Transfer News &#8211; CaughtOffside

29-year-old prices himself out of Man United move with €25m demands

West Ham co-chair Karren Brady appears to take swipe at Newcastle owners

317-time Man Utd player left without club as talks collapse over contract demands

What next for Man United target Adrien Rabiot?

The situation Rabiot finds himself in has become a problem for the player as his inability to find a new club resulted in him missing out on the latest French squad despite regularly featuring at Euro 2024.

The former Juventus star is too good to be without a team and was a regular in the Italian club’s side last season, making 35 appearances across all competitions, notching five goals and three assists.

There are clubs interested in Rabiot but it simply comes down to the finances.

Understandably, the 29-year-old wants a big contract as it will likely be the last one of his career and there is no transfer fee involved; however, his demands are impacting his ability to find a new home and that should be more important for the player.

The post 29-year-old prices himself out of Man United move with €25m demands appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Man United held summer talks over Serie A talent with expiring contract in 2025

Darren Looney — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 20:37:56 +0000

Man United had conversations during the summer transfer window to bring Inter Milan’s Denzel Dumfries to Old Trafford as Erik ten Hag had an interest in the Dutch full-back.

The defender’s current deal with the Serie A champions expires in 2025 having spent the last four years in Italy and if any interested party wanted to try and sign the 28-year-old, next year would be the best time to make their move.

Man United have been linked to Dumfries for a while now and according to Matteo Moretto, talks were held over the summer, although they were not serious.

The Manchester club would go on to sign Noussair Mazraoui from Bayern Munich instead and just as well they did as Moretto says that Inter plan to offer Dumfries a new short-term deal in 2025 as the Netherlands international is very popular in the Italian club’s dressing room.

The 28-year-old is said to be happy in Milan and the expectation is that the player will remain at the San Siro beyond his expiring 2025 contract.

Man United held talks for Inter’s Denzel Dumfries this summer

More Stories / Latest News

29-year-old prices himself out of Man United move with €25m demands

West Ham co-chair Karren Brady appears to take swipe at Newcastle owners

317-time Man Utd player left without club as talks collapse over contract demands

Man United set to miss out on Inter’s Denzel Dumfries

Writing in his latest column for CaughtOffside’s The Daily Briefing, Moretto has reported that he expects Dumfries to pen a new deal at Inter despite talks with Man United at the start of the summer.

“Inter star Denzel Dumfries is still out of contract in the summer of 2025, but from what I am aware, the intention is to renew his contract, and Inter are in the process of doing so,” the transfer journalist said. “The fact that he has remained this summer, rather than Inter trying to recoup some money for him is a sure sign that there is a willingness for him to stay.

“The idea is to renew him on a shorter deal though, rather than a four or five-year contract. It could be just a year or maybe more, but not a long-term deal. I’m told he will sign a new deal though, despite the lack of a public announcement.

“Dumfries is very comfortable in Milan and happy. The Dutch international is very much loved in the dressing room at Inter too. There were conversations with Manchester United in the early part of the summer, but they were not serious talks. Nothing was advanced or agreed.”

The post Exclusive: Man United held summer talks over Serie A talent with expiring contract in 2025 appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Newcastle ready to move for £50m Premier League forward in 2025

Darren Looney — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 20:00:35 +0000

Newcastle are believed to be interested in bringing Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo to St James’ Park in 2025 as Eddie Howe looks to strengthen his front line.

This summer was a disappointing one for the Magpies as their main objective was to comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules and keep hold of their star players such as Anthony Gordon.

The Tyneside club did both successfully, however, in terms of adding to Howe’s squad, the transfer window was underwhelming.

Newcastle also failed to secure their top target in Marc Guehi as Crystal Palace turned down multiple bids for the centre-back. The positive for fans of the Premier League outfit is that they will now have money to spend in 2025 and according to GIVEMESPORT, Newcastle are ready to battle Liverpool and Arsenal for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo.

Newcastle are interested in Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo

More Stories / Latest News

29-year-old prices himself out of Man United move with €25m demands

West Ham co-chair Karren Brady appears to take swipe at Newcastle owners

317-time Man Utd player left without club as talks collapse over contract demands

Newcastle ready to move for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo in 2025

Howe is said to be attracted to Mbeumo’s versatility as the 25-year-old can play anywhere across the frontline, an area the English coach is keen to strengthen at St James’ Park.

The Brentford star has been a solid addition to the Premier League ever since Brentford’s promotion back in 2021 and has started the current campaign with three goals across the Bees’ opening three matches.

Brentford are said to want around £50m for Mbeumo and with a contract expiring at the Gtech Stadium in 2026, it remains to be seen if any of the interested parties are willing to match this asking price.

The post Newcastle ready to move for £50m Premier League forward in 2025 appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Man City to include release clause in Erling Haaland’s new contract amid Real Madrid links

Darren Looney — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 19:21:03 +0000

Man City have been working on a new deal for their star striker Erling Haaland and the Norwegian’s contract is likely to contain a release clause amid links to Real Madrid.

The 24-year-old’s current contract at the Etihad Stadium expires in 2027 and the Premier League club are eager to offer the forward a new one given the impact he has made since arriving from Borussia Dortmund during the summer of 2022.

Haaland is undoubtedly one of the best strikers in the world and has accumulated an impressive total of 97 goals and 14 assists across the 102 appearances he has made for Man City so far.

Naturally, this has caught the attention of Real Madrid and the La Liga champions are often linked to the Norway international.

