Erik ten Hag eyes Luke Shaw replacement who Jose Mourinho failed to sign at Man Utd
Luke Shaw has long been Manchester United's first-choice left-back, but consistent injury issues mean manager Erik ten Hag is now mulling over alternatives.
Backed by the INEOS team now overseeing footballing operations, United are expected to spend significantly in the summer and a new left-back could be on the transfer wishlist if Shaw is set to remain sidelined. The England international has missed the bulk of this season with muscle issues and suffered another set-back during last month's 2-1 win away at Luton Town.
Shaw missed three months of the campaign between August and November with a similar issue, and as a result has managed just 12 league appearances so far this term. His deputy Tyrell Malacia has also suffered an injury nightmare this sason and is yet to feature at all.
As a result, Diogo Dalot, traditionally a right-back, has had to also play a number of games on the opposite defensive flank in the absence of Shaw and Malacia. In turn, those at the top of the United hierarchy realise this can't continue next season and have been prowling the market for a new left-back.
One of their targets is believed to be a player the club have expressed interest in before. Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo report that United have been tracking Girona's Miguel Gutierrez for months - a player Jose Murinho was keen on during his reign as Red Devils boss.
It must be said that his performances this term have not gone unnoticed and as a result, United are not the only major European outfit keen on his signature. Real Madrid, the boyhood club of Gutierrez, boast a buy-back clause that is believed to be worth less than £7million.
Related video: Man Utd manager Ten Hag praises Fernandes and Varane for their resilience. (Sports AlDente)
Manchester United's 10 FA Cup win against Nottingham Forest was
Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti is thought to be keen on the idea of bringing him back to the Santiago Bernabeu, but Real Madrid are also on the verge of landing the signature of Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies. Were that transfer to happen, Gutierrez may harbour concerns over how much playing time he'd actually get in the Spanish capital.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Should United sign another left-back? Comment below
© Pedro Salado
That's not to say that Gutierrez would arrive at Old Trafford and immediately be first-choice there either. In the eyes of Ten Hag, it's a signing designed to provide competition for Shaw to begin with, given he hasn't really had it from Malacia, and deputise for the England ace when injured.
However, the constant problems that make Shaw someone Ten Hag can't really bank on means in time, Gutierrez could dislodge the former Southampton star as first-choice at United. At just 22, time is certainly on his side.
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The reason Kylian Mbappe was substituted at half-time by PSG boss Luis Enrique
Paris Saint-Germain boss Luis Enrique insists taking off Kylian Mbappe at half-time in last night’s Ligue 1 game against Monaco was ‘the best decision for the team’.
The France international is destined to leave the French champions in the summer and appears almost certain to join Real Madrid.
It is the second week in succession that the 25-year-old has been withdrawn early by his manager after he was hooked in the 65th minute during a draw against Rennes.
Mbappe watched the second half of Friday evening’s game against Monaco from the stands, where he sat beside his mother, who also acts as his agent.
‘I have been in football long enough, you should know that everything is important in this kind of club,’ Enrique told reporters after a draw which extended PSG’s lead at the top of the table to 12 points.
‘Sooner rather than later, we will play without Mbappe so I’m looking for the best option for the team.
‘Sometimes I’m right, sometimes I’m wrong. I will do what is best for my team. I don’t want to create controversy, it’s my decision.’
© Provided by Metro
© Provided by Metro
Enrique insisted he was unaware that his star player watched the second 45 minutes from stands rather than on the bench with his teammates.
Mbappe was pitchside following the final whistle and was seen deep in conversation with Ousmane Dembele following the 0-0 stalemate.
The former Monaco star was seen clutching his thigh during the opening period and it remains to be seen whether he will be selected for PSG’s next game against Real Sociedad in the Champions League in midweek.Related video: 'It is the reality' Luis Enrique on PSG needing to cope with Mbappe departure (SNTV)PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, meanwhile, was largely responsible for helping his side extend its unbeaten league run to 19 matches with a string of fine saves.
