The January transfer window could be a busy time for Man United, regardless of whether results have picked up by then or not.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s imminent arrival is expected to herald the start of a new era at the club, and this new broom will be sweeping clean with almost immediate effect.

It’s clear that things on the pitch can’t stay the way they have been for the majority of the 2023/24 campaign for the Red Devils.

If the club genuinely want to be challenging for domestic honours at the end of the campaign, then the building blocks put in place now will help them to achieve that aim.

What that looks like will only be determined over the next few months, however, it’s clear that there needs to be a reshuffle in terms of the squad and in order to make way for new faces, some of the old guard must be dispensed with.

To that end, TeamTalk are reporting that the club are ready to cut their losses on midfield giant, Casemiro, and have placed a £50m price on his head.

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Whilst that may seem excessive for a 31-year-old that’s seriously out of form, he does still have two and a half years left on his current deal at Old Trafford.

With Saudi clubs apparently interested, it could provide the perfect scenario for the Brazilian to finish his career.

The post Man United prepared to let high-profile ace leave in January but want £50m appeared first on CaughtOffside.

This article was originally published on Fabrizio Romano’s Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Fabrizio Romano’s exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service here: thedailybriefing.io

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Sir Jim sends a strong message to Man United’s board

It was an historical day at Manchester United because, after 16 years, Richard Arnold left his role as CEO of the club. This huge news can be seen as the first message from Sir Jim Ratcliffe – set to buy a 25% minority stake in the club – to the wider board at the club.

It’s really important to mention that Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have sporting control so will be able to bring people into United, and this is why Patrick Stewart is going to be the interim CEO.

A couple of days ago I told you Jean-Claude Blanc is the favourite to become the new CEO at Manchester United and I can confirm that the discussions are very positive.

Blanc obviously knows the INEOS group very well and is perfectly aligned with their ideas.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is also still waiting for a final decision on the sporting director role with Paul Mitchell the favourite and discussions still ongoing.

Clearly Manchester United will be a work in progress over the next few months.

No contract talks for de Jong until 2024

Also guys, I wanted to clarify something on Frenkie de Jong’s contract because it’s important to say that Barcelona will not be extending any other contracts this year.

Not for the Dutchman, for Ronald Araujo or anyone else. It’s because of Financial Fair Play and so they’re not changing any salaries or any contracts in November and December.

This is the idea so, in 2024, Deco will be in contact with the agents of the players concerned. In fact, he’s already mentioned that he’s speaking to de Jong’s agents and Barça want to keep hold of him for sure.

He’s a crucial player as Laporta said many times, so the discussion will take place but it has to be 2024, not now.

He’s very happy in Barcelona, both with his private life and at the club, and at the moment, the situation is completely quiet around him.

Does Napoli sacking their manager change the position on Victor Osimhen?

Many of you have been asking me about Victor Osimhen in recent days because he mentioned Chelsea and Man United on a recent podcast, saying some friends supported the two teams.

But also guys, Napoli have changed the manager after a horrible beginning of the season for the new coach, Rudi Garcia, and despite them winning the title last season.

Napoli have appointed Walter Mazzarri, the former Watford and Inter manager who was also at Napoli as manager for four years between 2009 and 2013. Now, 10 years later, he’s back with the Partnopei.

The club haven’t changed their position on Osimhen despite only having a manager for the short term, and the club are still not in a position to sell him.

Their priority is to keep the player in January and to push again with the contract extension. Maybe the time to sell him could be in the summer…

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In other news…

Casemiro – Currently I’m told it’s still quiet with regards to Saudi Pro League clubs and Casemiro. No concrete proposals or negotiations are taking place. We’ll have to see what happens in the summer, but it depends on a lot of factors including Saudi plans, Man United decisions and more. I think he’s still a very important player, but has just been unlucky with his injuries.

Juventus targets – They always appreciated Domenico Berardi from Sassuolo. He was already a target in August but the negotiation was difficult. Now Jadon Sancho is in the list but Berardi remains a player they really like and appreciate.

