أثار قرار قائد ومهاجم بولندا، روبرت ليفاندوفسكي، بتعليق مشاركته مع منتخب بلده أزمة داخل غرفة الملابس دون معرفة الأسباب الحقيقية للقرار المفاجئ.
وكان ليفاندوفسكي قد أعلن عبر حسابه الرسمي على منصة “إنستجرام” أنه لن يمثل بولندا مجددًا طالما استمر بروبيرز مدربًا للمنتخب، ما يفتح باب التأويل حول احتمالية اعتزاله الدولي في حال عدم حدوث تغيير على رأس الجهاز الفني.
اقرأ أيضًا.. ليفاندوفسكي يرد على انتقادات عدم انضمامه لمنتخب بولندا: لا أحد يعرف ما أشعر به
وخرج مهاجم برشلونة عن صمته وهاجم طريقة التعامل معه، مؤكدًا أنه لن يعود لتمثيل بلاده طالما بقي المدرب الحالي في منصبه بحسب حواره مع شبكة “WP SportoweFakty” البولندية.
وقال ليفاندوفسكي: “تلقيت مكالمة مفاجئة من المدرب ميشال بروبيز يخبرني فيها بأنه قرر سحب شارة القيادة مني، كنت أضع أطفالي في السرير ولم أكن مستعدًا لذلك على الإطلاق”.
وأضاف: “الطريقة التي تم إبلاغي بها كانت صادمة، لم يكن لدي وقت حتى لأُعلم عائلتي”.
وتابع مهاجم برشلونة حديثه مؤكدًا شعوره بالإهانة من الأسلوب، وليس من القرار ذاته: “لم أكن قائدًا منذ عام أو عامين فقط، لقد ارتديت الشارة لمدة 11 عامًا ولعبت للمنتخب لـ17 عامًا، كنت أعتقد أن مثل هذه الأمور يجب أن تُدار بطريقة مختلفة”.
وأوضح ليفاندوفسكي: “المدرب استند إلى تصريح إعلامي سابق لي تحدثت فيه عن حاجتي للراحة، وأخبرني بأنه سيمنح الشارة إلى بيوتر زيلينسكي، حتى يكون لدي الخيار الكامل في التواجد بالمنتخب من عدمه في المعسكرات المقبلة”.
واستمر: “لا أهتم بالشارة في حد ذاتها، أنا أؤمن بقدرات بيوتر زيلينسكي وأتمنى له التوفيق، لكن المدرب خان ثقتي، الأمر لا يتعلق بسحب الشارة، بل بطريقة إيصال القرار”.
وواصل تصريحاته: “قرار غيابي عن المعسكر اتُخذ بالتنسيق مع المدرب، وكان يعرف أنني سأحضر مفاجأة لتوديع كميل جروسيتسكي”.
وزاد: “لم أشعر بوجود مشكلة في غرفة الملابس أو أن اللاعبين كانوا منزعجين مني، بعض اللاعبين اتصلوا بي بعد قراري بالابتعاد عن منتخب بولندا، وكانوا مصدومين، قالوا لي ربما أغير رأيي بعد أن أهدأ”.
واختتم ليفاندوفسكي تصريحاته برسالة غامضة حول مستقبله الدولي، قائلاً: “أنا بحاجة إلى وقت للتفكير بهدوء، أشعر بالألم والغضب، لكن حبي للمنتخب لم يتغير”.
Harry Kane has made a key decision on his Bayern Munich future, with his release clause set to drop dramatically in January.
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Kane's future has been speculated on
Release clause set to drop in January
Premier League clubs thought to be keen
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Kane has regularly been linked with a return to the Premier League since joining Bayern Munich from Tottenham in 2023. However, the 31-year-old striker has decided he wants to stay in Bavaria for at least one more year and will not leave in the summer transfer window, according to talkSPORT. The England captain is keen to try and win the Champions League with Bayern before thinking about a possible exit.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Kane's release clause at Bayern is set to drop from £67 million (€78m) to £54m (€63.5m), for an English team, in the next January window. The drop in price could well attract interest from Premier League clubs keen to add more attacking power to their ranks. Kane has scored 80 goals and contributed 22 assists in 89 appearances for Bayern since his move from Spurs.
DID YOU KNOW?
Kane scored 213 goals for Tottenham in the English top flight, leaving him behind only Alan Shearer (260) on the list of all-time top Premier League goalscorers.
