A caminho da Bélgica, Sousa se despede do Botafogo: 'Gratidão é o que sinto'

MatériaMais Notícias

Sousa não é mais jogador do Botafogo, mas promete não esquecer o clube. Negociado junto ao Cercle Brugge, da Bélgica, o zagueiro se despediu do Alvinegro na noite da última quarta-feira, por meio de uma publicação na sua conta do Instagram.

+ ​Sousa viaja à Bélgica para formalizar acerto com novo clube e não atua mais pelo Botafogo

O defensor foi emprestado ao time belga, que terá uma opção de compra ao final do período. Caso Sousa cumpra metas individuais pré-estabelecidas, a equipe será obrigada a adquiri-lo de forma permanente, também por um valor já acordado entre as partes.

Criado nas categorias de base do clube, Sousa disputou 22 partidas pela equipe profissional do Botafogo e marcou um gol.

+ Veja a tabela da Série B

– De 2014 até aqui! Cresci e me formei. Serei eternamente grato por tudo que vivi com a camisa do Glorioso. Obrigado pelo carinho, acolhimento e por ter acreditado em mim. Gratidão é o que sinto. Obrigado, Botafogo – escreveu.

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West Ham eyeing up “world-class” Ruben Amorim alternative

The pillars of change are shifting down in east London, with David Moyes' tenuous grip on the managerial seat at West Ham United weakened further after a desperate 5-2 defeat against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

Having lost, valiantly, to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League quarter-finals last week, a reaction was needed in the top flight to forge a path toward continental qualification, but, eighth in the standings and two points off Manchester United in seventh – who have two games in hand – it's looking unlikely that the Hammers will paint the purple patch needed.

West Ham manager David Moyes.

Sporting Director Tim Steidten appears to have had enough, and while the London Stadium owes much to Moyes and the gains made under his leadership, moves have been made to identify a successor, with the Scotsman out of contract in the summer.

West Ham eyeing Ruben Amorim alternatives

Some exciting news arrived on Monday, with The Athletic's David Ornstein confirming that Sporting manager Ruben Amorim is West Ham's top target and is no longer the frontrunner for the Liverpool job, but Steidten has mapped out a list of alternatives.

According to The Guardian, former Germany and Bayern Munich boss Hansi Flick is under consideration.

The 59-year-old has been out of work since being dismissed by Die Mannschaft in 2023, though boasts a wealth of high-level experience and an attractive playing style to boot.

Why Hansi Flick would be perfect for West Ham

Flick first rose to prominence when serving as Joachim Löw's assistant as his nation triumphed at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, then moved to Bayern Munich as Niko Kovac's understudy and took the leading position in the dugout when the former Croatia star was dismissed in November 2019.

In that maiden term – not even a full season – at the helm, Flick led Die Roten to a stunning continental treble, winning the Champions League, Bundesliga and DFB Pokal. An erudite footballing mind with a far-seeing tactical disposition, Flick, at his best, is up there with the greatest the game has to offer.

FIFA World Cup

Germany assistant

1x (2014)

German Bundesliga

Bayern Munich

2x (19/20), (20/21)

Champions League

Bayern Munich

1x (19/20)

DFB Pokal

Bayern Munich

1x (19/20)

UEFA Super Cup

Bayern Munich

1x (20/21)

DFL-Supercup

Bayern Munich

1x (20/21)

One of the most discernible differences when Flick replaced Kovac at the Allianz Arena was a ramping-up of aggression, with goal machine Robert Lewandowski saying: "His tactical and footballing knowledge are at a high level."

He galvanised and wrapped the team into a uniform vision, a singular goal, in short time sparking a change that saw a return to enterprising and fluid attacking football.

It's for this reason that Flick would be the perfect man to lead a new chapter at West Ham. He would arrive at an outfit with a proven record but that nonetheless has fallen by the wayside, and his vision could signal a prosperous change, rooting his philosophy into the London Stadium and swiftly winning the club, wall-to-wall, over.

Moyes has done much for West Ham but his tactics have long been perceived as negative and this has sundered the fanbase into a bleak schism. Success breeds longing, naturally, and the Irons now have a taste of gold.

Amorim, while young and bold and compelling, is more of an unknown commodity and would demand radical shifting in style and system, brandishing a three-at-the-back line-up and completely rewriting the way West Ham play.