I don’t know the exact name of the midfielder that they’re after yet, it’s too early. Kalvin Phillips, Thomas Partey and other names being spoken about are too defensive. Juve actually want an offensive midfielder and it has to be a cheap deal, they’re not spending crazy money. I’d go for Rodrigo de Paul but Atlético Madrid consider him a key player, so not easy at all and also… he won’t come cheap.

Gabriel Moscardo – The cost for interested clubs to sign Moscardo will be around €25m from what I’m told. Chelsea wanted him in August but there was no formal approach to Corinthians. Now, 5-6 clubs from the UK and also Italy are interested, but nothing has been decided or advanced at this stage. For Barça, he’s too expensive as of now.

Nestory Irankunda – Really, all the big European clubs knew this boy very well. UK, German and Spanish clubs sent their scouts multiple times to watch him but credit to Bayern – they were super fast, efficient and concrete in their negotiations to make the deal happen.

The post A busy day for Man United, De Jong contract latest, Osimhen’s Premier League hint, Casemiro Saudi truth, and more appeared first on CaughtOffside.

None of the European leagues, or world leagues for that matter, are safe from the rise of the Saudi Pro League, and that means that players at all clubs, including Man United amongst others, will be targeted.

Although the SPL is rated as only the 66th best on the planet at present, per TeamForm, that is likely to soon change as more and more high-profile stars move to the UAE to continue their careers.

At present, aside from one or two exceptions, only those players that are coming towards the back end of their careers have been targeted. Big names nonetheless, but the league has struggled to acquire players in their prime.

As the league continues to grow, there’s a strong likelihood that bigger stars will join, and in five years from now, there’s no telling how big the league will have become and whether it could be considered a genuine threat to the Premier League and others.

One player that’s been consistently linked with a switch to Saudi is Man United midfielder, Casemiro. However, it doesn’t appear that he’ll be moving there anytime soon.

Speaking to CaughtOffside for his exclusive Daily Briefing column, Fabrizio Romano said:

“Currently I’m told it’s still quiet with regards to Saudi Pro League clubs and Casemiro.

“No concrete proposals or negotiations are taking place. We’ll have to see what happens in the summer, but it depends on a lot of factors including Saudi plans, Man United decisions and more.

“I think he’s still a very important player, but has just been unlucky with his injuries.”

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Given the drop off in the standard of Casemiro’s performances this season, and with Sir Jim Ratcliffe joining the club to take control of sporting aspects, the Brazilian is likely to be moved on at some point – to the Saudi Pro League or otherwise.

The post Exclusive: Saudi push for Man United ace dependant on number of factors says transfer expert appeared first on CaughtOffside.

With only a few weeks left until the opening of the January transfer window it seems that Man United are getting ready to clear the decks, and one important first-team star is attracting interest from the Saudi Pro League.

If Sir Jim Ratcliffe has finally completed his partial takeover of the club by the new year, it’s likely that he’ll waste no time at all in streamlining the sporting aspect of the business.

There’s no suggestion at this stage that he’ll be looking to replace Erik ten Hag as manager, though it’s clear that results and performances need to improve.

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To that end, anyone who is deemed surplus to requirements will be shipped out, and one player known to already be on that list is senior midfield man, Casemiro.

The Brazilian hasn’t been at the races this season in terms of form and his reported wages of £350,000 per week (Capology) is certainly a cost saving that could be made.

Talksport report the interest of the Saudi Pro League in Casemiro’s services, and if the Brazilian can be persuaded his future lies in the UAE, there’s a deal to be made that will suit all parties.

By freeing up a slot in midfield too, it offers ten Hag the opportunity for a mid-season reshuffle that could make the difference in the second half of the season.

The post Important Man United ace to be put up for sale amidst Saudi interest appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Jadon Sancho almost certain to leave and Al Hilal will be one to watch

Jadon Sancho is almost certain to leave Manchester United in January. There is both European and Saudi interest.

