Manchester United made Southampton a ‘derisory’ offer for their director of football Jason Wilcox, but the Saints’ ‘anger’ is futile.
Wilcox only moved to the Saints in the summer having spent ten years working in the Manchester City academy, but has been earmarked by Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the new Manchester United regime as the ideal candidate to become their new technical director.

‘A key part for Ratcliffe’

Ratcliffe has already lured Omar Berrada from City to become the club’s new CEO, while Dan Ashworth has been poached from Newcastle to become sporting director.
Wilcox hired Russell Martin as Saints manager last summer and oversaw a hectic transfer window following their relegation from the Premier League, which saw them bring in over £160m through player sales.
And the way in which he dealt with that situation, along with his success in bringing talent through at Manchester City, has drawn admiring glances from Ratcliffe and his cronies.
The Sun claim Wilcox is ‘viewed as a key part of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s behind the scenes rebuild at Old Trafford’, and will work closely with Ashworth in his role as technical director.

Southampton ‘anger’ proves futile

United are said to have offered a year’s salary as compensation to Southampton, with that ‘derisory’ offer and the timing of it – given the Saints’ promotion push – said to have ‘angered’ the club bosses.
Southampton rejected the approach but Wilcox looks set to join the United revolution in any case, with Fabrizio Romano reporting that the former winger has resigned from his post at St Mary’s.
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The transfer expert wrote on X: ‘Jason Wilcox has resigned from Southampton — he’s set to join Manchester United as new technical director!
‘Southampton refuse to accept fee so Wilcox will resign as he wants to join Man United project.
‘Former Man City Head of Academy will be key part of Man United new era.’
Wilcox will have to serve a 12-month notice period if he has indeed resigned his post.
It’s not yet clear how duties will be split between Berrada, Ashworth and Wilcox, but Ratcliffe and Ineos are taking significant strides towards having the club structure in place ahead of the summer, when big decisions – including whether Erik ten Hag will remain as manager – will need to be made and acted upon.

Tottenham finally ready to accept £20-25m offer for unhappy star not fully cut out for ‘Ange-Ball’

Tottenham are reportedly willing to accept an offer of between £20-25million for midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg this summer, with the Dane getting his exit wish granted.
The writing has pretty much been on the wall for the Denmark international ever since Ange Postecoglou walked through the door, given the brand of football the Australian planned on implementing.

Hojbjerg has been used mostly from the bench this season, apart from a stretch when Tottenham were without the likes of Yves Bissouma and Pape Sarr and Rodrigo Bentancur was still feeling his way back from his ACL injury.
When he has been called upon, the 28-year-old does not look as comfortable keeping possession as some of his midfield teammates and has always been regarded more as a destroyer than a fluid player in possession.
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Hojbjerg did, however, opt to remain at the club in January when he could have easily moved on, but the summer will be a different matter entirely.
And, according to Football Insider, Serie A clubs, including giants Juventus, are still monitoring the former Southampton man following their interest in the January transfer window.
Related video: Postecoglou previews Tottenham's trip to West Ham (Metro)

Everyone got through the game unscathed.

FI sources report that Spurs plan to accept an appropriate offer for the Denmark international this summer.
His contract is set to expire in the summer of 2025, but that will not stop Daniel Levy demanding a decent fee for a player who is arguably around his prime in terms of age.

Hojbjerg unhappy with lack of game time

It’s now claimed that Hojbjerg is also willing to depart the club after four years of service amid a lack of game time, with the player himself recently declaring that is unhappy at not figuring more under Postecoglou.
While away on international duty he told Danish outlet Tipsbladet: “Of course, I’m not happy with what’s going on at the club. It’s not a secret, but it’s also not something I’m screaming about.


“I can go to bed at night knowing that I have done what I need to show the coach he has to believe in me. This is not the case at the moment, and it is the coach who has to explain why.”
Hojbjerg’s last Premier League start came almost two months ago in Spurs’ 2-2 draw at Everton and he has featured for a total of just 51 minutes since.
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Tottenham are also expected to be in the market for another midfielder this summer, with a move for Nottingham Forest star Morgan Gibbs-White mooted, as well as a striker – as Postecoglou looks to build on an impressive first season on charge.
That would then leave Hojbjerg, who Spurs spent £15m on in the summer of 2020, even further down the pecking order.
To that end, an exit now looks inevitable for a player who has consistently given his all in a Tottenham shirt but is just limited in what he can do for the current manager.