Hansi Flick

Flick, conversely, operates with a 4-2-3-1 set-up – as, would you look at that, does Moyes, albeit with contrasting emphases – though is reliant on similar ball-focused build-up, with those in the rearguard equipped with top-class distribution ability.

Moreover, the German has been described as "world-class" by reporter Stefan Bienkowski, a sentiment echoed by the masses when he was at the summit of his career with Bayern.

While Amorim is the frontrunner, it has been stressed that Liverpool remain on stand-by despite distancing themselves from the Liga Portugal table-topper.

Should West Ham opt against moving for one of the most coveted rising stars in the managerial stratosphere, Flick, not quite the grizzled veteran but wizened and substantiated at the top of the game, would be worth the venture – now that there is a first-rate alternative.

West Ham eyeing an amazing Amorim alternative who’s perfect for Bowen

This manager has reportedly rejected AC Milan as he targets a move to east London.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 23, 2024

Dan Ashworth holds secret meeting with "outstanding" coach over Man Utd job

Manchester United sporting director target Dan Ashworth has reportedly held a secret meeting with an "outstanding" manager over a possible Old Trafford move.

Man Utd manager rumours

Erik ten Hag‘s long-term future with the Red Devils appears to be in the balance, however, Sir Jim Ratcliffe isn’t planning on removing the Dutchman before the end of the season.

Ashworth could soon complete his move to Manchester from Newcastle United, joining chef executive Omar Berrada and technical director Jason Wilcox as boardroom additions made by Ratcliffe and INEOS.

Ratcliffe ready to sell £350,000-a-week Man Utd player who regrets joining

He picks up £350,000-a-week.

ByCharlie Smith Apr 23, 2024

Both Ashworth and Wilcox may have a big say when it comes to player signings, looking to overhaul the "spine" of the squad, and any potential change in the dugout, with a plethora of managers linked to take over from Ten Hag. Brighton’s Roberto De Zerbi, England boss Gareth Southgate, Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou and Brentford’s Thomas Frank are just some of the names to have emerged in recent months.

More recently, Ratcliffe and Man Utd have reached out to Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel over a return to the Premier League, but another former Chelsea manager is attracting serious interest.

Dan Ashworth holds secret meeting with Graham Potter

There have been plenty of rumours over former Chelsea manager Graham Potter succeeding Ten Hag at Old Trafford, with Ratcliffe a big fan of the 48-year-old. Previous reports have claimed that talks have already been held with Potter over a move to Man Utd, with the 3-4-2-1 boss the leading contender to come in.

Chelsea's Graham Potter

Now, according to GiveMeSport, Ashworth has recently held a secret meeting with Potter, who will be under serious consideration to replace Ten Hag, should the latter receive his marching orders over the coming months.

Out of work for more than a year after being sacked by Chelsea, Potter is biding his time when it comes to a return to the dugout, even snubbing a move to the Netherlands with Ajax in recent weeks.

Chelsea

31

12

8

11

Brighton

134

43

43

48

Swansea City

51

21

11

19

Ostersund

224

109

56

59

He could be holding out for a return to the Premier League, and he came in for praise from Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola while at Stamford Bridge, who urged the Blues to stick with the Englishman.

"I would say to Todd Boehly, give him time. I know in big clubs, results are important but I'd say give him time. The second half is what he is. What he's done at Brighton is outstanding, but we need time in the first season. I had (Lionel) Messi in Barcelona my first season so I didn't need two seasons because Messi was there."

As we know, Potter was let go soon after those comments from Guardiola, but who knows, next season, the two could be facing off in the Manchester derby, especially after this update on Ashworth’s secret meeting with the available manager.

Pink ball will never be same as red ball – Paine

The Australia captain day-night Test cricket needs to accepted as a key part of the game’s future

