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It would be fair to say that the last 18 months or so have been rather testing for Erik ten Hag and Manchester United.

Even with two trophies under his belt, the questions around his suitability remain as prevalent as ever following his side’s underwhelming start to the Premier League season, which has seen them pick up just seven points from a possible 15.

Moreover, while Marcus Rashford is showing signs of improvement this year, club captain Bruno Fernandes has been well off the pace.

However, while the Dutchman has received plenty of criticism for his mistakes in the dugout, he has improved some players, including one who was in line to be sold under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s tenure.

Diogo Dalot's early United career

Yes, the player in question is Portuguese international Diogo Dalot, who first joined United from FC Porto in June 2018 for around £19m.

His first season in England wasn’t quite what he had hoped for, though. Two injuries saw him miss 16 games, and when he was fit, he only got minor cameos here and there for the first team, amounting to a total of 1527 minutes across 23 appearances.

Unfortunately for the promising full-back, his second season in Manchester was even worse. A hip injury, a knock, and a groin injury saw him sidelined for 132 days and miss 35 games, leading fans and pundits alike to speculate about whether he had a future at the club at all.

In fact, according to an article from The Athletic published at the start of his third season, the Braga-born ace was no longer in Solskjaer’s plans, and the club was open to offers for his services.

This would explain why they were happy to send him out on loan to Serie A giants AC Milan for the 20/21 campaign, where he made 33 appearances, scored two goals, provided three assists, and remained relatively fit.

His time in Italy was something of a turning point. The following season saw him make 30 appearances for the Red Devils, and then, with Ten Hag at the helm, he became a permanent fixture in the first team the following season, making 42 appearances and finally showing the league just how talented he really is.

Dalot's superb season

With his place now firmly established in the team, Dalot took yet another step forward under Ten Hag last season and emerged from what was a disappointing campaign for the club overall as perhaps one of the few players whose stock had risen.

In all, the Red Devils’ “standout player,” as journalist Liam Canning dubbed him, made 50 appearances, totalling a whopping 4364 minutes of football, in which he scored three goals and provided five assists, three of which came in the club’s successful run to FA Cup glory.

In recognition of his incredible displays in what was a challenging year, the 25-year-old won the United Players’ Player of the Season Award for the first time.

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Lastly, in addition to performing on the pitch, the 24-cap international has also proved to be a wise investment off it, as his valuation has skyrocketed to about €47m, per Football Transfers, which converts to around £39m, or a 105% increase on the fee United paid for him.

Ultimately, Dalot is a brilliant case study of why clubs should stick by talented players who are either going through a run of poor form or injury problems, as they might come through the other side as one of the most critical players in the team.

Ten Hag sold Man Utd star for £13m, now he's outperforming Rashford & Bruno

One ex-United star is now thriving away from Old Trafford…

By
Robbie Walls

Sep 27, 2024

Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr have reportedly set their sights on Jhon Duran and will battle Paris Saint-Germain for the £80 million-rated striker.

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• Duran in demand after Aston Villa heroics
• PSG & Al-Nassr are vying for his signature
• Villa have rejected €75m offer from PSG

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Duran committed his future to Aston Villa in October 2024 by signing a contract that ties him to the club until 2030. The development took place after a summer transfer window where reportedly no fewer than 40 clubs expressed interest in the young forward. Despite limited starting opportunities, Duran has been impressive this season, scoring 12 goals in 28 appearances across all competitions, including three consecutive strikes against Southampton, Manchester City, and Nottingham Forest.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  According to reports from , Villa recently rejected PSG’s bid of approximately £63 million ($78m) for the Colombian international. Despite the Parisians reportedly making progress in personal negotiations with Duran’s representatives, convincing Villa to part ways with their prized asset remains a significant hurdle. Al-Nassr, on the other hand, are now monitoring Duran’s situation closely and could potentially test Villa's resolve with an offer in this transfer window.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Durán joined Villa in January 2023 from MLS side Chicago Fire in a deal worth £18 million. Reports suggest that Duran is intrigued by the prospect of joining Al-Nassr as it would provide him an opportunity to rub shoulders with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, and other luminaries such as Marcelo Brozovic, Aymeric Laporte and Otavio.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR DURAN?

  As the January transfer window unfolds, the race for Jhon Durán’s signature is heating up. With a contract lasting until 2030 and consistent performances on the pitch, Villa see Duran as an essential part of their future. With PSG struggling to meet their demands and Al-Nassr preparing to enter the fray, the Colombian striker finds himself at the centre of a high-stakes battle. Whether can resist the financial lure of the Saudi Pro League or hold firm against Europe’s elite remains to be seen.

