Man Utd turned down £60m bid for ‘terrible’ Ten Hag signing but could make summer U-turn
Man Utd rejected a huge bid from a Saudi Arabian club for Red Devils midfielder Casemiro in the summer transfer window, according to reports.
The Red Devils splashed out £70m on the Brazil international in the summer of 2022 with the 31-year-old bringing an end an extremely successful nine-year spell at Real Madrid.
However, Casemiro has been hit by injuries and inconsistent form this season and has been the subject of a lot of criticism, especially as the Red Devils paid so much for him.
He has only managed to start 12 Premier League matches this campaign and Spanish publication Relevo insist Man Utd had a chance to sell him and get most of their money back in the summer.
Relevo insist that Man Utd had an offer from a Saudi Pro League side ‘on the table for an amount very similar to the one they paid Real Madrid twelve months earlier: around €70m (£60m)’.
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It is understood that Casemiro is eyeing ‘retirement in Arabia’ and the country’s interest in the former Real Madrid midfielder ‘remains valid’ ahead of the next transfer window.
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Amid Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ‘reconstruction process’ there are ‘doubts about whether Casemiro will be part of the long-term project’ despite having two years plus a one-year option left on his contract.
But it’s claimed that Man Utd ‘don’t want him to leave at all’ and are hoping to ‘convince him to continue one or two more years in England’.
They do ‘understand that there is a possibility of losing him’ though and if a ‘good offer comes in and the player requests it, they will not oppose an exit’.
Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher is one pundit who has criticised Man Utd for their purchase of Casemiro, describing it as a “terrible buy” in November.
Carragher said on CBS Sports: “When you look at Man United buying Casemiro – I don’t care how well he did last season – that’s a terrible buy, from a business and club point of view. That’s just a panic.
“£70million on a guy who’s 30, 31 on a five-year deal, on massive money. I think he’s on the way down now… who’s going to sign him?”
READ MORE: Kalvin Phillips joins Man Utd ‘mistake’ among Every Prem club’s highest-paid players
Mats Hummels rages at ‘joke of a penalty’ in Borussia Dortmund’s draw with PSV
Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels was left raging at what he called “a joke of a penalty” after the team’s 1-1 draw with PSV Eindhoven in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16.
Former PSV youth player Donyell Malen came back to haunt his old club as he opened the scoring for Dortmund in the first half, squeezing the ball in at the near post from an improbably tight angle.
Buoyed by a raucous home crowd, watching their side in the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in eight years, the Dutch side had several opportunities to level the score but was unable to find the breakthrough until the penalty arrived 10 minutes into the second half.
With Malik Tillman advancing into the box, Hummels slid in and clearly won the ball before following through on the attacker.
However, referee Srđan Jovanović immediately pointed to the spot and Luuk de Jong stepped up and confidently buried the penalty kick.
“Twitter waits for it. Twitter gets it. What a joke of a penalty against us. Again! I cannot believe there can be decisions like today or against Chelsea or PSG with the VAR,” Hummels posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, after the match.
According to TNT Sports, Jovanović wasn’t told by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) to go and rewatch the incident on the pitch-side monitor, something pundits Glenn Hoddle and Joleon Lescott could not understand.
“Personally, I think he should be sent to the screens to have a little look himself,” Hoddle said on TNT. “It’s a 50-50 call. Some refs would give it and some wouldn’t, this is where I think technology comes in.
“Go and have a look and make your own decision. If he looks at it again and says, ‘No that’s a penalty,’ or actually, ‘From my angle, I didn’t see it like that, I won’t give it.’ It’s 50-50.”
While Hoddle was unsure of the decision, Lescott was adamant it should not have been a penalty.
“I definitely agree that he should be looking himself,” Lescott said. “I don’t think anyone should be making the decision for him. They’re [VARs] getting the opportunity to look at every angle.