However, a lot of the European clubs want a ‘try before you buy’ type deal. This means a straight loan, or one with an option. Juventus are the latest club to consider Sancho, as Fabrizio Romano revealed.

Saudi clubs have considered Sancho before, and on September 7th Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq made a superficial enquiry. Manchester United wanted a loan with a £50m obligation to buy and this was out of Ettifaq’s budget.

Al-Hilal could be one to watch for Sancho. Their priority is to replace Neymar during his long-term ACL injury, but not necessarily with a like-for-like profile. They just want a goalscorer. Sancho hasn’t been tempted by a Saudi move in the past, but dealmakers aren’t put off by rejections…

Victor Osimhen and other names who turned down Saudi

This last point was apparent with Victor Osimhen, who was subject of an offer from Al-Hilal last summer. The Nigerian told the Obi One Podcast that every time an offer was turned down another was made and he eventually seriously considered joining.

“I never thought of [leaving in summer] at first,” he said. “But when this huge offer came from [Al-Hilal] it was tempting. It was a big one… I had three meetings and made up my mind to stick with the team.

“In August it was a huge decision for me to take. The more I said no to these people the more they increased their offer. It was literally like ‘wow’… they never gave up until the end of their transfer window.”

Saudi Pro League clubs are still likely to be busier in the summer rather than in January.

Casemiro and Kalvin Phillips are two targets for 2024. Tottenham’s Son remains on the list. He’s been there since last summer, as exclusively revealed last summer. Son has always dismissed links, but dealmakers always knew he wouldn’t leave in 2023.

Neymar, Bobby Firmino and Sadio Mane all turned down initial approaches, yet all three eventually joined the Saudi Pro League and that’s why dealmakers continue to push even with targets that show little or no interest.

Richarlison could also be a name to watch, but multiple Saudi clubs are worried about his age. Al-Ettifaq are one of them. And, of course, Mo Salah remains a big summer target. There’s no guarantee it will be Al-Ittihad who return for the Egyptian. Al-Hilal is also a possibility.

Victor Osimhen or Ivan Toney to Chelsea?

Osimhen to Saudi is very unlikely now in 2024. Having turned down the Al-Hilal offer, the Nigerian is likely to stay in Europe. He hasn’t agreed a contract with Napoli despite a two-year extension being quite close at points over the summer.

A mid-season move is still relatively unlikely, especially with Napoli well on course to get out of their Champions League group.

Osimhen is keen on a Premier League move and has spoken about how as a kid he owned both a Chelsea and Manchester United shirt, and used to watch Didier Drogba videos on YouTube to try and improve his game.

Chelsea will be looking for an elite striker in 2024. They are prepared to wait until summer if they need to rather than move in January. There are a lot of links with Ivan Toney, but the price Brentford would require in January makes that quite difficult. It could be as high as £80m. And not everyone in Chelsea’s senior leadership or recruitment team feels Toney is the right choice, especially mid-season when he’s gone so long without playing.

Toney wants to stay in London and would welcome an Arsenal or Chelsea offer, but don’t be surprised if the latter keep their powder dry and wait for another name.

Osimhen is undoubtedly an option, and he’ll be (a least a bit) cheaper next summer compared to last. This could also present a scenario where, as with Christopher Nkunku, Chelsea try to pre-sign Osimhen in January for the summer in order to jump ahead of the market.

But right now nothing is advanced because all interested clubs are simply trying to understand what Aurelio De Laurentiis will sell for since last summer he simply wouldn’t engage for anything under €150m. Now he may accept €120m. Plus, with Rudi Garcia outgoing, Osimhen may also take time to assess what life is like under Walter Mazzarri, who is expected to sign a short-term deal.

When to expect a decision from Kylian Mbappe

We may not get clarity on Kylian Mbappe’s future in January. PSG are calm about the situation. They feel like discussions over a renewal will take place in the latter half of the season, after the window closes. They are not braced for a Real Madrid offer mid-season, and Carlo Ancelotti has already ruled out doing January business.

