Latest news with #ProfitandSustainability
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Alejandro Garnacho has clear Man Utd exit path after £125m transfer confirmation
Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho might be packing his bags this summer following a series of events that suggest his future at Old Trafford is uncertain. Last year, Garnacho was deemed too valuable to lose after shooting up the ranks and making an impact in Erik ten Hag's senior squad. Yet now, amidst financial pressures to meet Profit and Sustainability rules (PSR), both he and teammate Kobbie Mainoo are on the table for potential exits. Back in January, Italian heavyweights Napoli attempted but failed to swoop him into their folds, while Chelsea's interest fizzled out. Since then, Garnacho's contributions have been limited, with a modest three goals and four assists post-transfer window. His behaviour has also raised eyebrows, such as being benched for poor conduct before the Manchester derby in December, storming off early during a February match against Ipswich, and lashing out at Ruben Amorim's choices while berating this "s**t season" after Europa League disappointment. Following the Europa loss in Bilbao, suitors have lined up, with both AC Milan and Aston Villa keen on the 20 year old winger. Amidst all this, there's chatter about Bayer Leverkusen expressing a desire to hand Garnacho a second chance by bringing him to BayArena on loan—a proposition Manchester United aren't too keen on, according to Caught Offside, reports the Manchester Evening News. Should Garnacho reunite with Ten Hag, the gaffer who brought him into the first team, it would be due to Leverkusen pocketing a cool £125million. Florian Wirtz, one of Ten Hag's top performers in Germany, is consistently linked with a switch to Liverpool. The Manchester Evening News' sister paper, LiverpoolEcho, has reported that the Premier League champions have kicked off talks with Leverkusen to shatter their current transfer record of £75m. It's believed that the German club values Wirtz at £125m, a price tag that made Manchester City back off. Wirtz's departure will give Ten Hag a hefty transfer kitty to splash but also the task to find his replacement. The German international netted 16 goals and set up another 15 this season and his contribution will be sorely missed next term. Leverkusen's interest in Garnacho shouldn't raise eyebrows given the faith that Ten Hag showed in him previously. If Garnacho is to resurrect his career, the clear exit path might just be staring him in the face.
Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mirror
Bruno Fernandes handed 'final offer' as Ruben Amorim offers worrying update
Manchester United are desperate for cash heading into the summer transfer window after missing out on European football, with captain Bruno Fernandes in high demand Manchester United are set to make their first signing of a pivotal summer for Ruben Amorim's flagging reign. But the defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final and a 16th place finish in the top-flight means United will not be able to offer signings European football. But regardless of those issues, their first deal is now within touching distance. On Tuesday, United triggered Matheus Cunha's release clause with the Wolves star now set for a medical. That deal will still get done despite the fact missing out on the Champions League and Europa League has left a huge hole in United's accounts. That means that sales will almost certainly come this summer as the Red Devils scramble to comply with Profit and Sustainability rules. One player whose future is now under threat is captain Bruno Fernandes. While United are keen to keep their influential skipper, their desperation for funds could well see him depart Old Trafford. Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal have been heavily linked with a move for the midfielder, but are growing impatient. Meanwhile, flop Antony is also heading for the exit door and is pushing for a return to Real Betis. That comes with United boss Ruben Amorim admitting that it may be difficult for him to make signings this summer if funds are not brought in. Here, Mirror Football rounds up all the latest Manchester United transfer news. Cunha set for medical United have triggered Matheus Cunha's £62.5million release clause with the Wolves star now set for a medical. The Red Devils failed with an audacious opening offer, but have agreed to the terms set out by the Midlands side. Personal terms had already been agreed and the Brazilian is now closing in on a move to Old Trafford. Cunha starred in Wolves' successful battle to beat the drop this season. According to The Athletic, United requested to pay Cunha's release clause over five years rather than the required two. Wolves resisted that approach though and stood firm, formally rejecting that opening offer. After that rejection, United decided to meet the terms, with an announcement now expected sooner rather than later. Impatient Hilal hand Fernandes 'final offer' Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been sent a 'final offer' with Al-Hilal growing impatient with the midfielder. Hilal have been heavily linked with a move for the Portugal international. The Saudi Pro League side are keen to make a blockbuster signing ahead of the Club World Cup. Having held extensive talks with Fernandes' representatives, the Daily Mail report that Hilal have given him a final 'take it or leave it' offer. He has 72 hours to reply, with the Saudi side prepared to quadruple his salary with a package worth £700,000 per week. If he agrees to move, Hilal with then submit an offer to United worth around £100million. Amorim's pessimistic prediction Ruben Amorim has conceded it will be difficult for Manchester United to make new signings this summer. The embattled manager believes that financial fair play rules may well restrict their business. 