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WHAT NEXT FOR KANE
Kane could win the first senior trophy of his career on Saturday if Bayern beat RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga. Yet the Bavarian giants will have to cope without Kane for the match as he has picked up a one-match ban and will have to watch on from the sidelines.
Is Celtic’s Champions League campaign about to come to an end?
On Tuesday night, Brendan Rodgers’ side will be in Bavaria, seeking to knock out six-time European champions Bayern Munich.
Daizen Maeda
Having lost the first leg 2-1 at Parkhead, the Celts have a mountain to climb, although Daizen Maeda’s late header in Glasgow does give them a glimmer of hope.
So, if the Hoops are going to massively upset the odds by winning in Germany for the very first time, this will be their 13th attempt, they’ll need their goalkeeper to put in another outstanding performance.
Kasper Schmeichel: loving life at Celtic
As noted by Kurtis Leyland of Glasgow World, when Schmeichel joined Celtic last summer, replacing Joe Hart who had retired, few doubted that the Dane was a ‘top-class’ goalkeeper, but there were still some doubts, given that he is now 38-years-old.
On the contrary, as noted by Graeme McGarry of the Herald, he has been ‘outstanding’ since arriving in Glasgow, with Schmeichel himself saying this week that “experience is the biggest gift” in football.
He started with six successive Premiership wins and clean sheets, the first time Celtic have achieved that since 1906, and he has a few more records in his sights.
Appearances
40
Goals conceded
35
Clean sheets
23
Domestic clean sheets
20
Champions League clean sheets
3
Shots on target faced
135
Saves
105
Save %
79.3%
Post-shot xG prevented (UCL only)
+0.5
In this season’s Champions League, only seven goalkeepers have made more saves than Schmeichel’s 30, only four have faced more than his 45 shots on target, with the Danish international recording the fifth-highest post-shot xG figure of 15.5, a tally only bettered by four keepers.
Domestically meantime, he ranks first in the Premiership for save % (85.5%) and clean sheets (19), on course to smash the top division clean sheet record of 25, set by Rangers four seasons ago, themselves beating the previous record that had stood for 115 years.
Schmeichel’s form has already seen him rewarded with a new contract, stating that he has “loved every minute” since arriving at Celtic, while manager Rodgers added his “top keeper” has “made a great impact”.
Kasper Schmeichel
Nevertheless, the 38-year-old will not be able to go on forever, but have Celtic already sold the perfect heir to Schmeichel’s number one throne?
Celtic already sold the perfect Schmeichel successor
Back in 2020, fair to say Celtic were having some goalkeeping issues.
Summer signing Vasilis Barkas did not impress, with former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie describing him as ‘awful’, form that saw the Greek international dropped, but his replacement Scott Bain didn’t convince much either – having played just 78 times since signing in 2018.
So, ahead of the 2020 Scottish Cup Final against Hearts, taking place in December due to Covid-19, Neil Lennon decided to go with a relatively unknown 22-year-old Conor Hazard in goal, making just his third senior appearance.
Well, after a thrilling 3-3 draw at an eerily empty Hampden, as noted by Andrew Smith of the Scotsman, Hazard would prove to be the ‘hero’, denying both Stephen Kingsley and Craig Wighton in the subsequent shootout, as the Celts completed an unprecedented quadruple treble.
Despite his heroics, Hazard would make just four more appearances for the club, spending 2022 on loan at HJK Helsinki, winning the Finnish title as well as being named Veikkausliiga goalkeeper of the year, before being sold to Plymouth Argyle in July 2023 – for a reported fee of just £500k.
Well, the Northern Ireland international was back in the news earlier this month, making four saves as the Pilgrims historically dumped Liverpool out of the FA Cup, with Sunaadh Sagar of ESPN describing his stop at the end of stoppage time as ‘stunning’.
In this season’s EFL Championship, only seven goalkeepers have a higher save percentage than Hazard’s 73.8%, averaging almost 4.5 saves per 90, while the Northern Irishman ranks first for post-shot expected goals per shot on target, all impressive statistics considering his team are 23rd in the division, facing rock-bottom Luton on Wednesday night.
According to Transfermarkt, he is now worth €1m (£830k), his highest-ever value; for comparison, Schmeichel’s value is €750k (£620k).
Where Are They Now
Keith Bailie of the Belfast Telegraph believes Hazard should be his national team’s number one, so will Celtic also rue the day they allowed him to leave, because the 26-year-old is showing he would’ve been more than capable of succeeding Schmeichel one day?
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Manchester United have now lost eight games at Old Trafford in the Premier League this season, their worst record since the 1962-63 season.
