Italian wonderkid Sandro Tonali has turned down the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona to sign for AC Milan this summer, according to Brescia president Massimo Cellino.
Tonali is poised to put pen to paper on a deal with the San Siro club, bringing to an end the Europe-wide pursuit for his services which has seen every elite club in Europe linked.
And now Cellino has admitted that United and Barca had posted serious interest in the 20-year-old, who appeared set for Inter Milan before turning everybody down once their bitter rivals AC made interest known.
‘I know that [Inter CEO] Beppe Marotta really wanted Tonali, and that [Inter head coach] Antonio Conte appreciated him, so I think his agent had agreed terms with Inter,’ Cellino told Top Calcio24.
‘As soon as Milan showed real interest, he did not want to listen to any other options.
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‘I also have a historically good rapport with Milan and we reached an agreement with [Milan technical director] Paolo Maldini quite quickly.
‘We also had interest from Barcelona and Manchester United, but the lad is in love with Milan and went crazy once he heard of their offer, because he supports them.’
Huge things are expected of Tonali in his homeland, with the player repeatedly compared against the iconic Andrea Pirlo.
The financial deal for Tonali looks set to be a staggered one, with AC Milan initially paying a sizeable loan fee before committing to purchasing the player thereafter.
Milan’s initial outlay on the loan will cost โฌ10m (ยฃ9m) with an option to then buy for a further โฌ15m (ยฃ13m) and another โฌ10m in potential add-ons thereafter once a series of clauses are met.
Manchester United will listen to offers for Jesse Lingard this summer, according to reports.
The 27-year-old midfielder has been on the fringes of the first-team since the emergence of Mason Greenwood and impressive form of January signing Bruno Fernandes.
NobleSports report that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is an admirer of Lingard, having coached him at United’s academy, but is desperate to raise money to fund a move for Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho.
Lingard has scored in his last two United appearances, following up his goal on the final day of the Premier League season against Leicester with a strike in Wednesday’s Europa League clash with LASK.
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The midfielder was visibly frustrated when he was substituted in the second half of the match but his reaction was defended by his manager who insisted he is a great character to have around the dressing room.
I’ve known Jesse since he was a little kid and I know there’s a good player and a great personality to have around,’ Solskjaer told NS after the match against LASK.
‘He knows what we want from him and he knows he has to stand by the manager whatever decision he makes. I would be disappointed if he was happy coming off.
‘He’s growing in confidence. He’s worked really hard on his finishing, especially lately, and I’m happy for him to score.’
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The England international struggled for form earlier in the season and would have even more competition if Sancho arrived at Old Trafford.
United are in pole position to sign the Dortmund forward but are struggling to negotiate a fee with the Bundesliga side demanding as much as ยฃ108million.
The Red Devils have saved around ยฃ50million in wages by agreeing to give Alexis Sanchez a ยฃ9million pay off to exit his contract early and sign for Inter Milan.
But club may have to decrease their wage bill further to raise the extra funds needed to buy Sancho with Lingard said to be attracting interest from Newcastle, Roma and Borussia Monchengladbach.
Manchester City are set to pocket upwards of ยฃ15million once Jadon Sanchoโs record move to rivals Manchester United goes through.
United are in the process of negotiating a financial package with Borussia Dortmund that is expected to eclipse ยฃ100m with additional clauses.
And City will make a significant amount on that transfer after installing a 15 per cent sell-on clause when Sancho departed the Etihad Stadium three years ago.
The clause pertains to profit made on the sale, one that saw the 20-year-old eventually move to Germany for a fee in the region of ยฃ8m.
His stock has risen dramatically since then, becoming one of the most talented young wingers in Europe and earning 11 England caps under Gareth Southgate.
Although City did not want to lose Sancho in 2017, the timing of his switch to Old Trafford will now act as something of a financial fillip given they are spending an initial ยฃ20.9m on Ferran Torres from Valencia.
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Sancho is ready to sign a five-year contract at United after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer earmarked the forward as a top priority to add to his young attacking armoury.
According to reports emerging out of Germany, Sancho has already penned a contract with United worth ยฃ340,000 per week – a deal which would see him become the third-highest earner in the Premier League.
The structure of the transfer is all that is left to be ironed out before the deal can go through.
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Some reports have claimed that United would pay ยฃ63m up front and then ยฃ27m and ยฃ18m over the next two summers in a deal worth ยฃ108m in total.
Negotiations are still ongoing between the two clubs but there is optimism from both sides that an agreement will be reached over the next week.
Dortmund head off to Switzerland for their pre-season training camp next Monday – August 10 – and are hopeful the deal can be concluded before then.
The ยฃ108m transfer would see Sancho become the most expensive player bought by an English club, topping the ยฃ89m United paid to sign Paul Pogba from Juventus in 2016.
Marc Jurado has confirmed he is leaving Barcelona ahead of an expected summer move to Manchester United.
Standard Sport understands that United have won the race for the 16-year-old defender, who posted a farewell message to Barcelona on his Instagram page on Monday evening.