Daniel Brettig in Adelaide02-Dec-2019Australia’s captain Tim Paine has called for an end to demands for a pink Test match ball that behaves identically to a red one, arguing that the players and followers needed to accept floodlit long-form cricket for the high drawing entertainment product that it is.Paine’s team defeated Pakistan by an innings and 48 runs in front of 91,879 people at Adelaide Oval and healthy broadcast audiences around Australia, with the attendance more than double that of the first Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, despite far less favourable weather conditions.These facts have underlined the case for pink-ball cricket, something the Cricket Australia chief executive Kevin Roberts had magnified by quipping in Brisbane that he would personally like to see Australia’s Test series against India next summer played exclusively as day-night matches. But in the face of some scepticism still remaining among his players – Mitchell Starc stating that the pink ball behaves more like a white ball – Paine argued that the floodlit game’s challenges and subtleties needed to be seen on their own merit.”I think what we want is people watching Test match cricket and I think the pink-ball day-night Test certainly makes that happen,” Paine said. “It’s bringing new people to the game. I think what we need to stop doing is trying to compare the pink ball to the red ball. It’s not going to behave the same, it isn’t the same ball. And from a players’ point of view again, day-night Test cricket creates different challenges so the best players will again find way to succeed. And Mitchell Starc has done it. His record is unbelievably good with the pink ball.”David Warner has just got a triple century. Marnus got a 100. All the good players still score runs and take wickets regardless of the colour I think it’s just a slight shift in how we think about it. It’s not going to behave like a red ball, it’s not going to behave like a white ball. It’s going to behave like a pink ball. And at the moment it’s relatively new and we’re getting used to it. It can be challenging fielding at night and being in the slips but I don’t think that’s any different to a white ball sometimes either.David Warner calls loudly to his partner•Getty Images”It’s just something players will adapt to and get better at but in terms of the product I think it’s good to watch.”One of the changes wrought by the day-night conditions was Paine’s decision to enforce the follow-on well after he would usually have batted a second time, due to the fact the post-dinner session promised more movement and assistance for the pace bowlers. “If we had taken the wickets quickly we would’ve bowled as well,” Paine said. “We were hoping to get them a lot quicker than we did.”In the end it became a close one because had it been a red ball we probably would’ve batted again had it been a normal Test match, but it took us time to get those wickets so then the night session was coming again and we saw a few years ago against England that the game can change really quickly under the lights. A lead of close to 300, only a few hours to bowl, we knew if our bowlers could take a couple of early wickets and we get them home, get them asleep and rested that they’d come back and fire for us today.”It was getting closer to having a bat, but the conditions have certainly favoured bowling at night and a couple of our batters were pretty keen to keep bowling. I thought last night when the lights came on it was a pretty simple decision, although our bowlers had bowled a lot of overs, they had a decent rest for the first two days so we knew they had plenty in the tank.”CA is yet to enter into formal discussions with India about whether their series in Australia next summer will include one or more pink-ball Test matches, though both Roberts and the CA chairman Earl Eddings have commented positively about the fact the BCCI have at last scheduled a home pink-ball Test, the recent match against Bangladesh in Kolkata.

Ídolo no CRB, Claudinei quer crescimento do Galo na temporada

MatériaMais Notícias

Titular absoluto do CRB há três temporadas, o volante Claudinei pediu ritmo forte da equipe na sequência de 2021. Segundo o atleta, o elenco tem totais condições de evoluir nestas próximas partidas.

Caboclo ameaçado: veja os nomes que poderiam entrar na presidência da CBF

– Estamos trabalhando para que a equipe possa evoluir e melhorar o desempenho em campo nestas próximas semanas. Vamos procurar manter um ritmo forte agora para crescermos de produção em 2021 – disse.

VEJA TABELA E SIMULE O RESTANTE DO CAMPEONATO PAULISTA

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Claudinei ainda destacou que o objetivo de todos é fazer um grande segundo semestre.

– Vamos trabalhar muito para que o segundo semestre do CRB seja de grandes partidas e conquistas importantes. Lutaremos muito para isso – afirmou.

No último sábado (15), o CRB empatou sem gols no jogo de ida da final do Campeonato Alagoano contra o CSA. O confronto decisivo acontece sábado (22), às 17h.

Ratcliffe and Man Utd want to sign exciting ace with £25.7m release clause

Manchester United are one of a number of clubs interested in signing an exciting young player with a £25.7m release clause, according to a fresh transfer update.

Who does Sir Jim Ratcliffe want at Man Utd?

Sir Jim Ratcliffe's influence at Old Trafford is growing all the time, and he will be looking for the Red Devils to make some great signings in the summer transfer window in order for them to return to the top of English football in the future.

Girona left-back Miguel Gutierrez has emerged as a rumoured transfer target for United this summer as he continues to enjoy an impressive season for a team sitting second in La Liga, which has been one of the surprise stories of the season. He has apparently been tracked for "months" as Erik ten Hag potentially looks to sign a long-term replacement for Luke Shaw.

Highly rated Benfica centre-back Antonio Silva has also been backed to join United in the near future, with their defence needing fresh blood added to it considering Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans are all in their 30s, while Victor Lindelof reaches that milestone in July.

