Man Utd: Ratcliffe ‘earmarks’ Prem boss to replace Ten Hag despite two fears with ‘ideal’ target rul
Man Utd have identified Brentford boss Thomas Frank as a top target to replace Erik ten Hag as moves for Carlo Ancelotti and Gareth Southgate look unlikely, according to reports.
Ten Hag had a promising first season as Red Devils boss with the Dutchman guiding his side to an FA Cup final, Carabao Cup silverware and a top-four finish in the Premier League.
Southgate unlikely to be the chosen one if Ten Hag leaves
But this campaign has not gone to plan with Man Utd exiting Europe by finishing bottom of their Champions League group, while they are currently sixth in the Premier League as they struggle for consistency.
That has led to rumours that new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS will look to replace Ten Hag in the summer as they look to bring fresh ideas to the table.
However, the Red Devils’ 4-3 victory over Liverpool in their FA Cup quarter-final before the international break has given Ten Hag’s chances of being at Man Utd next season a boost.
Gareth Southgate has been linked heavily as a potential replacement for Ten Hag but reliable journalist Ben Jacobs has insisted that the England manager would “need convincing to jump back into a club football job at this stage”.
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Jacobs told GiveMeSport: “Gareth Southgate has been in international management for a lot longer than at club level. Therefore, he would maybe need convincing to jump back into a club football job at this stage.
“But it will all be contingent on how the European Championships go. Let’s not forget that, right now, Southgate has got another golden generation.
“There is a real opportunity to win Euro 2024 and build something after the tournament. I think that is tempting for Southgate to stay on if the mood and form are right, and England live up to their billing.”
Football Transfers has revealed that Southgate is ‘admired by Sir Dave Brailsford, who is Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s right-hand man’ but the England boss ‘is far from a unanimous choice among the Red Devils’ new hierarchy and is likely to be passed over as a serious candidate for the role’.
Why Man Utd want Thomas Frank…
The report adds that it is Brentford boss Frank ‘who is being earmarked for the Man Utd dugout’ after impressing during his six-year spell at the Bees.
Football Transfers continues:
‘Man Utd will be particularly attracted by his ability to identify and progress young talents, which is the direction that Ratcliffe and Brailsford have hinted their transfer policy will move primarily in.
‘The drawbacks of Frank are that he has not any experience working at a big club or with players the stature of Manchester United’s, while he has also yet to win any major honours as a manager – something that would be demanded of him at Old Trafford.’
Man Utd ‘would ideally like Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti’ to replace Ten Hag but ‘the Italian is seen as an unrealistic target’.
Chelsea attempt to offload two Boehly signings as Real Madrid ‘receive call’ amid ‘double offer’
According to reports, Chelsea have ‘offered’ two of their pricey assets to Spanish giants Real Madrid ahead of this summer’s transfer window.
Chelsea have invested around £1bn on signings since Todd Boehly’s consortium completed their takeover of the Premier League giants.
FFP fears
The Blues have tied most of their players down to lengthy contracts to get around their Financial Fair Play issues but they still find themselves in hot water ahead of the summer.
Chelsea were unable to do any transfer business in January and while they are yet to submit their accounts for the 2023/24 campaign, they are on track to breach the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules heading into next season.
According to Spanish outlet Defensa Central, Chelsea have made an effort to offload Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid.
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The two players have been among Chelsea’s most expensive additions in recent years. Around £60m was paid to sign Cucurella from Brighton, while £106m was invested to beat Liverpool in the race to land Fernandez.
Defensa Central claim Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has ‘received a call’ from Chelsea as they have made a ‘double offer’ to ‘reinforce’ the Spanish giants.
It is said that Chelsea ‘need to sell’ and they have ‘tested the waters’ by getting in touch with Real Madrid, but Carlo Ancelotti’s side are ‘not considering’ signing Fernandez or Cucurella.Related video: The One Player Who Would Fix Chelsea's Biggest Problem (FourFourTwo)
Anyway, yes, Chelsea, this is Chelsea right now.
Chelsea’s ‘three-man’ signing ‘plan’
Regarding potential summer signings for Chelsea, a report from Football Insider claims their ‘three-man plan’ means they ‘want a new goalkeeper, a wide forward and a striker’.
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The report adds: ‘Transfer correspondent Pete O’Rourke revealed that the Blues have prioritised these positions despite their financial struggles.
‘It is believed that Chelsea will have to sanction significant player sales to legally finance moves this summer.
‘Well-placed sources have told Football Insider (6 March) that they are planning to sell up to four senior stars before July to meet PSR requirements.
‘It is believed that they are interested in signing Brentford ace Ivan Toney, with sources telling Football Insider (22 March) that they and rivals Tottenham are keen on his services this summer.
‘The club have plenty of wide attacking options at their disposal, including Raheem Sterling and Noni Madueke, but their futures remain uncertain amid their need to balance their books before 30 June.’