Juventus are pursuing defensive reinforcements and have reportedly opened talks with Newcastle United over a potential loan move for Lloyd Kelly.

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• Thiago Motta wants a centre back in January
• Discussions are underway for Kelly with the Magpies
• Could have a buy clause set between €15m – €18m

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to reports from , discussions between Juventus and Newcastle are progressing, with the Serie A club edging closer to securing Kelly’s services. Initial talks suggested that Juventus were hoping to bring the defender in on a simple loan deal or at most with an option to buy. However, Newcastle have made it clear that they will only agree to a move if a mandatory purchase clause, between €15m (£12.5m/$15.5m) and €18m (£15m/$18.65m), is included in the agreement.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kelly arrived at St. James’ Park last summer on a free transfer from Bournemouth but has found opportunities limited under Eddie Howe. Despite being a versatile defender capable of playing both centrally and on the left, he has struggled to break into the starting lineup as he faces stiff competition from established names such as Lewis Hall, Dan Burn, and Fabian Schar. Additionally, the recent return of Sven Botman from injury has further reduced his chances of getting regular game time.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Bianconeri have already had an active transfer window. They recently signed right-back Alberto Costa on a permanent deal and secured loan agreements for Renato Veiga and Randal Kolo Muani from Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Despite losing just one league match all season, Juventus currently sit fifth in the Serie A standings. Motta is eager to maintain his side’s competitive edge and sees defensive stability as a priority in the final stretch of the campaign. Bringing in Kelly would not only address their immediate depth concerns but could also provide a long-term defensive solution.

As the pressure continues to build on Erik ten Hag, INEOS reportedly sent scouts to watch a surprise candidate to replace the Dutchman as his side picked up an impressive victory.

Ten Hag is a man under pressure

No matter how often his trophy haul is reiterated at Manchester United, Ten Hag is simply struggling to impress at Old Trafford and is under growing pressure to turn things around. The Dutchman no longer has the excuse that he wasn’t backed with the right players or that the hierarchy behind him is in poor shape in its own right, with Dan Ashworth arriving alongside a plethora of fresh faces to steer a sinking ship in the right direction in the summer.

Instead of Fernandes: Man Utd's "most important player" must now be captain

The Red Devils have endured a tricky few weeks on the field.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 5, 2024

The new sporting director welcomed new signings such as Joshua Zirkzee, Matthijs de Ligt, Nousssair Mazraoui and Manuel Ugarte to improve the Red Devils all across the pitch in the summer, but is yet to see the rewards for his recruitment. Instead, it’s been a case of fresh faces, same Manchester United under Ten Hag, whose side are currently winless in four games in all competitions, having recently drawn 3-3 against Porto despite taking a 2-0 lead.

Recent rumours have hardly helped Ten Hag either, with a fresh candidate now emerging to replace the former Ajax boss. According to Swedish outlet Aftonbladet, via Sport Witness, INEOS are now plotting a surprise move for Oscar Hiljemark, having sent Manchester United scouts to watch Elfsborg’s recent 1-0 victory over AS Roma in the Europa League, as the manager’s 3-4-3 system enjoyed another success.

Just 32 years old, Hiljemark would be one of the youngest managers in Europe’s top five leagues in a move that would see Manchester United follow a similar path to that of Brighton & Hove Albion, who hired 31-year-old Fabian Hurzeler in the summer.

Hiring Hiljemark would be huge risk for Man Utd

The Manchester United role is one of the biggest in Europe and one that has only been made more pressurised thanks to the failure of every single manager that has dared to follow Sir Alex Ferguson.

David Moyes was supposed to be the successor, only for the Scot to just be the beginning. Louis van Gaal soon followed, only to suffer a similar fate in what some will still argue was a harsh decision. Even Jose Mourinho couldn’t take the Red Devils back to the top of English football. Now, Ten Hag looks destined to become the latest failure. So, if INEOS turn towards a 32-year-old manager for the vacant role, they’d be taking their biggest risk yet.

In many ways, the argument could be made that those at Old Trafford have exhausted every tactic when it comes to selecting their managers, from former players to serial winners, so why not turn to the next generation? But, for Hiljemark, the risk would also be one to take into consideration, given how failure would stop his progress in its tracks.