Ratcliffe is also thought to be weighing up the idea of sacking Ten Hag at the end of the season and bringing in an upgrade, with Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi one of the rumoured targets for United.

Former Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has also been linked with replacing the Dutchman in the Old Trafford hot seat, having won the Premier League title with the Blues back in 2016/17.

Man Utd want Rafael Venancio

According to Globo Esporte [via Sport Witness], Manchester United are keen on signing Rafael Venancio this summer, with the teenage Corinthians defender a wanted player who has a €30m (£25.7m) release clause in his current deal.

The Red Devils are believed to have been tracking the 17-year-old for "years" and could look to "accelerate his development" by signing him soon. Chelsea are in the same boat, however, also seeing him as a great long-term option.

Venancio may be a relative unknown to many considering his age and the fact that he isn't playing in Europe, but he looks like a player who could have a massive future in the game. Granted, he is yet to actually feature for Corinthians at first-team level, but he has clearly caught the eye of United considering the length of time they have been tracking him for.

The fact that he has a release clause means that the Red Devils could simply meet the amount and get the business done seamlessly should they believe he is worth the gamble. He is contracted to Corinthians until the summer of 2026, but it looks as though United could make a bid in the coming months.

Man Utd track “fantastic” Real Madrid academy graduate for summer transfer

The Red Devils have tracked him for “months”.

ByHenry Jackson Mar 2, 2024

Signing exciting young players is refreshing to see, assuming this is part of Ratcliffe's approach to transfers, with United far too guilty of signing big names who are past their best in recent years, whether it be Cristiano Ronaldo, Edinson Cavani, Casemiro or Varane, to name just a few.

Chelsea’s new Mount could help them repeat Liverpool’s academy success

After a weekend where the club once again came within touching distance of a trophy, Chelsea need to try and find a way to end their unwanted run of cup final defeats in recent seasons.

The club have lost six consecutive cup finals since 2019, with the Blues losing their last three in a row to Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool, with the latest arguably the poorest defeat.

The Reds used seven academy products during the Carabao Cup final, with the players having an average age of just 20 years and two months – with Jayden Danns, son of former professional footballer Neil Danns, the youngster at just 18.

Klopp's side managed to find a way to win with his crop of promising youngsters, with Chelsea needing to adopt a similar approach and steer away from big-money signings in the transfer window.

In recent seasons, Chelsea have developed some brilliant talents, with Conor Gallagher and Levi Colwill just two examples within Mauricio Pochettino's side.

Joe Gomez

26

Bobby Clark

19

Kostas Tsimikas

27

James McConnell

19

Jayden Danns

18

Jarell Quansah

21

Adrian

37

Trey Nyoni

16

Lewis Koumas

18

However, there's one player within the club's academy who has impressed and should be fast-tracked into the Blues' current first-team setup.

Chelsea's next great academy talent

Despite his tender age of just 18, Leo Castledine is a player with a huge future at Stamford Bridge, with the attacking midfielder capable of making the step into Pochettino's plans.

The midfielder was part of the Cobham Academy as a youngster, before leaving the club to join lower league side AFC Wimbledon in 2013, before rejoining his boyhood club back in March 2020.

Castledine signed his Chelsea professional contract on his 17th birthday back in August 2022, with the youngster impressing for the club's academy in recent seasons.

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino.

He had featured on the bench multiple times for the Blues this season, before making his senior debut as a substitute against Middlesbrough during the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.

The 18-year-old came on with just five minutes to go. However, he failed to make a real impact, with Chelsea already securing the victory before his introduction.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Chelsea's next Mason Mount inbound

Mason Mount was one of the last attacking players to come through Chelsea's academy, starring in loan moves to sides such as Vitesse and Derby County before making an impact on the Blues' first team.

Castledine, "who's similar to Mount" in the eyes of Chelsea’s U21s coach Mark Robinson, could benefit from a loan move to a League One or League Two side, giving him vital experience in men's football before making an impact under Pochettino.

The youngster has excelled for the Blues' U21s in Premier League 2, scoring seven times with eight assists in 14 games – with Castledine contributing to 44% of the side's goals so far this campaign.

Castledine has a huge future ahead of him, with Chelsea conducting brilliant business in bringing him back to the club in 2020.

Whilst he's still very young with a long way to go until he features within the Blues first-team, it's great to see a promising youngster coming through the ranks – with one eye ahead on the future.