Tottenham to ‘low-ball’ Chelsea with summer ‘bid’ amid PSR fears as Todd Boehly decides ‘to sell’
According to reports, Tottenham Hotspur are ‘ready to low-ball’ Chelsea with an ‘early’ bid for England international Conor Gallagher.
The centre-midfielder is due to be out of contract at the end of next season and he is yet to commit his future to the Premier League giants.
Gallagher to Spurs?
Gallagher was initially expected to leave Chelsea during last summer’s transfer window as part of a major overhaul. He was linked with Tottenham and West Ham but he ended up sticking around.
This season has been difficult for head coach Mauricio Pochettino and his squad but Gallagher – who has captained Chelsea for much of this campaign – has been one of their shining lights.
Pochettino’s future is in doubt but he understandably wants Gallagher to remain at Chelsea. However, Todd Boehly has reportedly ‘gone against’ the head coach and has decided ‘to sell’ the 24-year-old this summer.
This reported decision has been made amid growing fears that Chelsea will be given a points deduction next season for breaching the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules. Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness has warned the Blues that sanctions are ‘coming’ next season.Related video: Why Chelsea Cannot Score Goals (FourFourTwo)
All right, so First off, this morning I've seen a
The cut-off date for Chelsea to submit their accounts for the 2023/24 season is June 30 so they may be forced to sell one or two players during the early weeks of the summer window to ease their PSR fears.
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‘Low-ball’ offer…
According to Football Insider, Spurs are ‘ready to low-ball Chelsea and strike a cut-price early deal’ to land Gallagher.
Tottenham are said to be ‘preparing to table an early summer bid’ for Gallagher which will be worth between ‘£30-40m’. The report adds.
‘Gallagher has 12 months remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea are willing to listen to offers to help balance their finances.
‘Tottenham are set to drive a “hard bargain” and “low-ball” the Blues as they are aware of their troubling financial situation and their need to raise funds this summer.
‘Chelsea are on the brink of breaching Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules and need to raise funds before the cut-off date of June 30.
‘Spurs are willing to table a bid before the June deadline but their opening offer is well below Chelsea’s asking price of £50million. The North London side also showed interest in Gallagher over the January transfer window and they are set to reignite their interest in the summer.’
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Man City ‘expulsion could be a possibility’ as Prem clubs ‘question integrity of title race’
Former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson insists “expulsion could be a possibility” for Man City if they found guilty of their 115 FFP charges.
The Premier League issued a statement on its website in February 2023 announcing Man City had been referred to an independent commission in respect of a series of alleged breaches of rules related to club finances.
Expulsion now on the table for Man City?
The alleged breaches concerned the reporting of accurate financial information, the submission of details of manager and player pay information within the relevant contracts, a club’s responsibility as a Premier League member to adhere to UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations and to the league’s own profitability and sustainability regulations.
Man City, who won the Treble last season, are also alleged to have breached rules requiring them to co-operate and assist with the Premier League’s investigation into those breaches, which the league says began in December 2018.
The Citizens issued a statement expressing surprise at the announcement of the alleged rule breaches, which referred to “extensive engagement” with the Premier League on the matter. The club also said they held “irrefutable evidence” in support of their position.
It is unclear how much longer the process will take but there have been some suggestions that it could run for several more years.Related video: Guardiola's first Man City XI: where are they now? (Soccer Stories)
previous successes with his new club.
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There has been an increased spotlight put on Man City’s charges in recent months after Everton and Nottingham Forest both received points deductions for breaking the Premier League’s financial rules.
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness suggested that Premier League “expulsion” is now “on the table” for Man City “for the first time” and Robinson agrees but thinks that punishment would be “harsh”.
“First of all, we have to look at it from a Man City point of view,” Robinson told Football Insider.
“They’re absolutely adamant that they have not done anything wrong and they’re fighting the case the whole way, hence why it is taking so long.
“They’re quite confident that they can make this go away. Four points for Forest, six points for Everton for one breach – can you imagine what Man City have breached if they are found guilty?
“You only have to look at Rangers when they were expelled from the league. The way that it’s been run so far – nothing is impossible with the sanctions.
“There’s not a list of punishments that fit the crime. They’re each dealt with on an individual basis. Forest got less of a deduction [than Everton] because they played ball.
“There’s no level playing field for each crime. Everton and Forest were charged with the same thing, but they were both dealt with differently.
“If you look at City, who knows what’s going to happen? If they are found guilty, expulsion could be a possibility, but harsh.”
Fixture schedule causing Premier League ‘backlash’
And the Daily Mirror claim that the Premier League are also facing a ‘backlash’ over the latest schedule after Arsenal and Liverpool fixture changes.
Tottenham will benefit from a huge 15-day break before the north London derby against Arsenal, while the Gunners are set to play four matches in that period.
