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Manchester United have been linked with a remarkable move for Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo this summer.

What’s the story?

According to Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport (as cited by the Daily Mail), United have offered the 36-year-old monster a £17 million-a-year offer to make a return to Old Trafford over the coming months.

The report also claims that Paul Pogba could move in the opposite direction if a deal can be agreed, meaning the France international would be reunited with Massimiliano Allegri in Turin.

Solskjaer must avoid

Ronaldo’s talent is indisputable. The Juve ace has five Ballon d’Or’s, 33 major trophies and an incredible 780 goals for club and country to show for his glittering career.

He’s arguably the greatest footballer to ever play the beautiful game, but his powers are waning, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must avoid the temptation to bring him back to Manchester.

While Ronaldo is still capable of finding the back of the net on a regular basis, he now needs to be supplied with a constant stream of precise passes and perfect crosses to be effective.

His lack of mobility severely hampers teams, somewhat limiting the options for any manager that he plays for.

In the modern era, pressing has become a popular and fashionable part of the game, forming the foundation for successful teams such as Liverpool, Manchester City and RB Leipzig.

Having Ronaldo at the top end of the pitch makes it impossible to implement such a tactic, given his physical limitations.

Although United have pressed effectively on occasion, notably against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last season, Solskjaer often prefers his team to counter-attack, hitting teams on the break with fast, precise and dynamic moves.

Again, Ronaldo is now incapable of playing effectively in this style on a regular basis. The Red Devils’ boss must weigh up what the five-time Champions League winner would take away from his side against what he would add.

A constant supply of goals for a season or two in a desperate, short-sighted attempt to win silverware versus a complete reversal on the DNA he has worked so hard to embed throughout his reign.

Ronaldo was asked about a potential move away from the Allianz Stadium ahead of his nation’s opening Euro 2020 fixture against Hungary.

“I have been playing at the highest level for many years, this doesn’t faze me,” said the Portugal captain.

“Maybe if I was 18 or 19, I might have had some sleepless nights, but I’m 36. Whatever comes will be for the best, regardless of staying at Juve or being transferred.”

The Old Lady’s talisman will always be remembered fondly by United supporters for his previous endeavours at the club, but a return shouldn’t be considered and Ed Woodward must avoid making a transfer mistake by bringing in the £500,000-per-week superstar.

And, in other news…MUFC heading for huge transfer mistake over 22 y/o gem, he can be a “complete player” 

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have been sharing their love at the club’s official Twitter post regarding midfielder John McGinn on Wednesday evening.

The 26-year-old made his 36th Premier League start of the season in the 2-1 win over Tottenham, playing the entirety of the victory.

McGinn partnered Marvelous Nakamba in a defensive midfield role, with club captain Jack Grealish making his first start since February further forward.

The Scot put in an impressive display in north London, completing all of his attempted dribbles and winning six duels, as per SofaScore.

His all-action performance led to Villa simply tweeting ‘John McGinn’ during the second half. McGinn started an attack which led to Bertrand Traore shooting wide, with Villa’s media team going on to label his performance as ‘exceptional’.

Villa fans react

The club’s straight to the point tweet led to a number of fans interacting with the post. This is what these Villa supporters had to say about McGinn, with one describing the post as ‘perfect’.

“Wow @jmcginn7″Credit: @brainos_1001″Stop that”Credit: @jay_billingham”Perfect tweet”Credit: @edwards2779″Running the show”Credit: @GW_94″so true admin”Credit: @catrinedwards18″That’s the tweet”Credit: @ConCarp98

In other news: Many Villa fans share love towards official footage following Spurs win, find out more here. 

Leeds United could be facing a transfer nightmare as an update emerges on Udinese midfielder Rodrigo de Paul.

What’s the story?

Reports last summer suggested that Leeds were very much interested in bringing the Argentina international to Elland Road, while The Athletic’s Phil Hay recently delivered an update by claiming that De Paul actually wants to come to the Premier League to join Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

Now however, journalist Fabrizio Romano has claimed that La Liga champions Atletico Madrid have opened talks with Udinese over signing De Paul this summer, and that while many clubs are in the race, the Spanish side have so offered money and central defender Nehuen Perez to sweeten a potential deal.

Bielsa will be fuming

Given how long Leeds’ reported pursuit of De Paul has been, to miss out on the Argentine after a year of wanting him would be a hammer blow to Bielsa and would surely have the Whites boss livid.

De Paul seems to be the perfect fit for what Bielsa wants at Elland Road, with his ability to score goals and also be a defensive menace, making him a superb box-to-box option – he bagged an impressive nine goals and provided a further 11 assists in all competitions last season.

