Ajax sent out a cheeky response to Manchester United after the Red Devils announced the double signing of Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
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Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior have been warned that Manchester City star Rodri is “head and shoulders above them” in the Ballon d’Or race.
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Whether it be rumours surrounding Erik ten Hag's future or showing the door to certain players to make room for incomings, reports suggest that Sir Jim Ratcliffe is in for a busy summer at Manchester United.
The international break has seen Ten Hag's future come into question more than ever at Old Trafford, with England boss Gareth Southgate and Brighton & Hove Albion's Roberto De Zerbi topping Ratcliffe's reported shortlist.
That means the pressure is on Ten Hag to turn this season around, be that in the form of a top four finish in the Premier League or an FA Cup win. As things stand, United sit sixth and nine points adrift of the Champions League places and are on course to face Coventry City in the FA Cup semi-final after knocking Liverpool out.
Meanwhile, in another ruthless act, United are reportedly ready to accept offers for Christian Eriksen this summer after the Dane lost his place to new young star Kobbie Mainoo, who has been one of few bright sparks at Old Trafford.
The midfielder may not be the only one to depart, either, with Raphael Varane's contract set to expire in the summer of 2025 and the Frenchman's future still uncertain. This will leave the Red Devils with quite the gap to fill, allowing a Serie A target to potentially come in.
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Tom Cunningham
Mar 21, 2024
According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Manchester United have made enquiries over signing Bologna centre-back Jhon Lucumi, who is valued at just €20m (£17m) ahead of the transfer window. United will need to act quickly, however, with Atletico Madrid also interested and that price likely to rise if Lucumi enjoys a solid Copa America tournament with Columbia this summer.
Still only 25-years-old, Lucumi should be entering his prime as a central defender to potentially hand United a bargain replacement for Varane when the summer window swings open.
Whilst replacing a defender who was once a serial winner at Real Madrid will be far from easy, Lucumi certainly represents a solid choice to turn to. The stats even show that the Bologna man has outperformed Varane in a number of areas so far this season.
|
League Stats 23/24 (via FBref) |
Jhon Lucumi |
Raphael Varane |
|---|---|---|
|
Progressive Carries |
20 |
15 |
|
Progressive Passes |
59 |
54 |
|
Tackles Won |
23 |
10 |
|
Blocks |
18 |
16 |
Described as "ridiculous" by South American football expert FranHCLO, Lucumi has more than earned a big move after a superb season at Bologna. Thiago Motta's side currently sit as high as fourth and remain on course to sensationally qualify for the Champions League in one of the stories of the campaign.
It would represent a change in United's transfer policy for the better if they managed to land a bargain replacement for Varane. Where they previously splashed the cash to sign name value above all else, reports suggest that the Red Devils are acting far wiser with Ratcliffe at the helm.
In one swift afternoon of football in Islington Arsenal's title hopes felt like they disappeared into the abyss. Have they learnt anything from last season's collapse? Time will tell.
Sunday offered little evidence they had. This Gunners team were soaring high in 2024 but Unai Emery came back to town and scampered off with all three points.
Mikel Arteta's men are just two points behind league leaders Manchester City now but we all know just how good Pep Guardiola's men are during a run-in.
It's unlikely they'll drop many, if any points over the coming weeks, with Arsenal now potentially left to rue their 2-0 defeat to Villa.
The team selection was an interesting one. Kai Havertz moved back into a midfield position to accommodate Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard started ahead of Gabriel Martinelli and there was no Jakub Kiwior after his early substitution against Bayern Munich. Instead, Oleksandr Zinchenko started.
The £32m signing of Zinchenko back in the summer of 2022 was an eye-catching one.
Arsenal were acquiring a proven winner, someone with fight, passion and guile. He has shown every inch of those qualities during his time in north London but sadly, he is a defensive liability.
Described by CBS reporter James Benge as "unmissably bad" for his exploits against the Villans on Sunday, it was a performance that rather summed up the Ukrainian's campaign.
When he is bad, he is truly bad and that's what we saw over the weekend. Guilty of losing possession, lacking concentration and simply not being on the same wavelength as his teammates, it will frustrate Arteta no end that a player he knows well from Man City is his main source of blame.