Arsenal have enjoyed an excellent start to the 2024/25 Premier League campaign as they look to end a two-decade wait for a league title at the Emirates.

Mikel Arteta’s side have won five and drawn two of their opening seven matches, but still remain third in the table, level on points with Manchester City whilst sitting just a point off current leaders Liverpool.

Winger Bukayo Saka has been crucial in the Gunners’ start to the new season, registering seven assists – an average of one per game – allowing teammates such as Kai Havertz to make an impact in the final third.

However, the latest international break has come at the worst possible time for Arteta’s side, with the North London outfit seeming to gain momentum in their performances over recent weeks.

The aforementioned Saka has already featured for England during the break, but his Arsenal and international teammate had a performance to forget last night.

Declan Rice’s stats for England against Greece

After his start to the season in North London, midfielder Declan Rice has continued to be a key part of the England national team, starting in last night’s Nations League clash at Wembley.

However, he was unable to prevent Lee Carsley’s side from falling to a shock defeat, as their opponents scored their first-ever goal at the new Wembley stadium during the win.

The 25-year-old failed to impress during his 90-minute display, producing some underwhelming stats throughout the international clash in the capital.

Rice may have completed 97% of the passes he attempted, but struggled out of possession, only winning three out of the seven duels he entered during the defeat.

The Arsenal ace also lost possession four times and committed two fouls, receiving a yellow card in an all-round disappointing night for the Gunners’ club-record signing.

However, he wasn’t the only Arsenal star to drop a disappointing display on internet duty with his teammate struggling to make an impact despite his nation’s victory.

The Arsenal star who dropped a 5/10 on international duty

Centre-back William Saliba has formed an excellent partnership with Gabriel at the back for Arteta’s side – helping the club push Manchester City for the title over the last two years.

Whilst at club level he’s thrived, internationally he’s struggled as of late, with the French star often being hounded for his lack of impact under Didier Deschamps. Even the manager, himself admitted back in March that Saliba “does things that I don’t like so much”.

He was previously handed a 5/10 match rating for his display against Luxembourg before Euro 2024, with the 23-year-old receiving another 5/10 rating from French outlet GETFootball last night.

When delving into his stats from the victory over Israel, his rating is understandable, with the centre-back caught out for the opponent’s goal whilst failing to provide any impressive defensive numbers.

He notched a total of 102 touches, with a 97% pass accuracy, but he failed to win any aerial battles whilst only winning 50% of his ground duels.

Saliba also lost possession four times during the victory and failed to complete any of the dribbles he attempted – with the centre-back enduring an evening to forget.

Whilst it’s excellent to see Arsenal first-team members featuring for their nations, there is always a risk that a player could lose confidence or pick up an injury on international duty.

As seen last night, Saliba and Rice both failed to impress, with Arteta undoubtedly wanting his players to return to North London fit and ready for when the Gunners face Bournemouth a week on Saturday.

Arsenal must sign a new winger after shocking Bukayo Saka injury claim

Bukayo Saka has played a bucket load of minutes over the last few years.

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By
Matt Dawson

Oct 10, 2024

French midfielder Julien Maggiotti almost fell prey to a scam transfer on the January transfer deadline day, he has revealed.

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• Maggiotti almost fell prey to a scam transfer
• Scammer pretended to be Eintracht Brunswick director
• Was on the verge of catching a flight to Germany

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Maggiotti, who plies his trade at Ligue 2 side Bastia, was approached by a man pretending to be Benjamin Kessel, the sporting director of Bundesliga 2 side Eintracht Brunswick. In the final hours on the deadline day, the midfielder was on his way from Paris to Germany to complete a loan move when he realised he had fallen prey to a scam and that Brunswick were never keen on signing him. The impostor demanded the player pay €10,000 to book a medical, claiming the club no longer had an agreement with a local hospital.

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• WHAT JULIEN MAGGIOTTI SAID

  Speaking to , Maggiotti said: "My agent, through one of his contacts in Germany, had done more in-depth research and understands that Eintracht Brunswick has never been interested and that this thing is totally false."

  He added: "During those hours of waiting, it was hard. You ask yourself a lot of questions. You say to yourself, but what did I do to deserve this? But I don't blame anyone. It happened to me, that's all."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The individual, who pretended to be Kessel, reportedly tried to scam players from Guingamp, Ajaccio and Nancy. The German side have already filed a complaint with the authorities, according to . Maggiotti began his career at Lucciana and later went on to play for clubs like Cholet, Lavia and Charleroi before moving to Bastia in 2023.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Bastia, who are currently ninth in Ligue 2, will be back in action on Friday as they take on Clermont Foot in a league clash.