The Daily Mirror continues:
‘Tottenham’s game with Manchester City on April 20 has been postponed because Pep Guardiola ’s men have an FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea that weekend. However, rather than reschedule Tottenham vs City for the following midweek, Guardiola’s men will play Brighton instead on Thursday, April 25.
‘That gives Tottenham a complete break from their game at Newcastle on April 13 until they play Arsenal at White Hart Lane. During those 15 days, Arsenal will face FOUR crunch games with Aston Villa, Bayern Munich, Wolves and their rearranged game with Chelsea while Spurs put their feet up.
‘It could have massive implications in the title race as well as the battle for top four as Tottenham’s schedule gives them a huge edge over Villa who are still in the Europa Conference League. That has left people at various clubs questioning the “integrity” of the fixture list and the role the rescheduling might play in deciding who wins the title and gets into the top four.’
Man Utd face European ban NEXT season as UEFA warning catches Sir Jim Ratcliffe by surprise
Manchester United are facing the strong possibility of being barred from European competition next season after UEFA stuck by their rules of multi-club ownership – but Sir Sir Jim Ratcliffe has a plan in place to remedy the situation in years to come.
The Red Devils have suffered fluctuating fortunes this season, with Erik ten Hag failing to get a consistent tune out of his players with their form at one stage leading to the club suffering their worst start to a season since 1930/31. As a result, the Dutchman has seen his job come under serious scrutiny with multiple reports suggesting his job is on the line and he could he sacked as Manchester United manager.
Since our revelation, multiple outlets, including the Daily Mail and the Manchester Evening News – the latter of whom understandably do have to tread extremely carefully – have followed our lead with the same claim.
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However, Ten Hag continues to battle on and the 54-year-old does still have some backing at club, whil last weekend’s thrilling 4-3 victory over Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals illustrated exactly what they are capable of when playing to their best.
Nonetheless, any decision on his future will be decided at the end of the season, with the final decision resting with new minority shareholder Ratcliffe, who has also been granted full sporting control at Old Trafford.
UEFA warns Man Utd over European ban
Much of his decision will likely rest on two factors: Manchester United winning the FA Cup and upon their sealing of a place in the Champions League next season.
TEAMtalk has also learned that while Ten Hag is a man under pressure, hitting those two goals would make his removal as manager exceedingly difficult.
However, while they are strong favourites to reach the FA Cup final, given they have been paired with Championship outfit Coventry in the semi-finals and giving them a big shot at winning the trophy, they do remain well off the pace in the hunt for a Champions League place.
As it stands, United are sixth on 47 points, six adrift of Tottenham in fifth and a further three points behind Aston Villa in fourth.
And while UEFA’s expanded Champions League format next season means fifth is likely to qualify, it would need a big uplift in form over their remaining 10 matches to overhaul the sides above them.
As a result, it is likely they will be competing in the Europa League next season – but that comes as a huge blow in addition to the obvious cash shortfall it will see the club suffer owing to the drop in revenues between the two competitions.
More significantly, United face big sanctions from European competition next season after UEFA finally published their rulings regarding multi-club ownership.
And with INEOS also owning Ligue 1 side Nice, it means there is a strong possibility of United facing European punishment as a result.
Their updated lawbook states that while clubs under the same ownership can compete in different European competitions next season, the ban on clubs competing in the same tournament leaves United in a state of panic.
Sir Sir Ratcliffe eager to challenge law as UEFA issues warning
The problem has arisen as a result of Nice’s slump in France’s top flight. For several months they had looked well placed to secure Champions League football next season. However, a run of just one win in seven games has seen them slump from second to fifth – and means a spot in next season’s Europa League – much like Manchester United – remains their likely outcome.
A UEFA insider, speaking to The Sun, has confirmed the ruling that will likely block United from competing in the same competition next season.
“It is correct that Manchester United and Nice cannot play in the same competition,” the source said.
“They could play in different competitions, as there is no ‘feeding’ between competitions any more.”
The news will come as a major blow to Ratcliffe, who was told as recently as last month that the ruling will be changed in time for the new season and was not expecting his ownership of Nice to complicate matters for United in such a way.
It is now claimed the British billionaire is lobbying UEFA to make the change – possibly in time for next season – but more likely ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, where the rulings set to come under review once again.
However, it is unlikely any changes will be made in time for next season, leaving United with a potentially-significant cash blow.
There is some hope for United, because, as it stands Nice are currently ranked higher than the Red Devils in UEFA’s system.
However, victory in the FA Cup would see them overhaul the French side in that system and see Nice having to play second fiddle, potentially relegating them to play in UEFA Conference League instead.
But a failure to win the FA Cup and, if both finish in the same European competition, Nice will take precedence, meaning United will drop into the lower ranked competition themselves.
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