That completeness is something Udinese’s technical director, Pier Paolo Marino, has praised the £26m-rated star for, saying: “Rodrigo is animated by a profound love of football. It’s one of the attributes all top players must have. He’s a tireless worker who mixes quantity with quality, training as hard as he plays. In a nutshell, he’s the ideal player.”

Meanwhile, Udinese coach Luca Gotti, added: “Rodrigo is not the only one we have here who has a bright future but he can play for all the top clubs. Any team in the world. I mean, he starts for Lionel Messi’s Argentina. I’ve been able to watch this metamorphosis from up close, the shift in mentality that turns a good player into a top player, a champion.

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“He’s become a leader and is the first person to demand more of himself. Rodrigo is able to pass that work ethic on to his team-mates.”

If Victor Orta lets De Paul slip through his grasp and watch him join Atletico instead, it would surely be a major howler on the part of the Leeds director of football, and something that would have Bielsa fuming.

Meanwhile, Leeds United are eyeing this player who just got relegated…

Rangers have been linked with MK Dons left-back Matthew Sorinola recently and he could prove to be the next Borna Barisic in Steven Gerrard’s side should he arrive at Ibrox this summer.

According to TEAMtalk, Rangers – along with their Old Firm rivals, Leeds United, Bournemouth, Chelsea and Norwich City – have been linked with the 20-year-old, who is set to become a free agent this summer having rejected a contract offer from Russell Martin’s side.

The youngster has been a regular at Stadium MK this season, making 34 appearances in which he has contributed one goal and four assists, which has helped him to a solid 6.51 average rating from WhoScored.

The MK Dons academy graduate has made 46 senior appearances in his career and has predominantly featured as a left wing-back in a five-at-the-back system, which suggests that he can be a real threat going forwards.

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However, he has also played as a left-back on a number of occasions, so with enough guidance and training, he could easily adapt to become an attacking left-back in Gerrard’s four-at-the-back system at Rangers.

His attacking prowess, which has seen him average 0.7 shots and 0.8 key passes per game in League One this season, suggests that he could be an excellent long-term heir for the similarly attack-minded Barisic at Ibrox.

The Croatia international has contributed seven goals and a remarkable 32 assists in just 112 appearances for Gerrard’s side and has become renowned for his crossing ability.

Considering that WhoScored describe Sorinola’s strengths as key passes and dribbling, he could definitely be a huge threat down the left-hand side for Rangers in the future in a similar vein to Barisic.

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The youngster, who MK Dons manager Martin described as “excellent” back in 2019, is now available on a free transfer, so Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson should work quickly to try and bring him to Ibrox this summer, as it could prove to be a superb signing from both a footballing and financial perspective.

In other news… Rangers could sign Gerrard’s side next Ryan Kent with swoop for “hugely impressive” beast

Sabri Lamouchi is reportedly a leading contender to take over from Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolves.

The Lowdown: Nuno to leave Wolves

It has been confirmed that Nuno will leave the Midlands club after taking charge of his final game against Manchester United at Molineux as the Premier League season draws to a close today.

Interestingly, it has been reported that Fosun initiated the end of his reign and moved to take action after what has been a very disappointing campaign overall.

It is understood that the Chinese ownership thought that him leaving is the way forward after months of tension behind the scenes, having been left frustrated by some poor performances and results, while there have also been arguments over the transfer policy and Nuno’s communication.

The Latest: Lamouchi a leading contender

As per Football Insider, Lamouchi has emerged as a leading contender to replace Nuno.

A source from the club has told the news outlet that the 49-year-old was lined up a year ago to take over from the Portuguese manager when it was feared that he would leave Molineux at the end of the 2019/20 campaign.

Agent Jorge Mendes had already laid down the groundwork for Lamouchi to join Wolves from Nottingham Forest, whom he has since left for his current role at Al-Duhail SC, only for his move across the Midlands to be kiboshed by the first lockdown last year.

The Verdict: Wolves should not rush into things

Wolves should not rush into getting a new manager just yet, as other potential candidates may emerge from now until the start of next season – for example, they have been recently linked with former Benfica coach Bruno Lage.

Although Lamouchi has had past Transfermarkt). Indeed, Forest blew a seemingly nailed-on play-off place last season under him, while a dreadful start to the current campaign saw him given the bullet in October.

His overall CV flatters to deceive, in truth, and so Wolves should really be waiting for a better candidate to come forward.

In other news, this big contract update has had many Wolves fans talking!

