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Manchester United are battling Liverpool for the signing of an "excellent" player with a £51m release clause in his contract, according to a fresh transfer update.

Man Utd eyeing centre-back signings

Big additions are needed in the Red Devils' squad in the summer transfer window in order to avoid suffering another underwhelming season in the Premier League. It is clear that these changes are required all over the pitch, with an ageing midfield needing fresh legs and the attack needing more firepower, while centre-back is also a position that needs new signings.

The likes of Raphael Varane, Harry Maguire and Jonny Evans are all in their 30s and arguably past their best, meaning Lisandro Martinez is the only central defender who feels like a genuinely strong option there currently.

Plenty of defenders are being linked with summer moves to United at the moment, with Barcelona star Ronald Araujo seen as a good choice who has matured into one of the premier players in La Liga in his position. Sporting CP centre-back Goncalo Inacio has also emerged as a target for United in the summer window, with the Portuguese playing a key role in his side sitting on the verge of winning the Primeira Liga title this season.

There are also two Englishmen who have been backed to seal moves to Old Trafford in the coming months, with Everton ace Jarrad Branthwaite and Crystal Palace star Marc Guehi both reportedly wanted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Both will hope to feature for England at Euro 2024, but it is not guaranteed that they will be chosen in Gareth Southgate's squad.

Man Utd battling Liverpool for "excellent" ace

According to Football Transfers, Manchester United have "stepped up their pursuit" of Inacio, but they aren't alone in showing a strong interest in the 22-year-old, who has a £51m release clause in his current deal.

Perhaps crucially, the report notes that the Portuguese giants are "resigned to losing" the defender this summer, though it appears clubs are stopping short of bidding full whack for Inacio.

Liverpool are also in the mix to snap up the Sporting youngster, seeing him as someone who could be a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk at the heart of their defence.

It is no surprise to see huge clubs showing so much interest in Inacio, considering he is already a top-quality centre-back and a player who should only mature in the coming years. He has already made 168 appearances for Sporting, despite still being such a young footballer, as well as scoring twice in six caps for Portugal.

A left-sided central defender who can also do a job at left-back, Inacio ticks so many boxes for United, whether it be his versatility, defensive resilience or quality on the ball.

Appearances

30

Starts

26

Goals

1

Assists

0

Pass completion rate

89%

Clearances per game

1.9

Tackles per game

1.5

Granted, it may not be easy for him and Martinez to be a natural fit, considering both are left-footed, but if Erik ten Hag and Ratcliffe view him as their primary defensive target, they need to be trusted. Inacio is certainly a special young talent, being hailed as "excellent" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, and he could develop into a world-class player over time.

The second season for Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager has been very disappointing, to say the least. It was a successful first term in charge for the Dutchman, who took his side to a Carabao Cup win, and a third-place finish in the Premier League.

However, this time around has been far more underwhelming for the Red Devils. They currently reside in sixth place in the Premier League, on 54 points, and are now mathematically out of the running for European football. Not only that, they crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage, and the 15 goals they conceded are the most by any Premier League side in the groups.

With such poor form, it has led to talk of manager Ten Hag getting sacked by United’s new owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who might well decide to move forward with a new face at the helm of the INEOS era.

Of course, this has led to plenty of speculation about who could get the job, should Ten Hag indeed get sacked at the end of the season. Several names have been banded around, including England manager Gareth Southgate, and Bayer manager Thomas Tuchel, who will be leaving the club in the summer.

However, one other name is floating around of late, who is currently managing in the Premier League and could well be the man to take over from Ten Hag.

Man Utd should look at appointing Premier League boss

The manager in question is Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, who has had a wonderful first full season at Villa Park. They are currently in fourth place, seven points clear of fifth place Tottenham, and have a Europa Conference League sem-final to look forward to.

The 52-year-old was appointed by Villa in October 2022, taking over from Steven Gerrard, who had a disastrous spell at the club. Last season, Emery dragged the club from relegation-threatened to Conference League qualification in a matter of months.

In April, Villa triggered a one-year contract extension clause in Emery’s contract, to keep the Spaniard at the club until 2027, with Bayern sniffing around and potentially looking at Emery as their next manager.

However, United might still need to approach Emery to take over at Old Trafford. Former United and Villa striker Dwight Yorke thinks that it would be a good appointment, saying in an interview this week that the Spaniard might “do even better than Erik ten Hag, Mikel Arteta or Jurgen Klopp”, should he get the United job.

Yorke further stated: "It won't surprise me to see Emery's name linked with the big clubs in the summer. He has a point to prove at the top clubs because of how his time ended at Arsenal."

How Emery could work at Man Utd

Yorke's quote certainly suggested that Emery's time at Arsenal left a lot to be desired. Since he left Arsenal, Arteta has taken the team to new heights, playing his exciting and high-pressing 4-3-3 system which now sees them challenging for a title.

Emery, though, is famed for his 4-2-2-2 system at Villa, and has helped them to the brink of Champions League qualification. That would be a remarkable accomplishment when you consider where the Midlands side were upon Emery's arrival.