Barca were hoping to tie down the talented defender with a new three-year contract, but the Catalan turned down a lucrative offer from the Blaugrana and is expected to link up with United’s academy side this summer.
The Old Trafford outfit will have to pay a compensation fee for the Juvenil A player, with Barcelona set to receive around โฌ200,000 (ยฃ175,000) for the youngster.
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Jurado has been at Barcelona since the age of nine and is considered one of the most promising players of his generation.
Jurado wrote: “Itโs never easy to leave a team that has given you everything. FC Barcelona has been my second home, my second family, where I have developed as a player and as a person.
“Today itโs time to say goodbye, but not before expressing my gratitude to each of the people who have helped me since I started in the prebenjamรญn in the year 2011.
“I have been lucky to share my passion with a fantastic generation, with which I will always be linked.
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“We started as boys who just wanted to run after a ball and I say goodbye, nine years later, calling them friends. Only we know the immense luck we have had with all the coaches who have developed us and helped us to keep fulfilling our dreams.
“Every stage has a beginning and an end. Mine, having reflected a lot with my family, has come. I leave behind unforgettable memories which will always stay with me.”
United have recently extended their scouting network in places like Spain, specifically to sign emerging players in an attempt to avoid paying mega fees in the future.
James Rodriguez has revealed that a ‘really good offer’ was blocked by Real Madrid last summer, before admitting that Manchester United were looking to sign him before the 2014 World Cup.
The Colombia international has long been linked with a move to the Premier League, having failed to deliver at Real Madrid since moving from Monaco in 2014.
United are one club that have held an interest in the attacking midfielder, and the 28-year-old has revealed that the English club made a big move to secure his services when he was at Porto in 2013.
‘I think there was some kind of talk there,’ he told Rio Ferdinand’s The Locker Room on his United links. ‘My manager has a great relationship with the club, and his name is Jorge Mendes.
‘Well, we always dream of getting in a big club. Since I was a child I always admired Manchester. I always saw those teams with Rio, with [Ryan] Giggs and [Paul] Scholes, there were a lot of prodigious players, and I wanted to get there in that year, but it didn’t happen.
‘I thought that I had to play for a club that wasn’t so big. From there I went to France, just before the World Cup.
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‘My plan was to go to the World Cup, have great participation there, score goals, reach a good level and from there play for a big club. Then the Real Madrid thing happened.’
Rodriguez’s move to Madrid hasn’t quite gone according to plan. Despite being part of a squad that has swept the top European prizes, the Colombian has struggled to cement a starting place in the side, and has fallen down the pecking order under Zinedine Zidane.
Rodriguez, Gareth Bale and Lucas Vasquez are the first names on the chopping block as Madrid look to generate funds to land their main targets.
Rodriguez had spent two seasons on loan at Bayern Munich but failed to secure a permanent move to the club, returning to Madrid in what was a surprise to some.
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‘I stayed this year becauseโฆ Let me tell you what happened,’ he added.
‘Last summer I got a really good offer from a club, I don’t want to say the name, but I could go there because I knew that I wouldn’t play much here. I knew it.
‘So I got this offer from this club and I haven’t been allowed to leave due to several issues. So basically I’m here this year because of the circumstances, not because I wanted to be, because I knew that I wouldn’t be able to play much.
‘But here I’m learning every day and hopefully in the future I will be able to play more. I know that I have the talent and I believe in my daily work.’
Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish is said to have told friends about his desire to move to Manchester United, as rumours surrounding the future of the 24-year-old continue to swirl.
The midfielder has been the prime spark for the Birmingham club this season and his recent performances have caught the attention of a host of top clubs, including both Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Grealish has made 23 Premier League appearances for Aston Villa this campaign, conjuring up seven goals and five assists as he leads them in the fight to avoid relegation.
Jack Grealish
One line in a report from Manchester Evening News states Grealish is increasingly open to an Old Trafford switch, with his friends thought to have ‘indiscreetly said as much’. The Englishman is under contract with Aston Villa until 2023 and has a release clause of around ยฃ45m.
With stories regarding United’s rumoured summer targets coming thick and fast, United chairman Ed Woodward recently opened up on the club’s transfer strategy.
He said: “As a club and a board, we do recognise that we are not yet where we want to be. It is the overwhelming priority of everyone at the club to get us back to regularly challenging for Premier League and Champions League titles.
Ed Woodward
โAlthough progress may not always be smooth, everyone across the club is focused and committed on playing their part in helping achieve those aims.
โJanuary is not an optimal time in terms of availability of players – we would only buy in January if players we had already targeted for the summer became available and we were pleased that this strategy played out with the signing of Bruno Fernandes this week.
“Bruno Fernandes and the players we brought last summer are evidence that our process is the right one. There has been no shortage of investment in players over the past few years, with over ยฃ200m spent since Ole became manager; our aim is to ensure that we continue to achieve consistency in quality of recruitment.โ
Dean Smith
United remain in the hunt for a Champions League spot, sitting six points below fourth placed Chelsea ahead of Monday’s trip to Stamford Bridge. Villa are 17th, just one point off West Ham in the relegation zone.