Real Madrid star brutally rejects Man Utd as Ten Hag is set to miss out on bargain deal

A Real Madrid star has rejected the chance to join Manchester United this summer, with the Red Devils forced to consider alternative options.
With Anthony Martial set to leave Man Utd this summer, the club are keen on signing a couple of forwards to bolster their attacking options.

A number of targets are currently under consideration and it recently transpired that Real Madrid loanee Joselu is on their list of targets.
The 34-year-old striker is on loan at Real Madrid from Espanyol and he’s enjoyed a surprisingly good season. While it was first thought that Joselu only joined Real Madrid as a squad player, he’s been handed plenty of opportunities at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Across all competitions, the forward has scored 14 goals while also providing three assists. While Man Utd are seemingly keen on the veteran forward, they have been dealt a blow in their pursuit of him.
According to reports in Spain (as cited by Sport Bible), Joselu is expected to turn down any offers from Man Utd as he wants to stay at Real Madrid.
The Spanish giants do have the option to purchase the 34-year-old at the end of the season for just €1.5m and given his impressive form, this seems a real possibility.
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He spoke after the Liverpool game was obviously quite a

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Carlo Ancelotti wants to keep Joselu

The Real Madrid boss has been pleased with Joselu’s impact this season and he seems keen to have the 34-year-old on board for next season.
“He’s doing everything he needs to stay, playing spectacularly,” Ancelotti told reporters.
“It’s a blessing to have a striker with this quality, different, always willing. When he comes in, he helps. We are all delighted with him.”
Joselu himself has made it no secret that his desire is to sign for Real Madrid on a permanent basis. In an interview with ABC, he explained: “I hope to stay with Real Madrid on a permanent deal.
“I had a clause that if Espanyol went down, I could go out on loan. And well, Madrid had the opportunity, they thought it was convenient to be able to trigger it. And here I am.
“Well, there’s a contract, an option to buy, Madrid can buy me in the summer. There are many situations, if Espanyol do not get promoted, if they do go up. A lot of things that can happen.”
In La Liga, Joselu has scored eight goals in 28 appearances and he would be a suitable backup option to Kylian Mbappe next season.
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Arsenal eye ambitious £146m double transfer coup but face competition from Liverpool and Newcastle

Arsenal and Newcastle scouts were present at Porto’s latest game to watch a couple of their prized assets, according to the latest reports.
It’s no secret that Arsenal will be after a new striker in the upcoming window as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his attacking options.
While the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah are useful enough strikers, neither of them have been at the top of their game this season.

Jesus has managed to score eight goals across all competitions while Nketiah has scored just five. Bukayo Saka has scored the bulk of Arsenal’s goals this year, although even he hasn’t managed as many as Porto forward Evanilson.
The Brazilian star has scored an impressive 22 goals up until this point while also providing six assists. Across all competitions, he’s averaging a goal contribution every 97.9 minutes.
According to HITC, Arsenal and Newcastle scouts were present at Porto’s clash with Estoril over the weekend. It’s thought that they were especially keeping close tabs on Evanilson, who has been in red-hot form this season.
The Brazilian forward didn’t have his best game over the weekend as Porto lost 1-0 to Estoril. However, he is enjoying a good season on the whole.
Arsenal will be well aware that Evanilson has a £86m release clause within his contract, although it is thought that Porto would be willing to accept a slightly lower fee.
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Arsenal keeping tabs on another Porto star

Along with scouting Evanilson, the same report also claims that the Gunners have been keeping tabs on Alan Varela. The Argentine midfielder has also impressed for Porto this time around.
Varela predominately plays as a defensive midfielder and this is also a key position that Arsenal are looking to upgrade in the summer.
Given the long-term future of Thomas Partey and Jorginho is up in the air, a player like Varela could be a viable option to replace either of them.
At 22 years old, the Argentine midfielder still has the best years ahead of him yet. His contract is valid until 2028, although the deal is believed to contain a £60m release clause.
In the league this season, Varela has made 23 appearances and has produced five goal contributions in that time. He also averages 1.1 tackles and takes 1.1 shots per game.