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United's worst ever Premier League season
Lost to Wolves at the weekend
Ruben Amorim faces inquest
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WHAT HAPPENED?
United were beaten 1-0 by Wolves on Sunday in the latest embarrassing chapter in a dire season. The club are now level on points with the Molineux outfit, who were previously in the relegation mix, and Wolves' win consigned the Red Devils to their eighth home defeat of the Premier league campaign. The last time they endured such a dismal home record was in 1962-63, when they lost nine games, and finished 19th in a 21-team First Division.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
In the 1962-63 season, United did manage to win the FA Cup and manager Ruben Amorim can still end this season with silverware. The Red Devils remain in the Europa League and face Athletic Club in the semi-finals, but their league form has been continually awful.
DID YOU KNOW?
With five games of United's league season remaining, they can reach a maximum of 53 points. The highest possible position they can finish in is eighth, although that would require them to win all of their remaining games.
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WHAT NEXT?
United face Bournemouth next weekend before they take on Athletic in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final at San Mames.
West Ham United are on the verge of sealing their first signing for new manager Graham Potter, as broadcaster Sky Sports share an exciting update out of the London Stadium.
West Ham attempting to support Graham Potter in January
There are gaping areas of the squad which need to be addressed by the Hammers hierarchy, with Potter looking to inspire an excellent second half to this Premier League campaign and potentially challenge for Europe.
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West Ham have a large list of transfer targets for midfield and going forward, with reliable club insider ExWHUemployee recently sharing the players in Potter’s thinking.
“The club does have some initial interest in Emanuel Emegha,” stated Ex (via West Ham Way).
“The 6’5 Dutch under 21s international has had a great season for Strasbourg in France and has 7 goals in 13 league appearances. The club started initial enquiries about 4 weeks ago, but it was considered a difficult transfer to complete.
“[Breel] Embolo is a highly rated Swiss international forward who plays for Monaco in France. West Ham have been linked with the forward a number of times in the past.
West Ham’s next five Premier League fixtures
Date
Aston Villa (away)
January 26
Chelsea (away)
February 3
Brentford (home)
February 15
Arsenal (away)
February 22
Leicester City (home)
February 27
“His playing style has been likened to Michail Antonio’s, and he is seen as a good longer-term successor to him. Injuries have been a bit of a concern during his career and these would need further exploration via the medical should we chose to go ahead with it.”
The credible club source also says that West Ham’s recent appointment of Kyle Macauley as a transfer chief from Chelsea has delayed any serious movement for players, as Potter is keen to acquire his input.
“Macauley’s appointment has been on the cards since Potter’s appointment and this does explain why there has been little movement so far,” stated Ex again.
“With many of Steidten’s suggestions not being given approval as Potter wanted the input from Macauley. Having already been linked with [Kiernan] Dewsbury-Hall, although he started Chelsea’s game yesterday, and Carney Chukwuemeka, who wasn’t in the squad, these players may also further develop.”
West Ham’s manager is apparently very keen on exploring loan deals for Chukwuemeka and Dewsbury-Hall, but Chelsea’s fringe duo are not the only midfielders on their radar heading into the final stretch of this January window.
West Ham agree deal to sign Ezechiel Banzuzi from OH Leuven
According to Sky, West Ham are closing in on the signing of OH Leuven midfielder Ezechiel Banzuzi.
The Netherlands Under-21 international has impressed in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League, seemingly catching the eyes of West Ham’s scouting team. Banzuzi boasts two goals and five assists from 23 appearances in all competitions, with West Ham now apparently reaching an agreement for the 19-year-old.
“West Ham have agreed a deal with the Belgian club OH Leuven to sign midfielder Ezechiel Banzuzi,” said the broadcaster.
“The agreement is for £10 million up front plus £3 million in potential add-ons. Banzuzi due to fly for a medical in the next 24 hours. This one is on, and it should be completed relatively soon.”
Interestingly, some Belgian media sources have since denied that Banzuzi is on his way to West Ham, so it will be interesting to see how this develops, and it shows how no transfer is officially complete until the player signs on the dotted line.