Nigerian striker Odion Ighalo will wear the number 25 jersey for Manchester United as the club prepares to unleash him against Chelsea after the winter break.
Odion Ighalo to wear No 25 for Manchester United as the Nigerian striker prepares for possible debut against Chelsea
The club on Tuesday posted a video of his new jersey number on it’s official Twitter handle, urging fans to buy the new jersey as it had been added to the club’s shop.
The shirt has not been in use since full back Antonio Valencia departed the Red Devils last summer.
Ighalo, a childhood Manchester United fan set to earn N62m weekly at the club, was signed for ยฃ3m from Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua on loan for 6 months.
Manchester United loan signing Odion Ighalo has been assigned the number 25 shirt following his short-term arrival from Shanghai Shenhua until the end of the season.
The Ighalo deal was concluded late on transfer deadline day and will give United a boost up front while Marcus Rashford is recovering from injury. The club is expected to pay around a third of his ยฃ300,000 weekly wages while he is in Manchester.
The number 25 shirt was last worn at United by former club captain Antonio Valencia, who vacated the jersey when he was released at the end of last season after 10 years of service.
Ighalo has worn number nine for Chinese Super League clubs Changchun Yatai and Shanghai Shenhua since leaving Premier League club Watford in 2017. He previously wore 24 for the Hornets and has even used the 25 shirt in the past during one season of his stint at Granada.
The 30-year-old Nigerian, who grew up watching United, has been a prolific goalscorer in China, scoring 46 league goals in three seasons to date โ including 21 in 2018 alone.
At Watford, he scored 20 goals in the Championship in 2014/15 en-route to promotion, followed by 16 in his debut year in the Premier League. He never found the net against United, although did register an assist in a 2-1 Watford defeat at Vicarage Road in November 2015.
โItโs a dream come true because since I was a kid I followed and dreamt of Manchester United. But it is a reality now. I cannot say much more now until I get started,โ Ighalo said of the move.
โItโs been crazy. Obviously, I am happy to be in Manchester first of all. This is a great opportunity for me and I am grateful to God, and to my agent, and the coach who has given me this opportunity to be here. I am happy to be here and to work out with the team and finish very well this season.โ
Manchester United have allowed Marcos Rojo to return to Argentina to prepare himself for a January exit from Old Trafford.
The defender has started just one Premier League game this season and has not even been part of the matchday squad for United’s last eight matches in the competition, suggesting Ole Gunnar Solskjaer does not have a place for him in the team.
Partizan Belgrade v Manchester United: Group L – UEFA Europa League
He has now fully recovered from the muscle injury which initially sidelined him, but still has not been able to force his way back into Solskjaer’s plans, and now the Manchester Evening News report that he is nearing the exit door.
Rojo will be allowed to leave if the
club receive a satisfactory offer, and United are so confident of that happening that they have given him some time off to prepare himself for an imminent switch.
However, the only potential problem is Rojo’s salary. The Argentine earns close to ยฃ160,000 a week at Old Trafford, and that figure was behind the collapse of his proposed loan move to Everton during the summer
United were adamant that Rojo would only be allowed to leave on a permanent basis during the summer, but whether they would be prepared to accept a loan deal just to temporarily get him off their books remains to be seen.
With Eric Bailly nearing a long-awaited return from a knee injury, Solskjaer is set to have even more centre-back options in his squad. Phil Jones, Axel Tuanzebe and 19-year-old Di’Shon Bernard have operated as backups to Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelรถf, so there is simply no need for Rojo.
Eric Bailly
The club also plan to activate Bailly’s two-year extension in his current contract to prevent him from walking away when his deal expires in the summer, meaning Rojo is not likely to earn a place in the team any time soon.
In terms of potential landing sports, Argentinian side Estudiantes have previously been linked with Rojo, while Fenerbahรงe have also monitored the defender, but it is unclear whether either side are still keen on him
Manchester United are reported to hold an interest in Benfica’s Gedson Fernandes, as the midfielder’s representatives land in the UK looking to find him a new club.
United are believed to be in the market to recruit midfield talent, with Paul Pogba continuing to struggle with injury, and links with Christian Eriksen have recently resurfaced as we approach the reopening of the transfer window.
Sporting CP’s Bruno Fernandes was of course famously close to a move in the summer, but it’s another Lisbon-based Fernandes who United are now said to be looking at.
Gedson Fernandes
That’s because Sky Sports report on Monday that the Red Devils hold a vested interest in the signature of Benfica midfielder Gedson, who could move to the UK next month as his representatives are currently in England looking to negotiate a move for the 20-year-old.
He has made 58 appearances for the Portuguese champions after progressing through their youth ranks, but has recently fallen out of favour, and hasn’t started a league game since October – being left out of their last three altogether.