Zinchenko can show some nice touches but when up against it, teams do tend to target his left-hand side. That's what happened against Villa.
As soon as Leon Bailey was introduced it looked like curtains for the full-back, with the Jamaican ultimately scoring the opening goal of the game just minutes from time. Where was Zinchenko? Nowhere to be seen.
The defender had a warning sign just moments before that. Guilty of doing too much on the edge of the area, as he so often is, Youri Tielemans dispossessed him and with a wonderful dipping effort struck both post and bar.
So, how do Arsenal solve the problem? Fortunately, they have Kiwior and Takehiro Tomiyasu to call upon. They will also soon have Jurrien Timber back from an ACL Injury.
That said, have they potentially already sold their long-term replacement?
Because of Arsenal's rise to title challengers under Arteta, he has found it difficult to hand regular chances to those coming through the academy.
It pales in comparison to his early days with the club when both Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe were in the embryonic stages of their career.
There have been two moments for Ethan Nwaneri – the Premier League's youngest-ever player now – but for others opportunities have not been forthcoming.
As a result, they've decided that leaving is their only option. It's thought Arsenal are now on the verge of losing Charlie Patino, but they have already lost budding left-back Lino Sousa.
In a deal that could be worth more than £10m, the teenager joined none other than Aston Villa back in January with his departure coming as a shock.
Sousa hadn't achieved any first-team minutes yet but was well thought of by those in the know. After all, he had already been in a few matchday squads.
Described as "England's future left-back" by analyst Ben Mattinson, the future is bright for a player who's spent the second half of the current campaign on loan at Plymouth.
So, what makes him so special? Well, in the words of Arsenal youth expert Jeorge Bird, 'he is very composed in possession, with his playing style seeming somewhat reminiscent of Ainsley Maitland-Niles at youth level.'
Bird continued: 'Sousa relishes pushing forward but also doesn’t shirk his defensive responsibilities.'
So, he seems to combine the best of Zinchenko – that technical composure – but also adds an extra layer in terms of his defensive security.
Whether Sousa makes it at first-team level at Villa remains to be seen, but Arsenal could well regret their decision to cash in on such a talented youngster when the left-back berth is up for grabs.
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Manchester United’s season has been nothing short of a mess, which can be highlighted by the fact that Erik ten Hag’s future is now uncertain.
However, that’s also the case for plenty of the Red Devils players, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe now looking to recruit young, value-for-money talents.
A new midfielder is at the top of the new owner's priority list, with that particular position being highlighted as a problem in recent weeks.
That's notably been the case when former Real Madrid star Casemiro has taken to the field.
Last season, Casemiro filled the defensive midfield void that had been holding Man United back for years, playing 51 matches across all competitions.
But the £70m fee spent on the Brazilian is now looking like a rather huge blunder, with the veteran's performances ringing alarm bells this season, especially since he’s returned from injury in January.
The midfielder has two major flaws to his game that simply can’t be looked past, with the first being the lack of control he brings to the side, as shown by his pass accuracy of 82% in the league this season.
Yet the biggest problem is his pure lack of athleticism and the fact he can’t cover ground, with pundit Jamie Redknapp even stating that “Casemiro looks like he’s playing in Soccer Aid.”
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In 2020, Man United academy graduate Angel Gomes left his boyhood club in search of minutes, which has certainly worked out for the player but not the club.
The Englishman joined French side Lille having left Ole Gunnar Solskjaer behind, signing on a free transfer after rejecting a new contract offer at Old Trafford. He was then loaned out to Boavista in Portugal.
Fast forward to today, and the former United “wonderkid,” as dubbed by football scout Jacek Kulig, is a key player at the heart of the Ligue 1 team's midfield, performing to an extremely high standard.