Visitors need 100 with five wickets standing after overseas signings inspire fightback
ECB Reporters Network28-Jun-2022
Colin Ingram recorded his second century in successive games•Getty Images
Colin Ingram hit a superb century – his second in two games in the LV= Insurance County Championship – to keep Glamorgan in the hunt to chase down a 332 target against Worcestershire at New Road.Ingram has seized the opportunity to fill the gap left by Australian star Marnus Labuschagne and been making the most of his return to red-ball cricket.He had played only game in that format in four years before this season but has responded with 83 versus Durham and 178 against Sussex in his previous two Championship appearances.Ingram was finally dismissed shortly before the close for 102 and the second new ball will be available first thing on Wednesday morning with 100 required by the visitors.Glamorgan captured the final four wickets for 52 runs in 13.4 overs after Worcestershire resumed on 147 for 6. Pace bowler Michael Neser picked up two more wickets to finish with match figures of 7 for 90 and take his tally for the campaign to 32.Neser has been the most impressive bowler on either side in this game, exploiting a pitch on which the occasional delivery has taken off.Only Middlesex’s Toby Roland-Jones and Durham’s England pace bowler Matt Potts have taken more Division Two wickets this summer than the 32-year-old.Gareth Roderick fell victim to a lifter from Neser as an edge flew to to Ingram at third slip. Glamorgan keeper Tom Cullen snaffled his eighth catch of the game after Joe Leach aimed an expansive drive at Michael Hogan.Josh Baker cover drove Hogan for four to extend the lead past 300 and he and nightwatchman Charlie Morris added 33 for the ninth wicket. But spinner Andrew Salter ended the innings with two wickets in two balls as he bowled Morris, on 29, and held onto a return catch from Dillon Pennington to leave Baker undefeated on 25.When Glamorgan batted, opener David Lloyd had a let off before he had scored off Leach, with Baker failing to hold onto a head high chance at fourth slip. But it was not a costly miss for the home side with Lloyd making just 13 before driving Morris straight to mid-off.The second-wicket pair of Edward Byrom and Colin Ingram were relatively untroubled and the former hooked Pennington for six. Their partnership was worth 57 but then Byrom attempted a reverse sweep against Baker and the ball lobbed up to slip.Sam Northeast was also guilty of giving his wicket away when he slashed at a widish delivery from Morris and picked out Pennington at third man.Ingram on 53 survived a hard chance to Tom Fell at second slip off Ed Barnard and completed a 103-ball half-century.There was little Kiran Carlson could do to avoid a delivery which climbed on him from Pennington as Roderick took the catch. But then Billy Root joined forces with Ingram to add 95.Ingram swept Baker for four to reach three figures but then was undone by a Barnard delivery which nipped back and was lbw. His 203-ball knock contained 13 boundaries.
Aston Villa returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a narrow 2-1 victory over Leicester City at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon.
Unai Emery’s side have been fairly inconsistent over the previous few weeks. A win over Manchester City was followed by a defeat against Newcastle United before ending 2024 by drawing with Brighton and Hove Albion.
They start 2025 off right, however, and the win means they now occupy eighth position in the league table.
Aston Villa’s best performers against Leicester
Ross Barkley was a notable standout for Emery during the clash against the Foxes. Not only did he finish the game with a pass success rate of 98%, but the Englishman also scored the opener with a lovely, driven effort, lost possession just twice and won six of his eight ground duels contested.
Elsewhere, Ezri Konsa won 100% of his duels, succeeded with 96% of his passes and made two tackles, ensuring the Foxes were kept at bay.
Stat
Highest Ranked
Shots on target
Leon Bailey (2)
Key passes
Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara (2)
Ground duels won
Matty Cash (10)
Accurate passes
Tyrone Mings (100)
Tackles
Matty Cash (7)
It was Leon Bailey who returned to some form, finally scoring his first goal of the campaign following fine work from substitute Ian Maatsen down the left flank, and it turned out to be the winner.
The Jamaican certainly saved a few blushes as it appeared Villa were heading for a 1-1 draw before the winger scored. One player who will be thankful to his teammate is Ollie Watkins, as the striker was poor throughout his time on the pitch.
Ollie Watkins' game in numbers vs Leicester
It’s fair to say that the centre-forward hasn’t quite been at his fluid best this season. Across the whole of 2023/24, he scored 27 goals while chipping in with 13 assists, which saw him secure a place in England’s European Championship squad.
Ollie Watkins
At the time of writing, Watkins has found the net just eight times, with no goals coming in the Champions League and he delivered a stale performance on Saturday.
During the clash, he completed just nine passes, which was 16 fewer than Emiliano Martínez in the Villa goal, while also managing 22 touches and registering just two shots, with none of them on target.
Performance in Numbers
Want data and stats? Football FanCast's Performance in Numbers series provides you with the latest match analysis from across Europe.