Along with Arsenal and Newcastle, Liverpool have also been keeping tabs on the 22-year-old midfielder. Last month TEAMtalk sources confirmed that Varela is a ‘key target’ for the Reds.
If Arsenal end up triggering the release clauses of both Evanilson and Varela, they could pay as much as £146m for the pair. However, they will no doubt and try and negotiate a better deal, if they do decide to pursue both players.
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe looking to strike gold as Man Utd make official approach for key backroom hire

Manchester United have reportedly made an official approach to hire Southampton director of football Jason Wilcox as Sir Jim Ratcliffe looks to finalise his backroom team for next season.
Ratcliffe took charge of football operations after becoming a minority owner of the Premier League side through his company INEOS and is determined to put his own stamp on the club.

That starts with creating a team behind the scenes who will improve the structure of the club and the playing side.
Current Newcastle sporting director Dan Ashworth, who has been placed on garden leave, remains under negotiations to join the club and now talks are underway to bring in Wilcox as well.
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The 53-year-old former Blackburn winger joined Championship side Southampton as director of football from Manchester City last summer, having worked up to the role of academy director during 11 years at the reigning Premier League champions.
And Wilcox is now subject of an official approach from United, although compensation terms are thought to be a sticking point.
The Red Devils have said to have offered compensation commensurate to a year’s salary, but Southampton want a bigger package than that.
Related video: Why Manchester United Wants Dan Ashworth So Badly (Dailymotion)

United want Wilcox in place for the summer and are hoping for an amicable outcome, with things taking a turn of Monday evening.

Wilcox steps down from Saints role

A report emerged during Southampton’s late defeat at Ipswich on Monday evening that Wilcox has resigned, which would mean serving a 12-month notice period before he could take up a new role.
Wilcox is understood to have a good relationship with incoming United chief executive Omar Berrada from their time working together at The Etihad.
United, meanwhile, are back in action on Thursday night when they head to Chelsa in the Premier League.
Erik ten Hag will be looking for a vastly improved display from his side after they grabbed a fortunate draw at Brentford on Saturday evening, having been completely outplayed by Thomas Frank’s men.
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Arsenal handed huge lift to hopes of landing €60m perfect Rice partner in dazzling LaLiga raid

Arsenal are still eyeing Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi as a summer transfer window target, with two factors reportedly placing a move to The Emirates in their favour.
It’s common knowledge that Mikel Arteta plans to bring in another midfielder to partner Declan Rice this summer and highly-rated Sociedad star Zubimendi could well be that man.

Indeed, Arsenal transfer insider Charles Watts mentioned the 25-year-old when speaking about Gunners targets to CaughtOffside recently.
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He said: “I do expect Arsenal to sign a midfielder this summer, but a lot will depend on what happens with the midfielders they currently have.
“Ideally they would like Jorginho to stay, and then they have to sort out Thomas Partey’s future. Partey still has a year left on his deal and, just like last summer, Arsenal would not stand in his way of leaving should a decent offer arrive for the Ghana international.
“Should that happen, then they would have to replace him and Martin Zubimendi is a player they believe can play the Partey role.
“Mikel Arteta knows Zubimendi well and is a big admirer of the Spain international, but there is uncertainty around whether he actually wants to leave Real Sociedad. There is also expected to be strong rival interest in the 25-year-old, so it might not be an easy deal to get done.


“Douglas Luiz is a player Arsenal have tracked for a couple of years now, but the price Aston Villa would demand for the Brazilian would make it a difficult one for Arsenal.
“Everton’s Amadou Onana could be one to watch out for. There were a lot of links with him in January. Again, I was told at the time that there was nothing concrete in that speculation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he is someone Arsenal look at when the season ends.”
But in terms of the Zubimendi interest, that has now been ramped up following Fabrizio Romano’s latest comments.

Arsenal boosted after Zubimendi update

Posting on his official account on X, Romano suggests that Arsenal could now be in a good position to sign Zubimendi as Barcelona’s interest in the Spain international seems to have gone quiet, while Bayern Munich’s pursuit could depend on who their new manager is.
It seems Zubimendi could have been a good option for Bayern under Xabi Alonso, but it’s now less clear if he’ll be targeted as a priority by whoever comes in next.
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That news is most definitely a boost for Arsenal and their hopes of bringing in Zubimendi, although they could still face some strong opposition from other clubs if the player becomes available.
He currently has a €60m release clause, although it’s unclear whether the Spanish outfit are prepared to listen to offers below that figure.
Zubimendi has scored seven goals in 185 appearances for Sociedad, having been with the club since the age of 12.