'We have a plan that is to bring [in] some new players. Our big plan is to improve the team we have and improve the academy as that is our future, as it was in past. It's not going to change so much," he said on Tuesday. 'We have financial fair play rules, so we are not allowed to do so much this summer. The important thing is to stick together. We are going to struggle and it is not going to be everything right away. I have a feeling the team is improving and that is the most important thing.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Amorim tells Garnacho he can leave Man Utd
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has told winger Alejandro Garnacho he will be allowed to join a new club this summer. The Argentina international seemed to be on a collision course with his boss after both he and his brother posted messages around Wednesday's Europa League final defeat by Tottenham, when Garnacho was only introduced as a 71st-minute substitute. Speaking after the match, Garnacho said: "Up until the final I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don't know. "The final will influence [my decision] but the whole season, the situation of the club. I'm going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens afterwards." His brother Roberto fanned the flames further after the match, stating on social media: "Working as no-one else, helping every round, coming from two goals in the last two finals, just to be on the pitch for 19 mins and get thrown under the bus." As first reported by The Athletic, Garnacho has now been told by Amorim he will be allowed to leave. Yes, yes, yes: Man Utd sure on Amorim, transfers and the future Man Utd inform some staff at training ground they will lose jobs Chelsea were close to doing a deal with the 20-year-old in January but in the end it failed to materialise. New Serie A champions Napoli were also keen on the forward, who was born in Spain and joined United's academy from Atletico Madrid in October 2020. Asked about Garnacho on Saturday, before Sunday's final Premier League game of the season against Aston Villa, Amorim said: "I will speak with my players but the focus is the last game. "I don't know what is going to happen but we have a plan. "We were prepared for both situations, with Champions League and without. We have an idea of the type of squad we want but we still have the last game. We have time to address all these situations." It remains to be seen if Garnacho will be involved against Villa. As the player classes as 'homegrown' under the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules, his sale would create greater flexibility for Amorim, who is preparing to reduce the size of his squad given they have no European commitments next season, to make new signings. United have been heavily linked with Wolves forward Matheus Cunha, who has a release clause of £62.5m in his contract. Amorim has had an uneasy relationship with Garnacho. He had only been at United for a month when he axed the winger, along with Marcus Rashford, for the victory at Manchester City on 15 December. Amorim said the decision was because of "training performances, game performances and engagement with team-mates". Unlike Rashford, Garnacho was handed an immediate recall. Yet he has always seemed an uneasy fit in the system Amorim's prefers because there is no space for an orthodox wide player. Although Garnacho is United's second highest scorer this season with 11 goals, he was omitted in Bilbao as Amorim preferred Amad Diallo and Mason Mount in the advanced roles behind central striker Rasmus Hojlund. Latest Manchester United news, analysis and fan views Get Man Utd news notifications
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Delap? Sesko? Garnacho? Chelsea's summer transfer options
Everyone at Chelsea is aware that a lack of quality finishing and therefore goals is stopping the team from taking the next step. Chelsea have missed 79 big chances this season, the second-highest total in the Premier League. Last summer, they looked to sign a striker but could not get a deal over the line for then-Napoli forward Victor Osimhen because of his wage demands on deadline day. The rest of the options on the market were not considered good enough to add to what existing forward Nicolas Jackson could offer. After a fast start to the season, Jackson has had a difficult 2025, missing two months with injury and Sunday's red card meaning his campaign is ending early. Ten goals in 30 league games is underwhelming, but sources at the club say they remain happy with the £31m deal that brought him in from Villarreal. Nevertheless, Chelsea feel having another goalscorer would have been enough to have already qualified Enzo Maresca's side for next season's Champions League. Instead, they go into the final two Premier League matches - starting with Manchester United on Friday evening - with qualification into the riches of Europe's competition in jeopardy. Finding that lethal finisher is top of