‘I don’t have any personal feelings, I played a good game,’ said the Italy international afterwards.
‘It’s not easy here and we wanted to win, but Monaco are a great team. We played a good game despite everything. The team had a good attitude and now we’re ready for Real Sociedad.’
Athletic Bilbao’s Copa del Rey semifinal victory over Atlético Madrid marred by chaotic scenes
Athletic Bilbao reached the Copa del Rey final for the third time in the last five years, but Thursday’s victory over Atlético Madrid was marred by chaotic scenes ahead of the match.
Goals from the Williams brothers, Iñaki and Nico, and Gorka Guruzeta gave Bilbao a comfortable 3-0 victory on the night and 4-0 on aggregate to set up a final showdown with Real Mallorca on April 6. However, it was the scenes before the match that drew a lot of attention on social media.
In one video, taken by Movistar+ journalist Marta Garrido, fans with flares can be seen apparently trying to break down the fence outside the San Mamés stadium.
“It’s the first time I’ve been scared in a football stadium,” Garrido posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “[This happened] after the arrival of the Athletic bus to San Mamés.
“They have knocked down the fences and tried to enter the stadium. This is what we have experienced firsthand, I thought they were going to kill us.”
In an interview with radio station Cadena SER, the wife of an Atlético fan said that her husband and a group of roughly 15 Colchonero fans were attacked while eating in a restaurant before kick-off: “Suddenly, a group came in … bulldozing everyone.
“They called the police and said that they couldn’t go there … they couldn’t go there because they didn’t have available men,” Ana – who didn’t share her last name – told Cadena SER’s ‘El Larguero’ program.
“[My husband] went to go help [a girl who was assaulted] and they threw him to the ground, they hit him and broke his phone. He just wrote me that they got onto the bus, he thinks his jaw is broken from a kick he received and they’re upset.”
Speaking to Movistar+, Atlético president Enrique Cerezo said one supporter had been taken to hospital after an incident at a bar involving a group of Bilbao fans ahead of the game, though it’s not clear if he was referencing the incident involving Ana’s husband.
“We come to football to make friends and not to have problems,” he said. “Football is football. Attacks or rights violations of any citizen to watch football without any problem cannot be tolerated.”
In a statement released on Friday, Atleti described the events as “serious security incidents.”
“The club wants to denounce the poor security operation and the chaos caused by the unacceptable behavior of some radical Athletic Club fans, which caused high-risk situations, both for Atlético fans and for media professionals and security staff of both clubs,” the statement read.
The club went on to say that, “due to the seriousness of the events which took place yesterday” and “with the goal of avoiding incidents” like those which took place, it would ban ticket sales to Athletic Bilbao fans for the two teams’ match in late April, an action which was in agreement with Spain’s National Police.
CNN has reached out to Athletic Bilbao, the Royal Spanish Football Federation and local police for comment.
In addition to the scenes prior to kick-off, the second half of the match was delayed due to a medical emergency in the stands, Bilbao said.
© Provided by CNN
“A person was asphyxiating and, thanks to the medical services, was stabilised and taken to hospital,” the club added.
Since last winning its 23rd Copa del Rey in 1984, Bilbao has been to six finals and lost all of them. While it has lifted two Spanish Super Cups in recent years, the club has not won a major trophy in 40 years.
The Williams’ brotherly connection was on full display in Thursday’s win, with each sibling assisting the other for their goal.
“Our connection is real and it’s working very well, we understand each other,” Nico Williams said, per ESPN. “I’m delighted, it’s a dream to reach the final and to do it in front of our fans that were fantastic as always. Athletic can do it all and, hopefully, win the final.”
Real Mallorca, currently just two places above the La Liga relegation zone, has won the Copa once before in 2003 in what was its last visit to the final.
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‘Manager of the year’ Postecoglou and his Spurs side need to remind us what they are
Ange Postecoglou gave a pithy response to being named manager of the year at the London Football Awards on Thursday night.