The 23-year-old is a versatile player who can play as an attacking midfielder, a box-to-box player, or even a defensive-minded midfielder in a double pivot, which is the exact profile that United need right now.
|
Gomes' 23/24 Ligue 1 Stats |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stats (per game) |
Gomes |
League Percentile |
|
Assists |
0.26 |
Top 1% |
|
Key passes |
1.49 |
Top 18% |
|
Progressive passes |
7.19 |
Top 17% |
|
Shot-creating actions |
3.73 |
Top 12% |
|
Passes completed |
53.86 |
Top 17% |
|
Touches |
67.11 |
Top 32% |
|
Via FBref |
||
However, as you can see by the table above, he’s the type of player to bring security to the side in terms of possession retention rather than defensive actions, unlike Casemiro, whose style of play is the complete opposite.
Despite being just 5 foot 6, Gomes uses his small stature to his advantage, wriggling out of tight spaces and resisting the press with ease, which allows his side to be strong in the buildup phase.
That said, the number 8’s biggest strength is his ability to use his excellent vision to showcase his vast passing range, which also enables him to flourish creatively.
Gomes ranks in the top 1% for assists compared to midfielders in Ligue 1, registering six assists across 25 matches, but that tally could’ve been higher considering he’s created ten big chances.
Today, Gomes is estimated to be worth £26m by CIES Football Observatory, which just further highlights the massive mistake United made by not giving Gomes an opportunity to thrive.
Funnily enough, the Lille star ticks every single box that Ratcliffe would look for in a new midfield signing, in terms of cost, age, and potential.
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The end of the season is rapidly approaching, and for the first time in a very, very long time, Arsenal genuinely have a chance of lifting the Premier League title.
Mikel Arteta's side were in a heated title race last season, but by this time, they had rather spectacularly fallen away from Manchester City – this time, it's different.
There are several reasons for this renewed solidity in this young Gunners' side, but the most obvious reason for their ability to stay in the race is the additions made in the summer.
For example, Declan Rice has firmly established himself as one of the most influential players on the team alongside Bukayo Saka, but there is another star who has become quintessential to Arteta's free-scoring team.
In recent years, players who have transferred to a new team for £100m or more have tended to struggle in their first seasons or two, be that Jack Grealish, Enzo Fernandes or Moises Caicedo, but not Rice.
If anything, the former West Ham United captain has looked even better since moving to Arsenal last summer.
In his 49 appearances for the North Londoners this term, the 25-year-old has alternated between playing as six and a left eight, all while racking up seven goals and ten assists, which might explain the fans singing that they got him for half price.
While the Kingston upon Thames-born midfielder has added an attacking element to his game this season, his national teammate Saka has always been one of the Gunners' biggest goal threats, and this year has been no different, well aside from the fact that he's more potent than ever.
In his 46 games thus far, the 22-year-old dynamo has scored 20 goals and provided 14 assists, meaning he averages a goal involvement every 1.35 games and has already comfortably beaten his tally of 15 goals and 11 assists from last season.
|
Saka's form in 23/24 |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
46 |
|
Goals |
20 |
|
Assists |
14 |
|
Goal Involvements per Match |
0.73 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
|
However, as effective as the Hale End icon has been in front of goal this year, there is one Arsenal star who has had an even more productive 2024 so far and has arguably become the most crucial player on the team.
Yes, the player in question is German international and former Chelsea man Kai Havertz, who, after a slow start to life as an Arsenal player, has exploded into life since the turn of the year.
In all competitions so far, the 24-year-old has scored 13 goals and provided six assists in 49 appearances, and while that alone is an impressive tally for a first season considering he has spent 32 games in midfield, what is truly impressive is what has happened in 2024.
In the 16 league games since New Year's Day, the Aachen-born ace has scored eight goals and provided five assists, meaning he has been averaging a goal involvement every 1.23 league games, and they have not been meaningless goals either.
|
Havertz's league form in 2024 |
|
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
16 |
|
Goals |
8 |
|
Assists |
5 |
|
Goal Involvements |
0.81 |
|
All Stats via Transfermarkt |
|
He scored the winner against Brentford in early March, the second goal away to Brighton & Hove Albion and the third in the club's 3-2 win away to Tottenham Hotspur. That's not bad for a man who didn't find the net in open play until November.
In short, the once derided goal-shy midfielder has become a goal-scoring "machine", as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, now notably ranking in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe for expected goals.
In the process of such a remarkable run of form, he has now become Arteta's most important player. It's funny how things can change, isn't it?
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