Chelsea's wishlist of what is likely to be another busy summer of ins and outs at Stamford Bridge. The key question is which striker Chelsea will sign. It is a challenge Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United are all facing this summer too. None of Sporting's Victor Gyokeres, RB Leipzig's Benjamin Sesko, Ipswich's Liam Delap, Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike or even Napoli's Victor Osimhen have been ruled out and all are considered quality options by the west London club. Each one is being explored with pros, cons and likely competition being weighed up. In Delap's case, for example, he will be available for his £30m relegation release clause, which is a tantalising opportunity and one that has also attracted United to the race. Osimhen and Gyokeres are both thought to be available for about £60m - but will command high wages. Sesko and Gyokeres are also on the radar of new Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta. Liverpool, with Darwin Nunez likely to leave, as well as Champions League finalists Paris St-Germain are both expected to bring in a striker too. Chelsea are confident they will end up with a very capable option but there will also be factors beyond their control in the race to sign a striker. Forwards: The next priority is to sign a right-footed left winger. Chelsea are known to have expressed an interest in both Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho and Borussia Dortmund's Jamie Gittens in January, but no offers were made. They remain admirers of both players and have been tipped to make a move for Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers - another option they like - but having signed a new contract in November, he may not be available unless the squeeze of Premier League's Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules on Aston Villa's high wage bill make it happen. There is also the question of what is happening with both Jadon Sancho and Mykhailo Mudryk. Chelsea insist a decision on Sancho will come at the end-of-season summit, with the club obligated to buy him for between £20m and £25m but with a £5m penalty clause available to avoid doing the deal. Mudryk, meanwhile, remains provisionally banned from playing football after testing positive for a banned substance. Defence: Chelsea are also looking into signing a central defender and are known to be among the five clubs interested in Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen. Real Madrid are reported to be Huijsen's favoured option but there are questions over whether they will pay the £50m release clause. They also admire Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who enters the last year of his contract this summer, but are cautious as they look at physical options to complement current players and compete with the injury prone but high-performing Wesley Fofana. The Blues are not guaranteed to bring in a defender, having already signed Mamadou Sarr, 19, from partner club RC Strasbourg. Experience: There is also an acceptance within the club that Chelsea's squad lack natural leaders with only Levi Colwill, still just 22, and potentially Enzo Fernandez, 24, fitting the bill. Captain Reece James has worked hard to develop that side of his game but is naturally introverted, as is Moises Caicedo. Youth: Although Chelsea have trended towards younger signings, older players at a world-class level, with potential to add to the squad in other ways, will also be considered. Coach Enzo Maresca said earlier this month that the club will "for sure" look to bring in experienced players "to close the gap" with champions Liverpool. Chelsea have already signed a host of players, including winger Estevao Willian for £29m, attacking midfielder Kendry Paez for £17m, goalkeeper Mike Penders for £17m and defensive midfielder Dario Essugo for £18.5m, for fees totalling over £150m. Willian will come into the first-team squad after the Club World Cup, in which he will play for Palmeiras. Paez could go out on loan, Penders could either come into the squad or go on loan, and Essugo is seen as a back-up option for Caicedo. Midfielder Andrey Santos is also expected to be recalled from his loan spell at Strasbourg to compete in midfield with Romeo Lavia and Enzo Fernandez. Goalkeepers: Many supporters are also clamouring for a new goalkeeper this summer with Robert Sanchez making five mistakes leading to goals, the joint-highest total in the Premier League. However, Chelsea maintain trust in Sanchez and believe they have promising alternatives should he not improve in Penders, current second option Filip Jorgensen and Djordje Petrovic, who is on loan to Strasbourg. Petrovic is attracting transfer interest. Why are Chelsea stockpiling so many young players? Chelsea and Strasbourg prepare for multi-club rule changes Chelsea have been planning for the summer window since September but will again evaluate the season after the Conference League final. That final and possible Champions League qualification will be instructive in terms of their approach to contract renewals and player sales. Sources at Stamford Bridge insist they are not concerned by PSR regulations in any outcome. They will receive between £40m and £97m for participating in the Club World Cup. Famously, Chelsea's unique approach to amortisation has players collectively under contract for almost 200 years, by far the most in the Premier League. No significant first-team players have deals