Paddy Kenny has urged Glasgow Rangers to consider accepting a reported €13m (£11.2m) bid from Lazio for Ianis Hagi.

Kenny discusses Hagi

Although the 22-year-old only made the permanent move to Ibrox last summer for £3m (The Scottish Sun), it has been reported by Romanian television network Pro X [via Realitatea Sportiva] that Lazio are willing to offer €13m (£11.2m) to take him to Italy – that would represent a 273% profit for the 55-time Scottish champions.

Speaking to Football Insider, Kenny believes this is an offer the Gers should consider. He said:

“Looking from a business point of view, I think they’ll consider it.

“That’s how you’ve got to think when you’re running a business. That’s a lot of money, £12m. It might be really hard to turn down, looking at it in terms of the numbers.

“He’s not always a starting player. If he’s not 100 per cent pivotal to the team, it could be one that they move on, take the money and use the money elsewhere.”

Considerable fee

Hagi has enjoyed a successful first full campaign with the Gers. His seven goals and 12 assists in all competitions (Transfermarkt) have helped Steven Gerrard’s side win the Premiership title and reach the Europa League round of 16, with his performances improving as the season has progressed.

However, as Kenny says, he has not been a guaranteed starter – he has been included in the first XI just 20 times out of a possible 34 in the league.

A profit of more than £8m on a player who is not essential to the side would represent a good piece of business from Ross Wilson and co, so it now remains to be seen whether they believe he is worth cashing in upon.

In other news, many Rangers fans praised this man’s performance against Hibernian.

Leicester City striker Kelechi Iheanacho appears to have put himself firmly in demand with his recent electric form.

Premier League trio Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal have all been talked-up as potential destinations for the Nigerian by Fichajes.

However, Jon Rudkin must keep the in-form forward at the club as alongside the likes of Wesley Fofana, Wilfred Ndidi and Harvey Barnes, he is both the present and the future of Leicester City.

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Iheanacho’s hot form in recent months has certainly been well-broadcast.

The 24-year-old, who was signed from Manchester City in 2017, leads the scoring charts at the King Power Stadium this season with 16 goals in all competitions – 13 of those coming in his last 12 domestic appearances for the Foxes.

It is form that saw Iheanacho named as the Premier League Player of the Month for March and draw considerable praise from manager Brendan Rodgers who labelled the striker’s contribution as “outstanding”.

It goes without saying then that his goals have been pivotal to Leicester City in recent times.

Jamie Vardy has scored just twice in 2021, Iheanacho shouldering the vast majority of the goalscoring burden, an aspect that has been crucial in the Foxes reaching the FA Cup final and continuing their challenge for a UEFA Champions League place.

Whilst he has certainly developed as a viable striking option for Rodgers in the present, it’s in the future where he will likely be called upon more.

At the age of 34, Vardy only has a limited amount of time left at the top-level and as it stands Iheanacho looks like his natural successor at the King Power Stadium especially with his recent goalscoring exploits.

Selling the Nigerian then would be nonsensical as it would greatly hamper the Foxes over the next few seasons should they fail to bring in a reliable goalscorer.

Meanwhile, of the clubs who could swoop for Iheanacho, Leicester would surely prefer not to sell the £13.5m-rated forward to any of them considering they are the Foxes’ direct rivals for places in the top-four.

In all then, it only makes sense for the East-Midlanders to hold onto Iheanacho despite the reported demand over his signature. So while Fofana appears to be the man in the headlines considering his links with Manchester United, keeping the in-form striker is arguably just as important.

AND in more news, read which starlet could be ready to break into the Foxes’ first-team next season…

West Ham United boss David Moyes may find himself punished over the final stretch of the Premier League season should Barry Fry’s Michail Antonio concern come true.

What’s he said?

While speaking exclusively with FootballFanCast, Peterborough United’s Director of Football Fry has expressed fears over how the Hammers’ season will end should Antonio sustain another injury.

Antonio has missed 10 games through injury or fitness concerns across all competitions this term, with two separate hamstring strains and the resulting fatigue keeping the 31-year-old on the sidelines.

Antonio is currently West Ham’s only recognised senior striker following the £20m January transfer of Sebastien Haller to AFC Ajax, while promising youngster Oladapo Afolayan joined League Two side Bolton Wanderers on loan.

Moyes has been forced to select Andriy Yarmolenko and Jarrod Bowen as de-facto centre-forwards following the winter market, after opting against reinvesting the funds made from Haller’s departure.

The decision is yet to backfire, and West Ham will exit the international break fifth in the Premier League table and two points outside of the Champions League positions.