It’s expected that he will leave sooner rather than later, and though he has a ยฃ102m release clause in his contract, Benfica aren’t thought to be holding out for that fee for a player who is firmly out of the first-team picture at present.
Instead, it’s believed his representatives are offering a loan deal for the remainder of the season, with a ยฃ34m option to buy that could see him leave permanently in the summer.
Eber Bessa,Gedson Fernandes
United are said to be among the parties interested in bringing him in, and at just 20 years old, it certainly seems as if he fits the bill for what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said he is looking for in new signings.
“Targets that weโre looking at, theyโre long-term targets,” Solskjaer said earlier this month. “If thereโs something popping up that might be as a short-term, maybe. But weโre always thinking long term.”
Whether or not Fernandes is considered a talent worth going in for, then, remains to be seen – but his may be a name worth earmarking for the weeks ahead.
Manchester United earned a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Burnley on Saturday evening, lifting Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men to fifth place in the Premier League table.
The two sides largely cancelled each other out during an attritional first half, but a rare Burnley defensive error presented Anthony Martial with the chance to give the Red Devils the lead just before half time, and he slotted home calmly.
Man Utd continued to control the pace and tempo of the match in the second half, but Burnley began to cause the visitors some problems with their direct style of play, and Phil Bardsley forced an excellent save from David de Gea down to his right-hand side.
But the hosts were unable to find a way past the Spanish goalkeeper, and Solskjaer’s men wrapped up the points in injury time when Marcus Rashford streaked through to secure the three points for the visitors.
Real Madrid look set to end their interest in Paul Pogba following the emergence of Federico Valverde as a key first-team player at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The 21-year-old all-action Uruguayan has been a breakout star for Zinedine Zidane’s side this season, earning rave reviews for his aggressive and dynamic displays in central midfield.
Federico Valverde
The South American starlet signed for Real for around ยฃ4.5m in 2016 and has made 18 appearances for the club this season, with his market value skyrocketing in the process.
Real have been so impressed by the youngster’s development over the past few months, the club is ready to cease its pursuit of Manchester United star Pogba, according to a report by AS.
Allegedly Los Blancos do not see the need to invest the โฌ150m required to secure the Frenchman’s signature when Valverde is in such impressive form.
Pogba looked set to make the move to the Spanish capital in the summer, with the player seemingly very keen on making the switch. However, the deal was blocked by United with Real president Florentino Perez conceding in August that a completing a transfer before the close of the summer window would be ‘impossible’.
Paul Pogba
This did not stop Pogba being linked with a January switch to Los Blancos and the club were rumoured to be considering offering Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez in a swap deal for the player earlier this month.
Since then Pogba’s agent Mino Raiola has claimed that his client is happy to remain in the Premier League.
“Paul wants to be successful and happy and wants to win prizes and he would love to do that with Manchester United,โ Raiola told the Telegraph.
Mino Raiola,Carmine Raiola
“Okay there was big interest from Real Madrid and Manchester didnโt let him go. We didnโt make a fuss about it and he didnโt make a fuss about it because I work in accordance with the player. You know other players can [take] things to extreme but Paul doesnโt like that.
Manchester United are reportedly planning to make a ยฃ80m move for James Maddison this summer.
The Leicester City midfielder – who signed for the Foxes for a fee of around ยฃ20m from Norwich at the beginning of last season – has been in good form this campaign.
Maddison has been at the heart of a Leicester side that have defied expectations and put together a strong bid for Champions League qualification.
FBL-ENG-PR-MAN CITY-LEICESTER
These fine performances have unsurprisingly seen him linked with a move away from the King Power Stadium and the Daily Star are claiming that United are ‘confident’ that 22-year-old can be lured to Old Trafford in the summer.
Despite their confident reporting, the Star offer little in the way of explanation as to why Maddison would want to give up a chance to play in the Champions League with Leicester for the uncertainty of a move to the Red Devils.
In fact, recently it was revealed that the attacking midfielder was close to signing a new deal with the Foxes. In November a source exclusively told 90min that “Leicester are very confident that James will be signing a new deal.”
“He loves playing with this group and he doesn’t see any reason to move at the moment and Leicester will put him on wages befitting of his form as one of the Premier League’s top midfielders.”
James Maddison
There is no release clause in Maddison’s contract currently and even with no new deal confirmed as yet, he still has three-and-a-half years left on his current package, meaning United would have to pay an exorbitant fee to secure his services.
The playmaker’s price is also inflated by the fact that he is an England international who is likely to be selected in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Euros.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has lavished praise on Paul Pogba, describing him as the ‘best all-round midfielder in the world’ after the Frenchman made his long-awaited injury return.
Pogba had been out since September with an ankle problem that he sustained during his side’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal. The World Cup winner finally returned to the Manchester United first team against the Hornets, though he could not prevent the Red Devils falling to a 2-0 defeat against the Premier League’s basement club.
Nevertheless, Solskjaer was eager to praise Pogba prior to United’s trip to Newcastle on Boxing Day.