Chelsea currently sit fourth in the Premier League heading into the international break, still only having lost their opening game of the season, against last year’s champions, Manchester CIty. The Blues have 14 points, winning four games, drawing twice, and losing once.

Enzo Maresca will be very happy with his fast start to life at Chelsea, with many players taking it up a level, and Cole Palmer continuing to shine as he did last season under Mauricio Pochettino.

The aim for Maresca at Chelsea is to guide them back into the Champions League qualification spots, whilst also competing in cup competitions, including the UEFA Conference League, which is a good chance for him to deliver silverware in his first year at the club.

The form of Palmer, but also Jadon Sancho, could play huge parts in that, as both look very confident this season, ready to drive the team forward and challenge for that top-four spot.

Palmer and Sancho influence

The levels Palmer produced last season were out of the ordinary, playing 45 games for the Blues, scoring 25 goals, and providing 15 assists.

Many thought this would be a flash in the pan, but the 22-year-old has started the new campaign in the same rich vein of form, scoring six goals and providing five assists in nine appearances.

His form has been helped by new signing Sancho who has proven to be an electric asset on the left-hand flank. He joined Chelsea this summer from Manchester United, on an initial loan deal, with an obligation to make it permanent, for a fee of around £20-25m.

The 24-year-old has started well under Maresca, making four appearances, and providing three assists already in 263 minutes played.

But Chelsea could perhaps take both of these talented forwards to another level, with a signing that could change the landscape of the game for them, adding more box presence upfront.

Chelsea looking at Premier League striker

Described as “complete” by notable scout Jacek Kulig, Liam Delap has been attracting the interest of Chelsea according to reports.

The 6 foot 1 striker has been in a rich vein of form since moving to Portman Road in the summer for a fee of just £15m, scoring four Premier League goals already this season across their seven fixtures and is finally living up to the billing he was given as a teenager, with AP reporter James Robson suggesting there was “a look of Haaland about him.”

Coincidentally, the English forward came through the Manchester City academy, scoring 35 goals in 36 games for the U21 team, and enjoying loan spells with Hull City, Stoke City, and Preston North End. It’s in Suffolk, however, where he’s found a home.

So, would he be a good signing? We’ve compared him to Nicolas Jackson in a bid to gain the answer to that question.

Having both Jackson and Delap as striker options could be brilliant for Chelsea, and the surrounding creators such as Palmer and Sancho.

Jackson clearly offers a lot in his all-round play, making more progressive passes and carries, having a higher shot volume, and he makes some brilliant runs in behind but the Ipswich forward is no slouch himself.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Delap offers a more physical frame, where he likes to bully defenders, win aerial battles, and score at a high conversion rate, with a 0.36 goals/shot ratio, and a G-xG of +0.47. That sounds ideal for Chelsea’s best chance creators.

Indeed, the 21-year-old – who is now reportedly valued at £34m – would offer more of a box threat for the likes of Sancho and Palmer to find, especially against low blocks, where many chances can be created from crosses and clever passes into the box.

This is definitely one to watch for Chelsea after missing out on Jhon Duran this summer, who is now smashing it for Aston Villa, the Blues may look towards Delap in order to add some extra box presence and clinical finishing to their ranks.

Chelsea let a "wizard" leave for £0, now he's worth £100m & like Palmer

This was a colossal blunder from the Blues…

By
Angus Sinclair

Oct 9, 2024

Barcelona’s sporting director says there is “no discussion, no price” when it comes to Lamine Yamal, with a €250m bid from PSG already fended off.

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• Teenage forward is hot property
• Barca have no intention of selling
• Contract extension in the pipeline

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Teen sensation Yamal has become one of the hottest prospects and properties in world football. At just 17 years of age he is already a European Championship winner and the proud owner of prestigious Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy awards.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  His meteoric rise to prominence has attracted plenty of attention, with Barca president Joan Laporta claiming that French giants Paris Saint-Germain tabled a €250 million (£208m/$261m) offer at one stage. Said approach was immediately knocked back.