The striker also lost possession eight times – including in the build-up to Stephy Mavididi’s equaliser – lost five of his eight total duels and missed a big chance as he failed to get on the scoresheet.
To top it off, he was given a match rating of just 4/10 by Birmingham World’s Charlie Haffenden, who stated that Watkins was ‘toothless’ on the day in front of goal.
Is he feeling the pressure of having some competition for his place in the side? Jhon Duran is finally emerging as a key player for Emery, already scoring 12 times from 26 appearances this term.
With a match against West Ham United coming up in the FA Cup next week, the continued absence of Duran due to suspension may see Watkins keep his place, although, in the long term, the battle for that starting berth is an intriguing one.
Jhon Duran and Ollie Watkins
The Englishman will have to improve on his next outing, that’s for sure.
Aston Villa in talks over signing striker whose contract expires in January
Unai Emery has said Villa are moving for signings.
Próximo de ser o quarto reforço do Flamengo na temporada,Ayrton Lucas está em viés de deixar o Spartak Moscou, da Rússia, por empréstimo e se tornar uma opção para a ala esquerda rubro-negra, cuja vaga entre os 11 segue em aberto. No futebol russo, o atleta ex-Fluminense ficou notabilizado pela versatilidade, embora uma recentelesão no metatarso preocupe o clube, que não vê gravidade no contratempo, mas não deixará de fazer uma avaliação médica minuciosa antes da assinatura do contrato.
RelacionadasVídeoLANCE! Rápido: Flamengo acerta com Ayrton Lucas, Santos próximo de Rodrigo Fernández e mais!Vídeo28/03/2022Futebol InternacionalVÍDEO: Possível reforço do Flamengo, Ayrton Lucas marcou apenas um gol na temporada pelo Spartak; assista!Futebol Internacional28/03/2022FlamengoLateral em pauta: Flamengo negocia com Ayrton Lucas, ex-FluminenseFlamengo28/03/2022
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No último dia 19, Ayrton Lucas lesionou o pé esquerdo em jogo contrao Club Nizhny Novgorod, pelo Campeonato Russo, e foi substituído nos acréscimos do primeiro tempo. O Fla não viu a lesão (a única sofrida na Rússia) como uma barreira ao iniciar as conversas com o estafe do lateral e clube de Moscou.
Já são três temporadas deAyrton Lucas peloSpartak, com108 partidas, sendo que ele atuou como meia64 vezes, 43, como lateral esquerdo, e foi improvisado na lateral direita em uma oportunidade. Somando todas as competições, são quatro gols e 11 assistências – de acordo com o site “Transfermarkt” neste período.
A participação efetiva deAyrton em dois setores do campo levou o departamento de futebol do Fla indicá-lo a Paulo Sousa, que aprovou a chegada do jogador de 24 anos. Como meio-campista pela esquerda, acumulou quatro gols e sete assistências.
> GALERIA: Ayrton Lucas será o próximo? Fla soma 24 reforços na Era Landim
A tendência é que Ayrton Lucas, conhecido pela forte chegada ao ataque e capacidade de trazer amplitude no apoio desde os tempos de Fluminense, seja opção na ala esquerda, onde Everton Ribeiro, que ainda não está 100% adaptado às ideias do Mister, tem sido o único canhoto com sequência por ali. Lázaro e Vitinho tem atuado no setor, mas são destros e trazem um perfil distinto à fase ofensiva, pois costumam cortar as jogadas para dentro.
Outros laterais que poderiam fazer a função esperada de Ayrton Lucas, Ramon, que ainda não jogou com Paulo Sousa, e Renê são cartas cada vez mais fora do baralho para 2022. E Filipe Luís joga como zagueiro-construtor.
CONFIANÇA PARA INVESTIR
Ayrton Lucas, com passagem pela base do ABC-RN, se destacou pelo Flu em 2018. O Spartak Moscou investiu 7 milhões de euros pela contratação do lateral à época, e, agora, o Flamengo está confiante num final feliz com um contrato que deve ter uma opção de compra estipulada ao fim do empréstimo, em dezembro. A ver se a aposta renderá bons frutos como pretende o clube que já investiu cerca de R$ 35 milhões na temporada (com Marinho, Fabrício Bruno e Pablo). Ayrton é aguardado no Rio nas próximas horas para assinar o vínculo.
OUTROS NÚMEROS RECENTES
Nas duas últimas edições do Campeonato Russo, os números de Ayrton Lucas são os seguintes (segundo o site “Sofascore”):
Saudi Pro League chief Mohammed Basrawi has assured Neymar that his injury-plagued spell in the Middle East "wasn't a disappointment".