© Provided by CNN
“I definitely feel he touches enough of the ball for that not to be a penalty. They might as well give the referee that’s made the decision the opportunity to make the right decision anyway in his opinion.
“If he looks at other angles, he may see it a different way. I think he thinks, initially, Hummels makes contact on the foot as he’s kicking the ball, but there’s no contact on that foot.”
The two teams play the return leg in Germany on March 13.
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Chelsea's new defensive leader: How Axel Disasi is channeling spirit of John Terry and Toni Rudiger to shine
Axel Disasi is becoming Chelsea’s new leader at the back.
In the absence of Thiago Silva, the 25-year-old defender has stepped up and earned plaudits for a sensational display away at Manchester City on Saturday.
His 16 blocks were the most made by a Chelsea player in a Premier League match in eight years.
Chelsea spent large parts of the game under siege at the Etihad but Disasi won all four of his aerial duels and made three crucial blocks.
Rodri scored a late equaliser to earn City a 1-1 draw but Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher hailed Disasi after what he described as “a John Terry performance”.
“It was backs against the wall throwing yourself in front of things, every time the ball comes in you're like a magnet,” said Carragher.
“Talking about Chelsea, that was a John Terry performance and I can't give any higher praise than that.
“I can't remember a better defensive performance this season, certainly from a central defender.”
Those watching Chelsea more closely will already have noticed how important the £38.6million summer signing has been this season.
No one has played more than his 2,845 minutes in all competitions this season. His performances have been steady, even in moments where others have struggled, and he has improved markedly in the three games leading into to the Carabao Cup Final.
Away at Aston Villa, he partnered Benoit Badiashle in a dominant display as he rekindled his partnership with his former Monaco team-mate.
The outstanding 3-1 away win at Villa Park relieved pressure on Mauricio Pochettino and his squad.
Thiago Silva’s wife, Belle, had called for “change” after the 4-2 defeat to Wolves just days earlier, and Pochettino dropped her husband for performance-related reasons. Unfortunately, Badiashile suffered a groin injury towards the end of the FA Cup win. Silva then suffered the same injury in the 3-1 away win at Crystal Palace, giving Levi Colwill a chance to start against City.
© Provided by Evening Standard
As with Badiashile, the left-footed Colwill has worked well with the ever-present right-sided centre-back Disasi, allowing Chelsea to play higher up the pitch.
In dropping Silva, Chelsea have started to find a better balance in midfield as Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have less ground to cover when defending, with a quicker back four now able to push higher up.
Chelsea still lack experience but having a 39-year-old at the back was also creating tactical problems in their 4-2-3-1 system.
Disasi may not have Silva's gravitas, but his personality is appreciated by supporters and players alike.
His dive into the away crowd after the late win at Palace and celebration after clearing an in-swinging Phil Foden cross to a waiting Erling Haaland were described as “Rudiger-like” by some supporters.
The aggression and eccentricity of Antonio Rudiger has been missed since he joined Real Madrid in 2022 but Disasi has some of his attributes.
“Everyone saw when Axel made a clearance in the first half and celebrated it like a goal that helped to push everyone and gave everyone motivation,” goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic said on Saturday.
Petrovic then lauded Disasi’s block shortly after, adding: “It was a difficult ball [to save] because it deflected in front of me but Axel again did a good job because he didn’t slide and [if he didn’t block it] maybe Haaland would have scored in the far post, and I did my job.
“I think we were organised and played very well. It is very good for confidence ahead of the final and the rest of the season.”
Disasi may only have joined last summer due to a serious Wesley Fofana knee injury, but he has become a crucial part of the team and will be critical to Chelsea’s chances against Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday.
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Man Utd
Former Tottenham midfielder Tom Huddlestone, 37, scored the winning goal for Manchester United under-21s in their derby win over Manchester City.
The ex- Premier League star proved the difference in a match in which none of the opposition's starting line-up were born when he made his senior debut for Derby County in August 2003. Huddlestone scored from the edge of the box to ensure United earned a 2-1 victory in Premier League 2 at Leigh Sports Village.