But Fry fears how the season will end should Moyes lose Antonio again, with the forward the second-top scorer at the London Stadium with seven strikes in 20 games to date.

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“I’m a little bit worried if anything happened to Antonio,” Fry told FFC. “They’re a bit short in that department.”

Moyes risks being punished

Fry is absolutely right to fear how the season will end for West Ham should Antonio be consigned to the treatment room at Rush Green again, as Moyes would be left scratching his head in search of a solution.

Yarmolenko – who returned to training following a knee ligament injury prior to the international break – may have scored a delicate chip against Doncaster Rovers in the FA Cup, but the Ukraine forward failed to make the same impact against Manchester United before being withdrawn.

Bowen has also provided each of his six goals across all competitions this season from a wide role, and left Moyes bitterly disappointed at Old Trafford last month when he and Antonio failed to inject life into the attack.

“It was really poor. When we broke in the first half, I thought our play was really, really poor… and that led to not having sustained attacks and we could not keep [the ball], so our play on the break was really poor,” the Hammers boss said after the 1-0 loss, via quotes by football.london.

Antonio kept his place in the centre for the following clash with London rivals Arsenal and provided two of his five assists for the campaign to date, and should have scored in the second half when his outstretched effort hit the base of the post.

Moyes would not have an easy task finding the right man to stand in for Antonio and offer West Ham that same output if Fry’s fears were to come true, which would serve to see that his decision not to sign a striker in January was a huge blunder.

AND in other news, West Ham are in a three-way Premier League battle for a 6 ft 6 titan with “all the attributes”…

Manchester United will be aiming to strengthen their grip on second place this weekend as they come up against Tottenham Hotspur.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Red Devils travel to London boosted by back-to-back wins against Brighton & Hove Albion and Granada.

Could the Norwegian be tempted to make any changes this weekend?

We envisage three alterations to the Manchester United team, with the first of those starting in goal.

David De Gea returned to the starting line-up against Granada but Dean Henderson appears to have established himself as first choice in the league, albeit possibly only for a temporary time.

Meanwhile, there should also be another slight tweak in defence where Luke Shaw, who scoops £150k per week at Old Trafford, will be replaced by Alex Telles. The England defender was withdrawn at half-time against Granada, with Solskjaer hoping that he could be fit. However, it makes little sense to risk him ahead of a hectic conclusion to the campaign.

The rest of the defence should remain the same with Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof partnered at centre-back, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka deployed on the right.

The final alteration should occur in the centre of the park where Fred is likely to come into a midfield diamond in place of Daniel James. The Brazilian is likely to be deployed at the base, with Scott McTominay pushed further forwards alongside Paul Pogba.

Bruno Fernandes will of course be the furthest advanced.

[snack-amp-story url=”https://www.footballfancast.com/web-stories/the-latest-man-united-transfer-rumours-and-news-old-trafford-macheda-solskjaer-lingard-ousmane-dembele-anthony-martial-injury-rabiot-van-de-beek” title=” The latest Man United transfer rumours and news from Old Trafford…”]

It should be an English duo leading the line with Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood both selected. The former will be hoping to continue his good form having hit his 20th goal of the season against Granada last time out.

AND in more news, take a look at which player has handed Solskjaer a big injury boost…

Liverpool could be set to have a bidding war on their hands this summer for striker Divock Origi – a battle that The Reds will be the victors from.

It is reported by El Gol Digital that Real Sociedad are interested in acquiring the services of the striker as a replacement for Alexander Isak.

However, the Spaniards face competition for the Belgian’s signature with Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Newcastle United all thought to be admirers of a player who the Reds are reported to be happy to let go.

As it stands, Origi is rated at £14.4m and has over three years left to run on his current contract.

The more clubs that show an interest in the 25-year-old though, the more Michael Edwards can develop a bidding war around the player, with the club then consequently able to drive his price up even more.

Should they do that, then the Reds would be in line to claim a considerable profit on a player that they signed for approximately £10m from Lille in 2014.

It would be quite a benefit then to see that fee bolster the club’s transfer budget, and they would only lose a player that has served a bit-part role at Anfield since his arrival.

In all, Origi has made 157 appearances for Liverpool, when considering he has been at the club for five full seasons, that averages just 31 appearances per season with just under an average of 13 of those being starts.

His goal record is also not the most inspiring having netted just 35 in all competitions for the Reds.

Considering that, it will surely benefit Jurgen Klopp to sell and the more interest that Edwards can generate, the more Liverpool will be able to rake in.

The battle then for his signature will leave only one winner: The Reds.

AND in more news, read why Liverpool should reinvest some of the Origi fee into a Championship-bound star…