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PSG have felt for some time that Mbappe will either renew long-term or renew with a clause allowing him still to be sold this summer. Both options protect the club financially since they allow PSG to get a fee.

But even if Mbappe leaves for free, PSG now feel they won’t lose out financially because Mbappe is prepared to forgo certain payments should he leave without renewing. That means both club and player can focus on football and deal with the specifics of either a renewal or exit later in the season. So there is no pressure or urgency to resolve Mbappe’s future before or during January.

Mbappe is expected to decide based on how the season and project goes at PSG, and that’s why a deep Champions League run is important.

The post Kylian Mbappe’s future, Jadon Sancho Al Hilal transfer option & Chelsea striker targets – Ben Jacobs column appeared first on CaughtOffside.

According to the BBC Sport Gossip Column, Manchester United will be willing to consider offers for Casemiro in January, with a potential suitor in the Saudi Pro League.

Having only joined Manchester United in the summer transfer window of 2022, the Red Devils could already be set to move on the Brazilian midfielder.

After some injury trouble this season, missing the past seven games for United, this could be the time for them to look for replacements for the future.

Casemiro was a fan favourite last season, making 51 appearances for United in all competitions, scoring seven goals, providing six assists and playing a key role in their 3rd place Premier League finish and Carabao Cup triumph.

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Manchester United will reportedly consider offers for Casemiro in January#BBCFootball #manutd #epl

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) November 14, 2023

Casemiro has made 12 appearances so far this season for United in all competitions, scoring four goals and providing one assist in 951 minutes of football.

However due to his absence in recent weeks, the likes of Scott McTominay and Sofyan Amrabat have been given chances in midfield, with McTominay thriving in terms of goal output since being given the chance.

The post Manchester United set to consider offers for star midfielder in January appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is yet to have his £1.4billion bid to buy a 25 per cent stake in Manchester United approved by the club’s board but the British businessman has big plans once he gets through the doors at Old Trafford. 

The INEOS CEO would have hoped to have everything wrapped up by now and it looks unlikely that things will be in order before the January transfer window opens.

One area in particular that Ratcliffe questioned when he visited Old Trafford in March was Man United’s transfer policy and he hopes to make major changes over the coming years, reports the Guardian.

In order to fund a rebuild at the Manchester club, talkSPORT’s Alex Crook reports that Ratcliffe is open to selling Casemiro, who is being targeted for a big-money move to Saudi Arabia.

? Manchester United will consider cashing in on Casemiro, who is being targeted for a big-money move to Saudi Arabia. 

Sir Jim Ratcliffe is believed to be open to offers for him to help fund a rebuild.

(Source: @alex_crook) pic.twitter.com/xuHz4eyh5S

— Transfer News Live (@DeadlineDayLive) November 14, 2023

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According to the Guardian’s report, during his March visit, the British businessman didn’t understand why the Premier League giants spent €60m on the 30-year-old player, alongside a £350,000 a week salary.

Casemiro stood out during his debut season but the same cannot be said for the current campaign.

Ratcliffe’s concerns suggest that Man United will buy smarter if he is brought into the club and the age of players targeted will be much lower than that of the Brazilian star as the potential new owner could now look to cash in on the former Real Madrid man in 2024.

The post Sir Jim Ratcliffe willing to sell huge Man United star to fund rebuild at Old Trafford appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United are facing additional injury setbacks as Rasmus Hojlund and Christian Eriksen have been withdrawn from the Denmark squad due to injuries, per Sky Sports.

Both players had to be substituted early in a 1-0 Premier League win over Luton at Old Trafford. Hojlund, the striker who was signed for £72 million in the summer, suffered a hamstring problem, while Eriksen sustained a knee injury during the match.

The injury woes for Manchester United are compounded by the absence of several first-team players, including Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Casemiro, Tyrell Malacia, Jonny Evans, and Amad Diallo due to injuries.

Additionally, Jadon Sancho is still excluded from the squad due to a disciplinary issue, and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who had just returned from injury, missed the Saturday game due to illness.