"What we’re hearing" – Reporter reveals "strange" Newcastle transfer noises

After finishing inside the Premier League's top four last season, Newcastle United may have expected to have at least been in the fight for a Champions League place a year later, but that's not been the case. Now, in need of reinforcements, Graeme Bailey has revealed the Magpies' transfer plans before the end of this month.

Newcastle transfer news

It's been a difficult transfer window for Newcastle so far, who have seen the likes of Kieran Tripper, Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson all linked with moves away from St James' Park in an attempt to balance the books.

The Magpies are walking a fine line when it comes to the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules, having recorded a reported loss of £155m over the last three seasons. The rules state that clubs can only record a loss of £105m, though investments into the academy, women's team and charity foundation do not count towards the figure – potentially saving PIF.

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Luke Randall

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With that said, even among the chaos of potential sales, those at St James' Park still reportedly want one particular reinforcement. According to Bailey, Newcastle want to sign a number eight this month. He told Geordie Boot Boys that there are conflicting whispers emerging however, making narrowing down the specific target difficult: "They want a number eight, that’s what we’re hearing. Who that is – not sure. It’s a strange one. Different people are saying different things connected to the club so it’s hard to get a real message out.”

Newcastle, of course, believed they had solved their midfield problem during the summer transfer window when they signed Sandro Tonali from AC Milan, only for the Italian to be hit with a lengthy ban for breaching betting rules shortly after arriving. Left with a void to fill, those in Tyneside have been linked with the likes of Atalanta's Ederson and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, albeit without either of those moves nearing anything close to advanced stages.

Joelinton has given Howe a headache

Before Joelinton's injury, which has potentially ruled him out until the end of the season, Newcastle may have felt comfortable with sticking with their current options for the remainder of the campaign. Now without the Brazilian for a number of months, the Magpies may have no choice but to act, however. Whoever arrives could quickly turn into a replacement for Joelinton too, with Eddie Howe admitting that his future isn't certain.

Howe said via BBC Sport: "He has 18 months left on his contract so it's a possibility he'll be sold in the summer. I'm not a fortune teller but it's a possibility. I hope that's not the case. I want him to stay. I love him as a person and player. But before a player signs a contract he has to be happy with everything and we are not there yet."

Joelinton's stats (via FBref)

Rank vs positional peers in comparable leagues

Progressive Carrries Per 90 (2.03)

76th percentile

Successful Take-ons Per 90 (1.72)

93rd percentile

Progressive Passes Recieved Per 90 (4.43)

87th percentile

Interceptions Per 90 (1.51)

86th percentile

Ending the January transfer window without welcoming another midfielder and Joelinton suddenly on course to potentially depart would summarise the season that Newcastle have so endured so far. With just under a week to go before the window slams shut, the Magpies must turn things around at St James' Park.

Arsenal could sign £40m star with "elite potential" to upgrade on Jesus

Arsenal steadied the ship the best way they could upon their return to Premier League action this month, putting five past Crystal Palace while keeping a clean sheet at the same time.

Usually, scoring five times in a game would put to rest any talk of a misfiring attack, and while it might've had that effect for Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus left the pitch without a goal to his name, and so the conversation around him has not ceased.

Worse yet for the Brazilian, he could be at risk of losing his place in the team if Mikel Arteta and Edu can get their hands on the latest player touted for a move to N5 this year.

Arsenal look to the Continent for a new source of goals

According to a report from the Italian publication Corriere Di Bologna (via TEAMtalk), Arsenal are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Bologna's terrifically exciting young forward, Joshua Zirkzee.

Some of the other interested parties include the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa and Newcastle United, but according to this report, it is the Gunners and Manchester United who are 'above all' when it comes to the Dutch number nine.

The competition from the Red Devils is already trouble enough for the north Londoners, but they might also have to contend with German behemoths Bayern Munich, as the Bundesliga champions have an exclusive buyback clause with the Serie A side worth around €40m – £34m.

Bologna striker Joshua Zirkzee

While the Gunners will have to pay more than their German competitors, it might not be much more, as Italian publication Corriere dello Sport has reported that they are prepared to bid around £40m for the 22-year-old.