The division is identified as an under-21 league with the average age of players said to be around 19. However, teams are allowed to field a goalkeeper over the age limit and up to five over-age outfield players.
A second half corner from United youngster Ethan Williams found Huddlestone after City were unable to convincingly clear the ball. It dropped to the Red Devils' player coach who drove a strike home to make the score 2-0.
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Williams also the provided the assist for Ethan Wheatley to open the scoring in the first of the match. Huddlestone completed 90 minutes as United were able to hold onto their lead despite Stephen Mfuni halving the deficit for City and Sam Mather's red card for an off-the-ball incident ensuring the hosts had cling on to earn three points.
Veteran midfielder Huddlestone joined United in August 2022 as a player-coach and extended his role the following year. The club brought him to Old Trafford to replace defender Paul McShane in a similar role to pass on the experience he earned on his way to becoming an England international.
Axel Disasi is becoming Chelsea’s new leader at the back.
In the absence of Thiago Silva, the 25-year-old defender has stepped up and earned plaudits for a sensational display away at Manchester City on Saturday.
His 16 blocks were the most made by a Chelsea player in a Premier League match in eight years.
Chelsea spent large parts of the game under siege at the Etihad but Disasi won all four of his aerial duels and made three crucial blocks.
Rodri scored a late equaliser to earn City a 1-1 draw but Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher hailed Disasi after what he described as “a John Terry performance”.
“It was backs against the wall throwing yourself in front of things, every time the ball comes in you're like a magnet,” said Carragher.
“Talking about Chelsea, that was a John Terry performance and I can't give any higher praise than that.
“I can't remember a better defensive performance this season, certainly from a central defender.”
Those watching Chelsea more closely will already have noticed how important the £38.6million summer signing has been this season.
No one has played more than his 2,845 minutes in all competitions this season. His performances have been steady, even in moments where others have struggled, and he has improved markedly in the three games leading into to the Carabao Cup Final.
Away at Aston Villa, he partnered Benoit Badiashle in a dominant display as he rekindled his partnership with his former Monaco team-mate.
The outstanding 3-1 away win at Villa Park relieved pressure on Mauricio Pochettino and his squad.
Thiago Silva’s wife, Belle, had called for “change” after the 4-2 defeat to Wolves just days earlier, and Pochettino dropped her husband for performance-related reasons. Unfortunately, Badiashile suffered a groin injury towards the end of the FA Cup win. Silva then suffered the same injury in the 3-1 away win at Crystal Palace, giving Levi Colwill a chance to start against City.
© Provided by Evening Standard
As with Badiashile, the left-footed Colwill has worked well with the ever-present right-sided centre-back Disasi, allowing Chelsea to play higher up the pitch.
In dropping Silva, Chelsea have started to find a better balance in midfield as Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo have less ground to cover when defending, with a quicker back four now able to push higher up.
Chelsea still lack experience but having a 39-year-old at the back was also creating tactical problems in their 4-2-3-1 system.
Disasi may not have Silva's gravitas, but his personality is appreciated by supporters and players alike.
His dive into the away crowd after the late win at Palace and celebration after clearing an in-swinging Phil Foden cross to a waiting Erling Haaland were described as “Rudiger-like” by some supporters.
The aggression and eccentricity of Antonio Rudiger has been missed since he joined Real Madrid in 2022 but Disasi has some of his attributes.
“Everyone saw when Axel made a clearance in the first half and celebrated it like a goal that helped to push everyone and gave everyone motivation,” goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic said on Saturday.
Petrovic then lauded Disasi’s block shortly after, adding: “It was a difficult ball [to save] because it deflected in front of me but Axel again did a good job because he didn’t slide and [if he didn’t block it] maybe Haaland would have scored in the far post, and I did my job.