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Losing Hojlund, who is the clear first-choice striker for United, for an extended period could pose a significant challenge for manager Erik ten Hag, especially considering the tough upcoming fixtures, including a crucial Champions League match against Galatasaray, as well as games against Newcastle, Chelsea, and a trip to Liverpool on December 17.

This upcoming stretch is crucial for Manchester United’s season you’d feel, and possibly even the job of Erik ten Hag, with the Red Devils already falling behind in the race for the top four.

The post Manchester United duo withdrawn from international duty following injuries appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United midfielder Casemiro has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabia in recent weeks.

Journalist Ben Jacobs has now revealed to Give Me Sport that the player is not keen on leaving Manchester United in January and the move to Saudi Arabia does not appeal to him just yet.

Apparently, Saudi Arabian clubs are looking at established Premier League players like Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min.

Jacobs said: “With Saudi Arabia, we’re not going to see the same window in January as we did over the summer. A lot of the big names that the Saudi clubs will be looking for will be in the summer of 2024 rather than January, partly because the deal-makers want to wait and see how the league table pans out and partly because many of the quotas are full or close to full.

“That means that, as you navigate the next few windows, you might have to think about exits first. That’s why, for example, Jesse Lingard was not possible for one of the slightly smaller clubs in Al-Ettifaq. He trained with them for a month, but they couldn’t sign him as a free agent because they had to get rid of two players first in January. Lingard didn’t want to wait and was asking for more money than a slightly smaller club like Al-Ettifaq could afford.

“Casemiro has been a name – like many others such as Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min – on a list of possible targets for 2024. But the indication at this point is that he wouldn’t like to jump ship from Manchester United mid-season. The Saudi clubs, I think, will be looking for that type of profile in the summer rather than January.”

Casemiro has had an underwhelming campaign with Manchester United so far and the Brazilian international will look to get back to his best. He was one of the best defensive midfielders in the world during his time at Real Madrid and he will want to prove himself in the Premier League as well.

Manchester United have been quite vulnerable defensively and they could certainly benefit from Casemiro returning to his peak form. The Red Devils will want to compete for trophies this season and qualify for the UEFA Champions League. They will need their best players firing on all cylinders and it remains to be seen whether Casemiro can get back in his rhythm once again.

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Meanwhile, Manchester United will also need to hold onto their key players in January if they want to finish the season strongly. Keeping Casemiro at the club should be a priority for them. They are already lacking in depth when it comes to the defensive midfield department and they cannot afford to lose the only specialist defensive midfielder at the club any time soon.

The post Manchester United star unwilling to move in January amid Saudi links appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Mark Goldbridge has predicted that two of Manchester United’s most important players will leave the club in the coming transfer windows.

The popular fan channel host, who also works as a presenter on sports radio station talkSPORT, believes the next six months will be both Raphael Varane and Casemiro’s last at Old Trafford.

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The former Real Madrid duo, who were signed for a combined £111 million (Varane £41 million and Casemiro £70 million) in 2021 and 2022, respectively, are United’s two most decorated players.

However, Goldbridge, while discussing both players’ futures, thinks their time in the Premier League is almost up and has blamed the Red Devils’ need to rebuild their squad as the reason why neither player will be part of the club’s long-term future.

“This is the last six months of Casemiro and Varane at Manchester United,” Goldbridge said.

“I think they’re gone – I think they’re both gone.

“[…] I think Varane will go to Saudi [Pro League]. I think that’s what will happen, and I think Casemiro will as well.”

"I think Varane goes Saudi, and Casemiro leaves as well…" ????@markgoldbridge can't see Casemiro and Varane at #mufc a year from now.

Do you think they'll be gone in the summer? ? pic.twitter.com/1edlmd8tEL

— The United Stand (@UnitedStandMUFC) November 3, 2023

The post (Video) Mark Goldbridge predicts £111m duo will leave Man United in summer appeared first on CaughtOffside.