How Joshua Zirkzee compares to Gabriel Jesus

Now, the first thing to highlight is that Jesus is an incredibly talented player and that while he isn't the most clinical of strikers – far from it – he does add to Arsenal's attacks in other ways, and that, regardless of potential incomings, he will almost always have a place somewhere in the squad.

gabriel-jesus-arsenal-transfer-arteta-edu-monaco-folarin-balogun

However, with the pressure on Arsenal to finally end their two-decade-long title drought only getting more intense with every passing year – or month now – the team needs someone who can put away the countless chances that their dynamic wide men and Martin Odegaard produce.

This is where it might make sense for Arteta to side with a player like Zirkzee over the Brazilian, as despite still being relatively young, inexperienced and raw, he is already a far more clinical finisher than the former Manchester City man.

Late "monster" transfer at Arsenal could see Jesus handed a new role

Arsenal are looking to sign a striker in 2024 but where would this leave Gabriel Jesus?

ByMatt Dawson Jan 28, 2024

On a surface level, this is clear through their league output this season, as in 20 appearances, the "insane" Dutchman, as described by data analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored eight goals and provided two assists. In contrast, Jesus has scored only three goals and provided two assists in 16 appearances.

However, in the pairs' underlying numbers, specifically those related to their goalscoring, the difference in lethality between them becomes most apparent.

For example, Jesus produces a significantly higher expected goal and assists number than his competition, takes more shots on target and takes them closer to the goal, yet he has a far lower actual goal per 90 figure, as well as a poorer goal to shots ration both on target and in general.

0.45

0.66

0.43

0.27

0.11

0.18

1.13

1.24

0.33

0.21

0.14

0.09

17.2

11,7

Moreover, Zirkzee is taking his shots from much further out and still comfortably outscoring the 26-year-old, which just shows the confidence he has in his finishing ability. So, with the right coaching, he could learn to get in closer before firing off and further improve this strength.

Ultimately, while still young, the aforementioned Mattinson's claim that the Bologna forward has "elite potential" looks truer with every passing game, and if Arteta wants to get his hands on him, he should be pushing the board to make an offer this week.

Fabrizio Romano: Man Utd "working" on "crucial signing", Ten Hag involved

Manchester United are reportedly ready to revamp their defence this summer as they try to recover from what's shaping up to be a miserable season. The Red Devils, already out of Europe this season, are in danger of missing out on qualification for next year after dropping down to eighth place in the Premier League table following Brighton's goalless draw with Wolves on Monday night.

There have already been conversations about a defensive clearout in response, with multiple players at risk. United have elected not to exercise their option to extend Raphael Varane's contract by a further year, so he could leave as a free agent in the summer, as could 2023 free agent signing Jonny Evans.

Man Utd's centre-backs

Age

Contract expires

Option for a further year?

Jonny Evans

36

2024

No

Raphael Varane

30

2024

Yes

Harry Maguire

30

2025

Yes

Victor Lindelof

29

2025

No

Lisandro Martinez

26

2027

Yes

Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans are also up for sale for the right price, and so United could potentially have to recruit multiple new centre-halves to ensure they're well-stocked. Journalist Fabrizio Romano has some news on possible incomings below.

Ten Hag and United hard at work on new defender

Speaking to The United Stand, Romano says United are planning to sign a "top centre-back" in the summer transfer window and have been working on the position with their talent-spotters since the early autumn. Erik ten Hag himself is an active participant in the process as United potentially look to sign one player on the road to becoming world-class as well as one in their prime.

“The next centre-back is going to be a crucial signing in the summer. This is something they are already working with the scouting dept with Erik ten Hag involved since the end of September. They had some internal discussions on a new centre-back and they had this plan to sign a top centre-back in the summer.”

“It could be two centre-backs. A top one, and maybe a one for present and future. It is going to be a really important decision.”

De Ligt among possible targets

The natural question to ask, then, is who United will go out and get. One candidate is Bayern Munich's Matthijs de Ligt, who played under Ten Hag at Ajax and could leave Germany this season if his club receive a suitable offer after he fell down the pecking order. United are interested in the dissatisfied Dutchman, and it unsurprisingly looks as if the manager is the driving force behind that one.

Beyond that, there are two players who could fit the aforementioned rising star mould. The first is Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite, who has impressed the Old Trafford hierarchy with his displays this season. That move, though, may be tricky to pull off amid interest from Real Madrid and a reported £100m price tag.

The second, Jean-Clair Todibo, may be easier to land given that new United shareholder Jim Ratcliffe is also the owner of Nice. The 20-time champions are thought to be in pole position for the Frenchman, who's been described as their main target.

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