It may not have gone well for him in north London but he has now proven himself as one of the best managers in the Premier League. Further boasting an impressive title haul that includes a Ligue 1 title and four Europa League trophies, he can certainly one-up Arteta when it comes to winning honours. Perhaps there might be some credence behind the idea that he'd take United further than Arsenal over the forthcoming years.

Champions League football would undeniably be a stellar achievement for Emery at Villa given they were a side threatened by relegation last season and it certainly feels like he needs to take the next step to fulfil his legacy as a legendary manager. Should United decide to sack Ten Hag this summer, Old Trafford could well be the place to go. After all, he has already proven he can steady a ship in deep decline. This could be the perfect project.

Having perfected the 4-2-2-2 system at Villa Park, he would perhaps look to implement that system at Old Trafford, too. United certainly have some players who would fit Emery's Villa system well, although they would undoubtedly need to strengthen in a couple of areas of the side, too.

Kobbie Mainoo would be excellent under Emery, with the 19-year-old midfielder having superb ability in the first phase, thus being crucial in the build-up pattern the Spaniard employs, which involves triangles between the centre-back, full-back and midfielder on each side.

Not only that, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Mount would excel in the central role, in which the players essentially start as wingers, before tucking inside at two number 10s in possession and helping progress the ball through the middle of the pitch.

Finally, Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford could certainly work as the two centre-forwards in Emery’s system, who are tasked with drifting out wide to receive the ball and drive into the penalty box. This is something Rashford could do particularly well, as he plays his best football when receiving the ball out wide and driving into the penalty box.

One area United would need to strengthen is at centre-back, and they would have to target quick and agile players to fit into the high-line Emery employs at Villa. Statistically, Villa catch the most players offside per game in the Premier League, with 4.7 per game.

However, this also comes with the risk of opponents exploiting lots of space in behind if they beat the offside trap. The likes of Raphael Varane and Victor Lindelof may well struggle to cope with the demands of this, so United should look to recruit at centre-back.

Certainly, Emery’s system is one of the best to watch in the Premier League this season. United’s lack of suitable centre-backs, plus depth needed in midfield, would mean they are not immediately ready should he take over at Old Trafford. With that being said, it could certainly be a shrewd appointment for the Red Devils.

Related Man Utd eyeing "big club manager" who could be their answer to Klopp

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 29, 2024

MatériaMais Notícias

A fase do São Paulo não é boa, principalmente depois do empate por 2 a 2 com o Cuiabá, no Morumbi. Sendo assim, são seis rodadas do Campeonato Brasileiro e nenhuma vitória do Tricolor na competição.

ATUAÇÕES: Dupla Benítez e Rigoni funciona bem, mas São Paulo fica no empate com o Cuiabá

Em entrevista coletiva após o jogo, o meia Benítez admitiu a má fase da equipe de Crespo e deu a receita para o time melhorar nos próximos jogos.

Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

RelacionadasVídeoVÍDEO: Benítez explica comemoração com Crespo: ‘Agradecimento pelo esforço que ele fez para eu estar aqui’Vídeo23/06/2021São PauloCrespo assume culpa por empate do São Paulo: ‘Se tem culpado, sou eu’São Paulo23/06/2021São PauloCrespo lamenta começo ruim do São Paulo no Brasileiro: ‘A situação não é fácil’São Paulo23/06/2021

– Hoje estamos no momento que ninguém quer estar, mas sabemos que temos que melhorar, que temos um time muito bom, e que o São Paulo não merece estar onde está. Vamos trabalhar para recuperar esse nível que encontramos no semestre que passou – afirmou.

Benítez também fez questão de afastar uma possível ‘ressaca’ da equipe após a conquista do Campeonato Paulista, que completou um mês na última quarta-feira (23).

– Vai parecer um discurso armado, mas o Crespo falou a verdade. O São Paulo conquistou o Paulista depois de 15 anos, e se isso aconteceu, é porque é muito difícil. Mas o Paulista já passou, claro que foi muito bom, era o que a torcida estava precisando. E para mim também foi muito bom, futebol também é dia a dia – disse o jogador.