“He can play anywhere, he can play the whole midfield, he is a box-to-box midfielder. He can drop deep, get it and play them long passes. He can get higher up and combine like he did on Sunday,” the Norwegian stated, as reported by the Daily Mail.
“It depends on the game. That’s the beauty of having Paul because he is the best all-round midfielder in the world, he can do all the roles. It’s great to have him back .
Solskjaer has lavished praise on Paul Pogba, describing him as the ‘best all-round midfielder in the world’ after the Frenchman made his long-awaited injury return.
Pogba had been out since September with an ankle problem that he sustained during his side’s 1-1 draw with Arsenal. The World Cup winner finally returned to the Manchester United first team against the Hornets, though he could not prevent the Red Devils falling to a 2-0 defeat against the Premier League’s basement club.
“He can play anywhere, he can play the whole midfield, he is a box-to-box midfielder. He can drop deep, get it and play them long passes. He can get higher up and combine like he did on Sunday,” the Norwegian stated, as reported by the Daily Mail.
“It depends on the game. That’s the beauty of having Paul because he is the best all-round midfielder in the world, he can do all the roles. It’s great to have him back.”
When asked if Pogba is likely to start against the Magpies, Solskjaer confirmed that the Frenchman was being considered to play the full 90 minutes.
“Let’s see how he reacts, how he feels. He did really well when he came on, a big plus,” the United boss said.
“It might be that we do get him in from the start because you just want to get more and more into the team when he plays.”
The loss to Watford continued a worrying trend of United being unable to defeat teams in the lower reaches of the table, with the Red Devils already failing to beat Aston Villa, Newcastle and West Ham this season. Solskjaer also emphasised that this is something his side are keen to rectify during the remainder of the campaign.
“We want to be a team that can go and dominate teams and break teams down. It’s taken Liverpool a few years to get to that stage and we need to just keep on building because that’s what we want to get to,” the 46-year-old confirmed.
“We create loads of chances, but every time we lose it there’s a counter-attack. We need to lock it down more, better at stopping the counter-attack.”
Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has been ambitiously linked with a January return to former club Juventus in a deal that Italian newspaper Tuttosport claims could be quickly wrapped up for as little as โฌ60m plus former Liverpool midfielder Emre Can.
It is a story that has already been widely repeated by various news outlets, but one that does not add up on a number of counts and is therefore difficult to believe holds much truth.
Tuttosportโs claim is that Pogba is โfed upโ of Manchester United and that he โdreamsโ of returning to Juve, where he previously spent four years between 2012 and 2016.
It is alleged by the publication that United โcould deal immediatelyโ if Juve were to make an offer worth โฌ60m (ยฃ52m) plus Can. But given that Can is deemed by Transfermarkt to have a market value of little more than โฌ30m, it puts the overall value of any such deal at less than โฌ100m.
Compare that to the summer when rough estimates of Pogbaโs price tag, should United even be willing to entertain offers, was in the region of โฌ180m, around double.
Tuttosportโs story rests on the idea that United would be so desperate to get rid of Pogba, a player the sports daily describes as being like a โforeign bodyโ at Old Trafford, that they would be willing to accept a considerably unfavourable deal midway through the season.
Add to that Canโs Liverpool past and Unitedโs need for a creative player rather than a more orthodox central midfielder and it all makes very little sense.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer declared in no uncertain terms as recently as Friday that Pogba โis not being sold in Januaryโ. The Frenchmanโs long-awaited return from injury two days later was then described by Solskjaer as โthe only plusโ in the clubโs defeat to Watford.
Also on Friday, Pogbaโs agent Mino Raiola gave an interview stating that his client wants to stay at Old Trafford: โPaul wants to be successful and happy and wants to win prizes and he would love to do that with Manchester United.โ
Raiola alluded to a desire to join Real Madrid before the season began, but also explained that Pogba does not want to be the type of player that kicks up a fuss. It suggests that Unitedโs refusal to sell him is therefore a decision that he will respect.
Tottenham Hotspur head coach Josรฉ Mourinho has stressed that he’s happy he doesn’t have a big transfer budget to spend during the January transfer window – asserting that he’s keen to keep his current squad intact for the rest of the season.
The Portuguese was heavily criticised during his most recent spell at Manchester United for his over-reliance on signing new players, spending over ยฃ360m during his two-year spell at Old Trafford.
But Mourinho insists he’s glad he doesn’t have a big budget to spend in the upcoming January window and he claims Tottenham’s ability to compete in the transfer market was made clear before he took over the job.
“I’m relaxed because I got this club exactly as I was expecting,” Mourinho told Sky Sports. “I expect to be asked about Daniel Levy saying we don’t plan to spend a lot, and people to ask if I’m upset.
“Will that upset me? No. I knew it, he told me! Everything was crystal clear, no secrets in any of the club’s plans, and this makes me happy. I don’t like being at a club and being surprised by things. Here there are no surprises.
“Would I prefer to have ยฃ300m in January? I wouldn’t. In January I don’t need players.”