• WHAT DECO SAID

  Sporting director Deco has reiterated that Yamal is not for sale, telling : “There are key players, and he is [one]. There is no discussion, there is no price. There have been no offers because we didn't even want to talk about it. He will surely be at Barca for many years, like Pedri and Gavi… They will [all] remain here.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Yamal has earned praise from all-time greats such as Cristiano Ronaldo and fellow La Masia academy graduate Lionel Messi, with Deco adding on his obvious potential: “Yamal is one of the special ones. Not only does he have talent, he also has a different mental capacity.”

The Crystal Palace defender returns to his roots, joining the ownership group of his hometown club.

• Richards invests in USL Championship side Birmingham Legion FC
• Move marks a significant moment for soccer in Birmingham and Alabama
• Defender excited to help grow the game in his hometown

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  WHAT HAPPENED

  Chris Richards, the Crystal Palace and United States Men's National Team defender, has joined the ownership group of Birmingham Legion FC, the USL Championship side and Alabama's first professional soccer club. The announcement, made on Thursday, marks a significant milestone for both Richards and soccer in Birmingham. The defender attended Legion games over the years when visiting his family and believes there is much potential for the sport to grow there.

  "This means everything to me," Richards said of investing in Legion FC. "It's the city I was raised in and the city that made me, so to be able to give back to it and the people who formed this soccer community around it means the world to me."

  "We've had a lot of players (from Birmingham) become successful. Now with the Legion, we have a professional circuit for local talent. Being able to grow that and have kids around Birmingham and Alabama see that this is a proven model is something that's really important to me."

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• THE OFFICIAL STATEMENT

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The 24-year-old defender has played in Germany, England, and the United States even plying his trade for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. That was before his move to Crystal Palace in 2022 and since then the American defender has made over 50 appearances for the club. Richards is a regular for the USMNT squad, having earned 23 caps since his debut in 2020.

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• WHAT’S NEXT?

  Birmingham Legion FC are about to kick off their preseason calendar before the 2025 USL Championship season kicks off in March. The Legion kick things off with back-to-back home games at the Protective Stadium with Loudoun United FC in their season opener before Louisville City FC visit in the Legion’s second game of the season.

Newcastle United lost 2-1 at Chelsea on Sunday afternoon, and journalist Luke Edwards labelled some Magpies supporters on social media as “embarrassing” after the game.

Newcastle suffer narrow defeat at Chelsea

Eddie Howe’s side suffered defeat in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge, ultimately being beaten by a superior team who are in better form so far this season. Chelsea took the lead through Nicolas Jackson, who finished off a flowing move, but Alexander Isak equalised after good work from Lewis Hall down the left flank, sending the travelling supporters wild.

England Player of the Year Cole Palmer put the hosts back in front early in the second half, however, and Newcastle were unable to find an equaliser as the minutes ticked by, returning north with nothing to show for their efforts, despite threatening to make it 2-2.

The Magpies’ defeat leaves them sitting 12th in the Premier League table, which is undoubtedly disappointing, considering there was hope that Howe’s men would push for a Champions League finish this season. It is still early days, though, so it is arguably too soon to make a proper judgement of the campaign to date.

Edwards slams "embarrassing" Newcastle fans

Taking to X after the Chelsea game, Edwards described some Newcastle supporters as “embarrassing”, pointing to the plights of two of their rivals for the European places on Sunday.

Edwards’ comments are likely to rile sections of the Magpies fanbase, but there is an element of truth to his comments, during a period in modern football in which supporters love to overreact and show a lack of patience.

Howe certainly can’t deny that 12th place in the league heading to November isn’t good enough, but there are mitigating circumstances, not least injuries to a number of important players, including the likes of Kieran Trippier, Sven Botman and Anthony Gordon.

The Newcastle manager arguably wasn’t backed enough in the summer transfer window, too, with a lack of top-quality additions arriving at St James’ Park, and it does feel as though some fresh faces are required to add impetus to the squad.

Edwards is right in saying that Tottenham and Manchester United’s struggles over the weekend put things into perspective, considering the Magpies were away to one of the strongest teams in the country, and it is still too early in the campaign for fans to be going overboard about things, and perhaps even questioning Howe’s future.

5/10 Newcastle star was just as bad as Dan Burn vs Chelsea

Newcastle United were beaten by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

By
Joe Nuttall

Oct 27, 2024

Next up for Newcastle in the league is the visit of Arsenal on Saturday afternoon – they host Chelsea in the EFL Cup fourth round on Wednesday – with the Gunners likely to be without Gabriel. It is a great opportunity for the hosts to silence the doubters and produce a big performance against high-profile opponents.