O São Paulo agora volta a campo no domingo (27), quando enfrenta o Ceará, às 20h30, no Castelão, pela sétima rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson kept his sense of humour after his side went down in yet another Super Over, but said that upon looking back, they should have closed the game out in their regular batting innings. New Zealand needed two off four balls in the last over with their most experienced batsmen in Williamson and Ross Taylor at the crease, before Mohammed Shami dismissed both of them and forced a Super Over.”My opinion we shouldn’t have them…No!” Williamson said in jest about the Super Over. “It is what it is. It’s good fun, isnt’ it? It’s a full house at midnight or whatever time it is. That’s pretty cool. It’s good entertainment. I’m probably not the best person to ask because we came second in the Super Over tonight like a few other times. So yeah, not ideal. But I guess if people enjoyed that to decide the match, then that’s fun.”Super Overs certainly haven’t been our friend, but I think if we’re being brutally honest we would’ve liked to have perhaps got across the line before requiring a win in the Super Over. But I guess if we reflect on the match altogether, it was a brilliant game.”ALSO READ: ‘I thought we were down and out’ – Virat KohliNew Zealand produced a vastly improved performance compared to the second T20I, with a bowling show that made Williamson particularly proud after he had decided to bowl for a change. India flew to 89 in the first nine overs, but made only 90 in the last 11. Having applied the brakes in that manner, Williamson said it was disappointing to end up on the result. It was a reflection of India’s experience as a team in this format, he said.”I think India had a very good first-innings total on that surface and we knew they’d bowl well on it as well because it was taking a bit of turn as well. The guys fought back nicely after the start India got with the bat and then we were able to build partnerships and take the game deep. Yeah, pretty disappointing to be on the wrong side of the result after doing a lot of hard work to get so close but certainly a much improved effort from the first two games.”We’ve seen in the last two as well, even the second one in Auckland, it certainly wasn’t our best performance but it was a tough surface and the T20 format is a game of small margins as we’ve seen this evening. But even throughout the other couple of games as well, the experience that India have, I think, saw them come through in some crunch moments in this game. But it is a game of small margins and we do need to learn from this and use this experience to be a better side.”Williamson also said that New Zealand stitching together partnerships was the biggest positive to come out of the game on a pitch he said was difficult to start on, although he himself knocked off more than half the target. In partnerships of 36, 49, and 41 for the third, fourth, and fifth wickets respectively, Williamson was the dominant scorer. The next highest scorer in the innings was Martin Guptill at the top of the order with 31. But the team was largely non-fussed and happy with the improvement, he said, and the focus was already on Wellington for the fourth T20I on Friday. Provided that the high of this match subsided.”It’s always very tough to get to sleep after such late games, adrenaline’s sort of going regardless of the result,” he said. “But you move on to another game. Yes it was close, and an emotional roller coaster perhaps, certainly as we got so close to the end, but we have to keep moving our focus forward and that’s to Wellington. We know the quality of the Indian side but for us it’s just to keep improving as a group and we did that today and we need to keep demanding that of ourselves moving forward as well.”

Sri Lanka had sailed through the first session in Rawalpindi, a century opening stand in sight, but at the end of the day were left ruing the post-lunch session in which they lost four wickets for 31 runs.Dimuth Karunaratne and Oshada Fernando had seemed settled, with Karunaratne hitting a fluent fifty, and Oshada growing in confidence after he had taken 20 deliveries to get off the mark. But Karunaratne’s dismissal in the 31st over was followed by Oshada edging Naseem Shah to first slip soon after. Kusal Mendis and Dinesh Chandimal were then also dismissed before the end of the 45th over – a period in which Sri Lanka progressed at just a little over two an over.Karunaratne believes Sri Lanka should have batted with more intent through the middle session, after having gone to lunch without loss.”There was a bit of swing in that second session, and a little seam, but I think we could have used a different approach because we’d had a good start, having made 89 in the first session,” he said. “Maybe we could have been more of a threat to their bowlers after lunch. We should have batted a bit more positively, because when the runs are ticking over on the board, even if wickets fall, it’s not such a big deal.”Although all but one of Sri Lanka’s batsmen made it to double figures (the exception being Dinesh Chandimal, who received a near-unplayable away-seamer from Mohammad Abbas), only Karunaratne made a half-century on day one. Oshada and Angelo Mathews both faced more than 75 deliveries, but made only 40 and 31 respectively.”We got good starts, but no one went for a big score,” Karunaratne said. “We got a few 20s and 30s. We need to be converting those scores if we want to win a Test. Everyone, including me, has to make sure we don’t let go once we get those starts – in the next innings if we can.”Oshada’s innings, however, like many of his outings this year, had been full of promise. Shunted up to the unfamiliar position of opener, he had settled into a rhythm through the course of the first session, and even memorably came down the pitch to hit Haris Sohail over his head for the only six of the day. Oshada had shone during Sri Lanka’s tour of South Africa in February, striking an especially impressive 75 not out off 106 balls as Sri Lanka chased down what had seemed a tricky target in Port Elizabeth. He had not played a Test since then however, as he was displaced in the XI by Mathews, who returned from injury in the series that followed.”Oshada batted really well. This is only his third Test, and his attitude and batting style were very good,” Karunaratne said. “He batted with a lot of confidence. That became a strength for me as well. I knew I could give him the strike without any fear. I thought he was batting even better than me in the first session. There were one or two times when he was getting a bit loose, and at those times I just reminded him to make sure he capitalises on his start.”Sri Lanka finished the day at 202 for 5, with Dhananjaya de Silva and Niroshan Dickwella (the last recognised batting pair) at the crease.”We need to try and get to 300, because we need a good total to give our bowlers a chance. We got a good start and didn’t capitalise. Dikka opens the batting in shorter formats, and Dhananjaya has come in at No. 3 for us in the past, so both of them should be able to negotiate the second new ball when that comes around. Hopefully they can get us past 275 and then the tail can get a few extra runs.”