Mourinho took over at Tottenham with the club sitting 12 points away from Champions League qualification, but after a good run of form, the club are now just one win away from breaking into the top four.
Standing in their way are Mourinho’s former club Chelsea, who are now just one point clear in the top four after a run of four defeats in their last five games.
Even with Chelsea’s form at rock bottom, Mourinho’s well aware of the threat at that his former side could pose when they make the short journey to north London.
“There is never a good time to play Chelsea,” he added. “The reality is we were 12 points off – the Champions League was almost a mirage, it was so, so far away – now it’s three.
“It would be amazing for us to win and reduce the gap from 12 to zero so quickly but it’s always difficult.”
Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matiฤ is a surprise transfer target for Diego Simeone’s
The Serbia international has made just seven appearances across all competition this season, although Matiฤ has started just one Premier League game and appears to have lost his place in United’s first-team squad to Scott McTominay.
Matiฤ only has six months left on his contract at Manchester United, but AS report that Atlรฉtico Madrid will look to prise the midfielder away from Old Trafford in a cut-price deal during the January transfer window.
UEFA Europa League”Manchester United v AZ Alkmaar”
Atlรฉti manager Simeone is believed to be looking to add more experience to his side as they push for silverware both domestically and in Europe.
As part of Matiฤ’s contract, United do have the option to extend it for another year but it’s unknown if they’ll take up that option – especially if Atlรฉtico express an interest in signing the midfielder next month.
Italian giants Inter are also said to be interested in signing Matiฤ during the January transfer window, where the Serbian would be given the chance to work under Antonio Conte.
While Atlรฉti are interested in signing Matiฤ, it’s pointed out that a new midfielder will be lower down their priorities as they look to sign a new striker to solve their problems going forward.
Portuguese wonderkid and club-record signing Joรฃo Fรฉlix has struggled to adapt to his new surroundings, scoring just four goals in 17 appearances for Los Colchoneros.
รlvaro Morata has established himself as the club’s top goalscorer this season, but only has six goals in La Liga himself – less than the likes of Lucas Pรฉrez, Loren Morรณn, Gerard Moreno and รngel Rodrรญguez.
Atlรฉtico still have Diego Costa on their books too, but the former Chelsea star has struggled with injuries this season and has only scored two goals across all competitions.
Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea are among a group of five teams in the Premier League reportedly keeping tabs on Real Madrid winger Vinรญcius Jรบnior.
The Brazil international has fallen down the pecking order at the Santiago Bernabรฉu following the arrival of Rodrygo Goes, who has been involved in eight goals in just 13 Real Madrid appearances.
Los Blancos haven’t shown any signs that they’d be willing to part ways with Vinรญcius so far, but that hasn’t stopped the Madrid edition of El Desmarque listing a host of European giants who apparently want to sign the 19-year-old forward as early as January.
Vinicius Junior
On top of the interest from Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, it’s also been suggested that Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers are keeping one eye on Vinรญcius’ future in the Spanish capital.
While the Premier League looks like Vinรญcius’ most likely destination if he does leave Real Madrid, El Desmarque also lists Paris Saint-Germain, Roma and Inter as clubs who are also interested in the Brazilian.
It’s hinted that Vinรญcius will review his own future at the club at the end of the season as he continues to be left on the fringes of Zinedine Zidane’s plans, but as things stand ahead of the transfer window re-opening, the forward wants to stay put and fight for his place.
While it’s likely that all the clubs El Desmarque have listed would be interested in Vinรญcius if he was available on the transfer market, it’s unknown exactly why Real Madrid would consider parting ways with the youngster already.
Vinรญcius has a contract at the club until 2025 and so far have shown no indication that they’d let the forward leave on loan – Rayo Vallecano, who are owned by Real Madrid legend Ronaldo Nazรกrio, unsuccessfully tested those waters during the summer – let alone on a permanent deal.
FBL-EUR-C1-BRUGGE-REAL MADRID
The 19-year-old is undoubtedly growing frustrated at his lack of playing time in the Spanish capital, which is common for any young player at one of European football’s biggest clubs.
But to suggest that Vinรญcius could imminently be on his way out of Real Madrid, with eight different clubs across the continent looking to sign him, looks to be little more than some creative imagination from the Spanish media.
Tottenham’s 2-1 last gasp win away at Wolves on Sunday kept alive an astonishing Premier League record for boss Josรฉ Mourinho.
The Portuguese manager has gone over four years since seeing his side lose after going ahead in an English top-flight game.
Jose Mourinho,Christian Eriksen,Jan Vertonghen
So Spurs fans needn’t have worried when Wolves star Adama Traorรฉ cancelled out Lucas Moura’s early opener, with Mourinho at the helm, a Spurs loss was unthinkable.
Clearly Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen was aware of his manager’s unbeaten streak, duly popping up with an injury-time header to snatch all three points.
In total, Mourinho has overseen 54 games without loss when his side have opened the scoring, winning 48 of those encounters while coming away with a point in the other six.