‘Did you all vote on this in November?’
Very on-brand, that. Funny, to the point, self-deprecating. Perceptive on a level that is almost uncomfortable.
Because that’s what’s happened here, surely. It wouldn’t be entirely fair to say the wheels have come off for Spurs since November, but certainly the early sheen of Angeball is no longer there.
We might be wrong, but we get a sense that Spurs rather complacently felt that getting the band back together after all their injury and suspension problems would automatically make it the autumn again with performances and results to match. Results had, until a pretty limp surrender against Wolves, been okay. But that was a defeat that any Spurs fan could tell you had been coming after a run of unconvincing home wins against Everton, Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton.
And they’ve won only once at all away from home since a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at the end of their dream start to the season back in early November. They face the Eagles again this weekend in what is suddenly a pretty important game.Related video: Postecoglou bemoans ‘really disruptive season’ as Spurs hit by fresh injury blow (SNTV)
Firstly, we do have a couple of injuries,
Spurs sat out last weekend with their scheduled fixture against Chelsea postponed due to the Carabao final. That combined with the Wolves defeat and back-to-back wins for Aston Villa leaves them suddenly five points adrift of the top four ahead of a game against the Villans next weekend.
Palace in the midst of new-manager bounce and that Villa game are suddenly potentially decisive matches for the entire season. We don’t yet know for sure whether fourth or fifth will be the cut-off for next season’s Champions League, but we can be reasonably sure that if Spurs finish fifth they will have needed to finish fourth. Because Spurs.
Oliver Glasner is, we suspect, going to prove a pretty astute appointment by Palace and he’s certainly lifted the mood. But Palace at home is not just a winnable game for Spurs, it’s one in which they simply have to also give us a performance that shows the giddiness of the autumn wasn’t entirely illusory.
The football just isn’t anywhere near as fun as it was, and hasn’t been for really quite some time. Against Wolves, dare we say it, it was almost Conte-like. James Maddison has returned from injury nothing like the player who was probably the standout in the entire division before limping off on that fateful night against Chelsea. Neal Maupay has won.
Spurs remain bafflingly on course to become only the second team in Barclays history to score in every game of a season, but the football comes only in patches now rather than irresistible waves. The 10 minutes after half-time against Brentford were a reminder of what they can do to anyone when it all clicks, but for the most part the last six weeks has been spent waiting for a click that never really comes.
Most worrying of all, though, was the aftermath of the Wolves game. Postecoglou’s “I’m not a magician, mate” was just the first slight glimpse of a manager reaching the inevitable point in the Spurs managerial lifecycle of growing sick with the players at his disposal. While that moment is inevitable, it has come far earlier than anyone could have predicted back in the autumn.
It’s not all doom and gloom and nothing is f***ed. Postecoglou is still in his first season and deserves far more patience than we’re affording here. The season as a whole still represents positive and definitive progress. But still, Postecoglou and his team are either in the midst of an extended funk that needs snapping out of quick smart, or they’ve been worked out. If it’s the latter, they’re in trouble.
Euro Paper Talk: LaLiga head honcho adds weight to keeping Mason Greenwood from out of Man Utd clutches again; Liverpool defensive target rules out Barcelona exit
LaLiga and Getafe are doing everything they can to make sure Manchester United winger Mason Greenwood is still playing in Spain next season, while a top Barcelona defensive star has seemingly ruled out a mooted switch to Liverpool this summer – all in Friday’s Euro Paper Talk.
GETAFE PUSHING HARD TO KEEP GREENWOOD
Getafe’s push to keep Mason Greenwood from returning to Manchester United this summer has been heavily backed by LaLiga president Javier Tebas.
Winger Greenwood has already netted five LaLiga goals so far as part of his loan spell in Madrid after agreeing a switch from United back in September.
The England international is expected to return to Old Trafford at the end of the campaign, but his long-term future at Old Trafford is unclear.