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Saudi chief backs Neymar after tough Al-Hilal spellMade just seven appearances across two seasonsNeymar out of Brazil squad with a new thigh injuryFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Neymar endured a nightmare journey in the Saudi Pro League following his high-profile move from Paris Saint-Germain to Al-Hilal in the summer of 2023. After appearing in just five matches in the 2023-24 campaign, the Brazilian suffered an ACL injury while on national team duty and was sidelined for more than a year. He returned to action for Al-Hilal in October 2024 but subsequently picked up yet another injury limiting his appearances to just two AFC Champions League matches in the 2024-25 season. In January 2025, the forward mutually terminated his contract with the Saudi champions and headed back to his homeland to sign for boyhood club Santos.
AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE
While many consider the 33-year-old's move to the Middle East a complete disaster, the Saudi Pro League's general manager of marketing communications, Basrawi, assured Neymar that his time in Saudi Arabia was not a disappointment as injuries are part of football.
WHAT MOHAMMED BASRAWI SAID
Speaking to , the Saudi official said: "Neymar came and went, and of course, he took many fans with him, who still follow him personally. But it wasn't a disappointment. What happened with Neymar is football, that's all. Injuries can happen. It was a serious injury at the start of his contract, and that can happen to anyone. We would have liked him to have played more, but that's football."
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR NEYMAR?
Injuries continue to haunt the Brazil international as he has picked up a new thigh injury. Neymar was supposed to don the Selecao shirt after an 18-month hiatus in the March international break, however, his return to the national team has now been delayed.
Manchester United have now joined the race to sign a star in the making who has already caught the attentions of Chelsea this year, with Ruben Amorim personally having recommended the signing.
Manchester United change transfer policy
There has been significant change at Old Trafford since Sir Jim Ratcliffe took charge of the Premier League giants at the start of 2024. A whole new club hierarchy has been established, with Jason Wilcox and Dan Ashworth poached from Southampton and Newcastle United respectively to take charge of transfer policy, while Omar Berrada arrived from Manchester City to take up the CEO role.
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The overhaul has also seen a change in the transfer policy itself, with the Red Devils now opting to sign younger players with higher potential rather than pre-established world-class stars, as they did under Erik ten Hag with the addition of Casemiro.
Though they signed five players for a combined £190m over the summer, only Noussair Mazraoui was over the age of 25, emphasising the shift in policy at the club.
Player
Age
Leny Yoro
18
Joshua Zirkzee
23
Manuel Ugarte
23
Matthijs de Ligt
25
Noussair Mazraoui
26
Though the change is yet to bear fruit, there is a long-term belief that targeting younger players will be a more successful operating model for the club, summed up by Ratcliffe explaining in March that “I would rather sign the next Mbappé rather than spend a fortune buying success.”
Now, he could be set to throw his hat in the ring for a star at the other end of the pitch.
Amorim wants Manchester United to sign Portuguese talent
Reports from Spain claim that Ruben Amorim has personally recommended Manchester United join the race to sign Benfica talent Tomas Araujo.
The defender is well known to Premier League clubs; Crystal Palace saw a summer offer rejected for his services, while Fabrizio Romano has claimed that Chelsea are “in love” with the Portuguese defender, who they were willing to bid for in the summer only for Benfica to inform them that he wasn’t for sale.
“Chelsea were considering to bring in a new centre-back. For example, a player they are in love with is Tomas Araujo at Benfica.”
“They were considering a move for him, but then nothing happened because Benfica were not selling an important player a few days before the end of the transfer window.”
Now, the report claims that Manchester United have joined the race for his services, but he won’t come cheap, with the report adding that “any deal for Araújo is estimated to be in the region of €50m” (£41m).
This could yet be higher, with Araujo having a €100m (£83m) release clause in his £9k-a-week deal in Portugal, while Benfica are unlikely to sell midway through the season.
Tomas Araujo for Benfica.
With the futures of Harry Maguire, Jonny Evans and Victor Lindelof all unclear beyond this summer, United will likely be back in the market for another defender soon, and could do far worse than Araujo.
He was dubbed “potentially one of the best CBs” by football scouting account DanielScouting on X, who added: “He’s a technical maestro. His turns, dribbling, manipulation, & passing make you think he’s a CM,” and claimed he was already an “elite player”.
Able to play across the defence, he could be an excellent signing and a future superstar, but is more likely to be one for the summer.