man Utd player has agreed personal terms with another club.

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By
Tom Lever

Jun 26, 2024

Whilst they are yet to present an offer to Paris Saint-Germain, Old Trafford chiefs are reportedly fans of the defensive midfielder who could have the chance to leave the French champions just one year after completing a move worth a reported £51m.

After clear struggles at the heart of Ten Hag's midfield last season, welcoming a player of Ugarte's calibre would not just replace Casemiro but also offer Kobbie Mainoo an ideal partner next season.

"Machine" Ugarte would be an upgrade on Casemiro

Following such a solid debut season, Casemiro very much looked like a 32-year-old midfielder on his way past his peak in the last campaign, sparking doubts over his Old Trafford future. In form or not though, if the Brazilian does leave this summer, United will need to welcome a replacement at the base of their midfield. And that's where Ugarte should come in.

Ugarte's ball recoveries compared to Casemiro's particularly stand out as the type of trait he could offer Ten Hag that the latter has otherwise struggled to offer in the last year. That energy off the ball would complement the likes of Mainoo well, handing United a much-needed boost at the heart of their side.

The PSG midfielder earned high praise before his move to the Ligue 1 giants, including from Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig, who went as far as describing Ugarte as a "Uruguayan midfield machine" last February. Now, it is United who could benefit from such a player if they push on and present an offer to PSG this summer.