Even in his ill-fated spell with Manchester United, Mourinho kept the record intact, not suffering defeat in any of the 49 games which the Red Devils struck first during his tenure.
The last time Mourinho tasted defeat after his team scored first was back in October 2015 during his second stint with Chelsea.
The opponents on the day were Southampton and despite Willian striking first for Mourinho’s men, the Blues slumped to a 3-1 home defeat to the Saints.
Midfielder Steven Davis drew the visitors level before Sadio Mane and Graziano Pelle scored in the second half to seal a shock win at Stamford Bridge.
The result capped a torrid start to the season for Mourinho and Chelsea, who found themselves in 16th position in the Premier League standings.
Chelsea had just eight points from their opening eight games and sat four points above the relegation places.
It was the beginning of the end for Mourinho in West London and he departed the club in December 2015, after watching his side lose nine of their opening 16 Premier League games that season.
After his spell at Old Trafford, Mourinho returned to management last month, replacing Mauricio Pochettino at Tottenham, after the Argentine was sacked.
After Sunday’s dramatic victory over Wolves, Spurs moved up to fifth in the league, only three points adrift of Chelsea in the final Champions League spot.
Mourinho has won four of his five Premier League games as Spurs boss, with the Lilywhites taking the lead in all of those victories.
But the ‘Special One’ faces a real challenge in his next encounter when he comes up against former club Chelsea at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Marcus Rashford will help seal a special moment in Manchester United’s history on Sunday.
When Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team take the field for their Premier League game against Everton, it will be the 4,000th consecutive time United’s matchday squad has contained a player they have developed in their youth set-up.
The run started with a Second Division encounter against Fulham at Craven Cottage on 30 October 1937.
Rashford is the current shining star, following in the footsteps of – among others – Johnny Carey, the Busby Babes, Bobby Charlton, Nobby Stiles, George Best and the Class of 92.
The England striker spoke to BBC Sport about his own development from a young child growing up in Wythenshawe.
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Do you remember the first time a scout spoke to you or your mum and said, ‘we want Marcus to come down’?
Yeah. Before I came to United, there was a lot of clubs [including Manchester City and Liverpool, as well Everton, Newcastle, Crewe and Accrington Stanley]. We supported Manchester United but my mum didn’t know much about football.
It was my brothers, really, who managed to categorise good academies from bad academies, The final decision came down to which club I loved and wanted to play for? United was perfect. It was everything that you wish for as a kid. Whether you leave the club or you stay here forever, people say once you play for United you’re always a red and for me that’s true.
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The academy holds a huge place in United’s history. They mould you into a Manchester United person or a Manchester United player. But the process begins before you can even remember. There are people who have been there since they were five or six. I was having fun until I was about 11 or 12.
You don’t realise how good you can be or the potential you have. You are just having a kickabout with some kids you have grown to like and have become friends with through football. Looking back on it, the stuff we used to do in training, that is how the process started in becoming a Manchester United player.
Marcus Rashford and the U18 Manchester United team
Rashford (top left) lining up for Manchester United Under-18s in 2015
How difficult is it to break through at a club like this?
It can be very tough. We are privileged to go to lots of tournaments in places like Spain or Italy. I tried to take little bits from everywhere I went. I used to think ‘even if you are not as good as some of the players you are playing against, it is a completely different culture’.
You see with some of the Spanish and Brazilian players here, they bring something different to the team.
There was a tournament where we finished 14th out of 20. We all learned so much from that tournament. There was another where we finished second but we probably didn’t learn half as much as we did in the previous one. It is around the ages of 13, 14, 15 that you learn a lot.
From 15 to 18, that is your moment to start trying to mature because the men’s game is a lot different to academy football. The initial transition can be tough but if you just stick at it, naturally you get used to it. You start to perform at that level and it will become standard.
What was it like when you first trained with the first team?
The first time was under David Moyes and a group of us went over. It was an amazing feeling. I remember the training session, we didn’t actually touch the ball, we were just doing shape and stuff like that. But then we go back to our own age group. What you learned from that little 15-20 minutes is priceless as a young academy player.
Those moments start to add up and when you start training with them more regularly, you pick up more things, more things to learn from and that’s how you become a first-team player.
Who were the biggest influences on your career?
I always try to narrow it down to the biggest impact, which was moving into a forward position. When I was an academy player, I was more about creating opportunities and showing people what I could do.
It wasn’t until about six months before I made my debut – when I was 18 – that my perception changed.
That was down to [coaches] Paul McGuinness, Colin Little and spells with Warren Joyce, especially in training. What they did started to mature me a little bit and make me understand it was not all about showing people what I could do.
I might have to be in a position where I would not get the ball but it would be affecting play more than if I was getting the ball all the time. That six-month period before I made my debut was a huge learning curve.
Rashford’s debut, in a Europa League match against Danish side Midtjylland in the Europa League on 25 February 2016, was something of a fluke.