that expire within three years. It leaves Chelsea not required to renew contracts despite significant reports of talks being under way to agree a new contract with midfielder Caicedo. Pay rises could be given to players whose current contract warrants it. The club considered Cole Palmer's wage too far below the market rate, and opted to extend his contract to 2033 despite him having seven years left on his deal at the time. Maresca always denies the club has a big squad but the reality is Chelsea have at least two players for every position and three in some places - as well as eight or nine senior players on loan and a very strong academy system running underneath. So players will be sold to avoid creating unrest when signings in attack and defence are added. Defender Trevoh Chalobah will be told he will either be a back-up option or can leave, while forward Christopher Nkunku has struggled this season and is attracting interest from abroad. Chelsea are looking to sell a number of current loanees, including Ben Chilwell (Crystal Palace), Carney Chukwuemeka (deemed too expensive by Dortmund), Armando Broja (Everton), Axel Disasi (Aston Villa), Kepa Arrizabalga (Bournemouth), Joao Felix (AC Milan), and Renato Veiga (Juventus). Raheem Sterling, who is at Arsenal, will be asked to find a new club - but his £300,000-a-week wages could result in another loan move, with the wages partly covered by Chelsea. There are also questions around whether big first-team names could leave. Caicedo is considered untouchable, despite reports linking him with a move to Saudi Arabia, and is in the same category as Palmer. The rest could all be sold at the right price but Chelsea typically request high fees even for players they do not want. There is known interest from Real Madrid in Fernandez, for example, but sources insist they would ask more than the £107m they paid to Benfica in 2023. And then Chelsea continue to sign up the best teenage talent to populate their 'academy' sister club, Strasbourg, which play a similar style to Maresca's first team, with a view to moving into Chelsea's squad in one or two years' time. They have also agreed deals for Sporting winger Geovany Quenda and Dastan Satpaev from Kairat Almaty in Kazakhstan in 2026, with further talents between the age of 16 and 19 likely to join Chelsea's youth-led project. Latest Chelsea news, analysis and fan views Get Chelsea news sent straight to your phone
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Liverpool and Arsenal reached same conclusion over Alexander Isak transfer
Liverpool and Arsenal have both been priced out of a move for Newcastle star Alexander Isak. The Sweden star has emerged as one of the hottest strikers in the Premier League in recent years, and is Mohamed Salah's closest challenger in the division's top scorer standings. Isak's 61 goals in 106 appearances for Newcastle have prompted top clubs to earmark him as a transfer target ahead of the summer window, with Liverpool, Arsenal and Barcelona among the sides keen on 25-year-old. Newcastle is believed to value Isak at around £150 million ($200 million), which puts him out of reach — even for clubs with the financial might of the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal. READ MORE: Chelsea announces major jersey change ahead of Liverpool game after $1BN investment READ MORE: Liverpool stars get champions welcome on return to training ahead of Chelsea game The Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules mean that clubs must keep a close eye on their spending in the transfer market or risk recording three-year losses greater than the amount that the rules permit, thus leaving offending clubs open to sanctions from the league. Liverpool expects there to be a strong market for Uruguayan forward Darwin Nunez this summer having rejected interest from several clubs in Saudi Arabia during the January window. But he would not bring in enough money to allow Liverpool to sign Isak while also addressing the other areas in the squad that are in need of strengthening. Liverpool will not financially benefit from Trent Alexander-Arnold's impending move to Real Madrid, as he is leaving as a free agent, but the club still needs to strengthen at right-back to offset his departure. A new left-back is also on the agenda, as is a new center-back; Bournemouth pair Milos Kerkez and Dean Huijsen, who are high up on Liverpool's list of targets, would be expected to cost well in excess of $100 million combined. 'Liverpool is in decent financial shape but its ongoing commitments are significant. So I wouldn't be expecting big, big acquisitions for Liverpool this summer,' Professor Rob Wilson, a football finance expert and programme director at the University Campus of Football Business said. 'It appears to me it has backed itself into an almost unmanageable corner with the Van Dijk and Salah contract negotiations – the club is spending a huge amount on those two contracts which it can't now re-invest in the playing squad. 'Those two players haven't got any resale value, which may be a problem in two or three years. I'd estimate it'll be net expenditure of £100 million ($136 million), perhaps, this summer which in today's market requires smart investment. 'I don't think Liverpool could afford Isak, PSR-wise, with the valuations Newcastle is looking at. It would blow the entire budget in one fell swoop if it did do it and that's not something we'd associate with Liverpool's approach.'