“I think we were organised and played very well. It is very good for confidence ahead of the final and the rest of the season.”
Disasi may only have joined last summer due to a serious Wesley Fofana knee injury, but he has become a crucial part of the team and will be critical to Chelsea’s chances against Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday.
Register now for one of the Evening Standard’s newsletters. From a daily news briefing to Homes & Property insights, plus lifestyle, going out, offers and more. For the best stories in your inbox, click here.
Man Utd’s lost superstar is the apple of Ian Wright’s eye & their biggest post-Fergie regret
France isn’t generally a fan of monarchies, but it may just have a new king on its hands in Lille. All hail King Angel Gomes.
Adilson Angel Abreu de Almeida Gomes has had an unusual path to the precipice of stardom. He passed his way to the front of our minds, last weekend when he played his mate Jonathan David through on goal with a little outside-of-the-foot reverse pass that belonged on the display shelves of a gourmet patisserie, not a football pitch.
This most recent piece of creative brilliance only added to the body of evidence supporting Ian Wright’s recent call for the ex-under-17s World Cup-winning captain to be called up to the senior England squad. We reckon Wrighty’s got a point.
Gomes’s dad was a Portugal under-21 international, and was plying his trade at Hendon FC in London when Angel was born.
By the time little Angel was six, papa Gomes was playing for Middlewich in Chester, and chose to enroll his son in Manchester United’s youth academy.
His godfather was playing for Man United at the time — you might have heard of him, actually, since he won four Premier Leagues and a Champions League.
Have a guess — we’ll tell you at the end of the article.
In 2017, Gomes was transformed into the walking answer to a pub quiz question when he came on for Wayne Rooney for a few minutes against Crystal Palace, becoming the first player born after the turn of the millennium to play in the Premier League.
Store that information somewhere safe in your mind palace – might earn you a £20 bar tab in years to come.
The midfielder a lovely footballer to watch. He plays most often in central midfield or behind the strikers, these days, and cites Xavi, Andres Iniesta, and Marco Verratti as inspirations.
He has a turning circle so small that it’s more of a turning dot, and the sort of vision and awareness that makes anybody who regularly watches football stop what they’re doing and go, “He’s special, him.”
© Provided by Planet Football
Angel Gomes has sparks coming out of his magic calves.
As a child at Man United’s Carrington training centre, he was invited to practice free kicks by Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo, which we imagine would probably have a lasting effect on any young baller.
Gomes rose through the academy ranks, representing England at every youth level, captaining the likes of Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer along the way, before making that famous senior debut for the Red Devils.
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At United, Gomes would room with Marcus Rashford, who he describes as an old brother, no doubt learning from each other and discussing their future world domination as they honed their skills.
In 2020, after only five first-team appearances for United in three years, Gomes made the brave decision to head abroad in search of first-team football.
Lille came knocking and snapped him up on a free before sending him out to Boavista on loan — a smart move since he already spoke Portuguese through his parents.
It was there that Gomes got his first real taste of regular action, and he returned to Lille prepared to do madnesses.
In his first proper season at Lille, Lionel Messi (then at PSG) asked Angel for his shirt.
CAN. YOU. IMAGINE. THAT?!
You play against Leo Messi, arguably the GOAT — already an incredible experience for a young baller, then HE asks YOU for YOUR shirt in the tunnel.
Now, you can believe us, or you can choose not to — up to you. We think Angel Gomes is the 5’6″ short king England’s midfield could very much use, and we reckon he’s destined for the absolute top.
The peak. Xavi Hernandez reincarnated with a British passport. A London-born Bernardo Silva. The Manchester Iniesta.
Messi was impressed enough to ask Angel for his shirt, though, and you’re not allowed to disagree with Messi on the ability of a footballer. Messi knows better than you. He just does. Angel Gomes = The Truth. Certified, locked in, signed off.
Oh, and his godfather is Nani.
By Andrew Martin
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