Rivals Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are both rumoured to be monitoring the situation, with United open to a cut-price deal – if the terms are acceptable.
Getafe club president Angel Torres believes Greenwood wants to return to Getafe for the 2024/25 campaign and Tebas has lent his support to a possible deal.
“Greenwood was not condemned, so I don’t care. He’s a great player and is doing well at Getafe. I hope he continues to be successful and stays in Spanish football because that’s always good for us”, he said.Related video: Liverpool will find it impossible to replace Jurgen Klopp - Pep Lijnders (Daily Mail)The latest indication from Getafe is that they will request a second loan agreement with United, as they cannot meet Greenwood’s increasing transfer valuation.
If United accept a loan renewal they are likely to demand a greater salary contribution from Getafe into 2025.
Ratcliffe open to Greenwood return
However, recent reports suggest that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is now head of football operations at the club, is open to the idea of Greenwood being back in the United first-team mix for next season.
CaughtOffside have also reported that Greenwood has no intention of prolonging his time in Spain. Instead, it is claimed that he wants to go back to United and try to reach his full potential at Old Trafford.
The 22-year-old is said to be excited by Ratcliffe’s project and feels he can become a vital part of United’s journey back to regular trophies.
To that end, much now depends on Ratcliffe’s actual stance and whether the Red Devils want Greenwood back full-time – although clubs in Spain are ready to jump at any hint that he could be available for a move again.
DON’T MISS: Incredible Man Utd XI for 2024/25 as Ratcliffe rebuild takes full shape with several blockbuster incomings
SEVILLA SET TO ABANDON CHASE FOR ARSENAL MAN
Sevilla director of football Victor Orta is slowly abandoning a plan to sign Jakub Kiwior from Arsenal this summer, with a deal becoming ‘increasingly complicated’. (La Colina de Nervión)
Bayern Munich are willing to pay up to 100m euros (£85.6m) to sign Portugal centre-back Antonio Silva from Benfica. (Sport)
Manchester United and Aston Villa have sent scouts to watch Torino’s Italian right-back Raoul Bellanova this season. (Tuttosport)
Athletic Club forward Inaki Williams says he will try to keep his young brother Nico at the club for as long as possible amid interest from Premier League duo Arsenal and Chelsea. (ESPN)
AC Milan and Juventus are interested in signing Morocco striker Youssef En-Nesyri when the former West Ham target enters the final year of his contract with Sevilla this summer. (Il Corriere dello Sport)
Atletico Madrid are not ruling out summer exits for the likes of top stars Angel Correa and Memphis Depay. (Matteo Moretto)
Barcelona are keen for Manchester City loanee João Cancelo to continue with them next season. (Mundo Deportivo)
TOP BARCA STAR RULES OUT PROPOSED LIVERPOOL SWITCH
Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen, who has been heavily linked with Liverpool, has no interest in leaving the club this summer. (TV2)
Liverpool have been linked with signing an ex-Chelsea star in a stunning £43m deal
Real Madrid have a ‘verbal agreement’ in place with Alphonso Davies to sign the Bayern Munich left-back. (ESPN)
Juventus will offload Liverpool and Newcastle target Federico Chiesa during the summer if he does not sign a contract extension. (La Gazzetta dello Sport)
Romelu Lukaku ‘will be sold’ this summer but only stay at Roma if they qualify for the Champions League this season. (Gazzetta dello Sport)
Barcelona rejected two lucrative offers from Bayern Munich to sign defender Ronald Araujo in the January transfer window. (Mundo Deportivo)
Arsenal will look to sign a striker in the summer, with RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko, Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyökeres and Brighton’s Evan Ferguson among the options. (Various)
Winger Chris Führich’s contract, which will run until the summer of 2028, includes a release clause in the range of €20m-€25m depending on how successful Stuttgart’s season is. (Florian Plettenberg)
Italian giants Roma are interested in appointing Richard Hughes, Bournemouth’s technical director, to a role at the club next season. (Various)