Will Keane had been injured after coming on in an FA Cup tie at Shrewsbury three days earlier, so Rashford replaced him as a substitute in the squad for the European game. He was thrust into the starting line-up by then-manager Louis van Gaal after Anthony Martial was injured in the warm-up. Rashford scored twice in a 5-1 win.
I had been on the bench at Watford and Leicester the previous November and not got on, so I think I would have made my debut at some point in the season.
That night it was obviously unfortunate for Anthony that he got injured but it was an opportunity for me to speed up the process of playing for the first team. Because of the way it happened, I wasn’t thinking much about anything. I just wanted to enjoy the moment. It was something special for the rest of my career. I just wanted to enjoy it.
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Rashford has now made 191 first-team appearances, scoring 58 goals. In February 2018, his portrait was added to those of David Beckham, Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt, among others, that adorn the walls of the academy building at United’s Carrington training ground.
Last weekend, Solskjaer said he could reach the same heights as five-time Ballon D’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
It is a bit overwhelming but it is the process of development. The players I looked up to are obviously older now. The younger players look up to us. The transition happens so fast. When I understood that, my perception of that picture changed a little bit.
When I was younger and saw people such as Beckham and Scholes on the walls, it gave me that determination every time you went to training. I wanted to reach those heights. I knew they were on the other side of the building, training every day and working hard. I was so far away from them but so close at the same time.
It’s happening now where people like me and Scotty [McTominay] are an example to some of the academy lads who are coming in. It will be the same in a few years’ time, when it’s the next lot of kids. While that happens, I don’t see United’s breeding of players slowing down.
The Ronaldo thing was nice, definitely a compliment. But I understand how far I’ve got left to go to reach the heights he reached so I am very clear-minded and focused on myself
…Mason Greenwood Brace Lead Manchester United Past AZ Alkmaar; Win europaGroup
Mason Greenwood Brace Lead Manchester United Past AZ Alkmaar; Win Europa Group | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights AZ Alkmaar’s Dutch defender Owen Wijndal (L) takes on Manchester United’s striker Mason Greenwood (R) during the UEFA Europa League group L football match between Manchester United and AZ Almaar at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on December 12, 2019.
Manchester United advanced as Group L winners after defeating AZ Alkmaar 4-0 in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday at Old Trafford.
A slow first half saw the Red Devils burst into life after the interval, as United scored four in 11 minutes.
Ashley Young fired home from a tight angle after 53 minutes, and Mason Greenwood found the bottom corner five minutes later.
Jordy Clasie fouled Greenwood in the box on 62 minutes, allowing Juan Mata to slot home from the penalty spot.
Greenwood completed his brace two minutes later, and United extinguished Dutch hopes during a frenzied spell of attacking football.
Argentine footballer, Carlos Tevez has revealed he was ridiculed at Manchester United because of the Audi car he was driving before one of his teammates gifted him a Lamborghini.
According to the 35-year-old striker, who spent two seasons at Manchester United after he joined them in 2007 from West Ham United, England and Manchester United legend, Wayne Rooney, handed over the keys to a Lamborghini when he discussed the situation with him.
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‘At Manchester United training, players would turn up with a Ferrari or a Lamborghini,’ Tevez told Marca. ‘Everyone, even the worst player, would have a Ferrari.’
‘I turned up in the Audi that the club gave you and they all bugged me about it, as if it was a Fiat 600. I spoke to Rooney and, the crazy guy that he is, he told me ‘take the Lamborghini’.
Tevez, who made sixty-three (63) appearances and scored 19 goals for the club, added: ‘I went, without registering, around Manchester with this car, he gave it to me.’
Tevez and Rooney amassed 72 goals between them in all competitions, winning the Champions League and back-to-back Premier League titles before the Argentine footballer, who now plays for Boca Juniors in Argentina made a shock switch to Manchester United’s cross-town rivals, Manchester City.
Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho says he slept at the clubโs training ground to prepare for Saturdayโs match against Burnley.
The Portuguese stayed at Hotspur Way in Enfield after his side were beaten 2-1 by Manchester United on his return to his former club.
Mourinho felt that the dressing room was a โsadโ place following the loss.
โAfter a defeat you cannot be sad. You have to be more than that. You have to be raging, angry, not sad,โ he said.
Mourinho reportedly slept at the training ground before he was appointed manager during his negotiations with Spurs Chairman Daniel Levy, reports the BBC.
The defeat at Old Trafford was Tottenhamโs first under Mourinho.
His side host 12th-placed Burnley at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this weekend.
โI didnโt go home, so the next morning at eight oโclock I was here doing what? Burnley,โ Mourinho said.
โAnalysing Burnley, trying to organise the training session, trying to organise the meeting, choosing the clips to show them the most clear possible way Burnley works.
โThatโs the way you have to do it in football. Donโt accept in a passive way.โ
Tottenham are eighth in the Premier League with five wins, five losses and five draws this season.
โItโs obvious we have problems but we have players with quality, a great human dressing room,โ Mourinho added.
โI like the guys very much but we need to change that feeling of feeling sorry about our mistakes and feeling sad with our bad results.โ
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