There have even been rumours of Haaland’s current Man City contract containing a Real Madrid-specific release clause, but according to Fabrizio Romano, that is not the case.

The transfer journalist expects the striker’s new deal to contain a release clause of some sort, but it will not be specific to the La Liga giants.

Erling Haaland is set to sign a new Man City contract

Man City closing in on a new contract for Erling Haaland

Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Haaland’s contract situation at Man City and has admitted that there is no agreement between the parties yet but talks have been very positive.

“There have been talks already for months between Erling Haaland and Manchester City over a new deal. So this is the priority for City,” the transfer journalist said while speaking on the latest episode of CaughtOffside’s The Debrief podcast. “It’s also an open negotiation with Haaland, who is very happy at the club. So they’ve been discussing now for months, almost six, seven months, discussing a new deal for Erling Haaland.

“So there is an active conversation and I think there is a good possibility, a good opportunity for them to reach an agreement. Then about the release clause, I’m not sure it’s going to be a specific clause for a club, we always had this kind of rumours, but Erling Haaland always had clauses in his contract since he was at Borussia Dortmund.”

More Stories / Latest News

29-year-old prices himself out of Man United move with €25m demands

West Ham co-chair Karren Brady appears to take swipe at Newcastle owners

317-time Man Utd player left without club as talks collapse over contract demands

Romano continued by stating: “At Manchester City, there are release clauses in the contract of Erling Haaland, but it’s not for a specific club. There will be, I think, a clause for his potential exit, but not only for Real Madrid.

“It will be an open clause and we will see the terms of this potential new deal. At the moment, the agreement is not reached yet, but there is a very good, positive conversation between the parties.”

The post Exclusive: Man City to include release clause in Erling Haaland’s new contract amid Real Madrid links appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Fabrizio Romano unveils his favourite transfer from the 2024 summer window

Darren Looney — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 18:03:17 +0000

The 2024 summer transfer window has shut for all of Europe’s big five leagues and after months of working on transfer stories, Fabrizio Romano has revealed his favourite signing over the last three months.

The summer transfer window is crucial for football clubs as they look to add to their squads for the new season and fix issues that appeared throughout the previous campaign.

Major deals took place during this summer with Kylian Mbappe’s switch to Real Madrid being the biggest story, while Atletico Madrid’s acquisition of Julian Alvarez from Man City was the most expensive with £82m switching hands.

However, none of these two deals were Fabrizio Romano‘s favourite from the 2024 summer transfer window.

The transfer expert has admitted that Paris Saint-Germain’s capture of João Neves from Benfica was his favourite transfer ahead of the 2024/25 campaign as he believes that the midfielder was somewhat of a bargain, despite the €70m fee attached to the deal, as the midfielder’s potential is very high.

Fabrizio Romano’s favourite summer transfer was João Neves’ move from Benfica to PSG

Fabrizio Romano reveals his favourite signing of the 2024 summer transfer window

Speaking on the latest episode of CaughtOffside’s The Debrief podcast, Fabrizio Romano stated that Neves’ move to PSG was his favourite, but also threw another transfer into the mix.

“My favourite deal has been João Neves to Paris Saint-Germain. I think Paris Saint-Germain signed a fantastic, fantastic player for the present and also for the future. I still believe that the future of João Neves is going to be super bright. The potential of this boy is something really, really special,” the transfer expert said.

“Signing a quality player like him with a big potential for €60m plus €10m in add-ons, I think for modern football and modern transfer markets, it’s an incredible price. It’s kind of a bargain. So I think PSG signed a gem with Neves, one of my favourite transfers.”

More Stories / Latest News

29-year-old prices himself out of Man United move with €25m demands

West Ham co-chair Karren Brady appears to take swipe at Newcastle owners

317-time Man Utd player left without club as talks collapse over contract demands

Romano continued by giving an honourable mention to Scott McTominay’s switch from Man United to Napoli.

“I also really appreciated Scott McTominay to Napoli. I think for Serie A, he’s perfect. For Antonio Conte, he’s perfect. It was a very good signing for Napoli. So I mentioned these two, but Neves is my favourite.”

The post Fabrizio Romano unveils his favourite transfer from the 2024 summer window appeared first on CaughtOffside.

“I was relieved to leave” – Controversial Everton departure explains social media stunt that left fans fuming

CJ — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 17:26:23 +0000

Neal Maupay has addressed his outburst on social media after leaving Everton to join Olympique Marseille over the summer.

The 28-year-old striker endured a disappointing spell at Goodison Park, registering just one goal in 32 appearances across all competitions, the same number of goals scored by popular ex-goalkeeper Tim Howard’s time at the club.

Maupay will now hope to get his career back on track in his native France at Marseille, who have signed him on loan with an obligation to buy. The striker managed a confidence-boosting eight goals in 31 appearances across all competitions on loan at former club Brentford last season.

The day before his move, Maupay stuck the boot in on Everton via social media.

Maupay replied to Fabrizio Romano’s post on X confirming the move to Marseille with a clip from The Shawshank Redemption, where the main character Andy Dufresne breaks free from prison.

https://t.co/H4AaFp4Iu2 pic.twitter.com/aJywOsdXgB

— Neal Maupay (@nealmaupay_) August 29, 2024

Neal Maupay explains social media post that fired up Everton fans

It’s safe to say Maupay’s post didn’t go down well with Everton fans, who were quick to remind him of his poor goalscoring record at the club.

One supporter even labelled Maupay the ‘worst signing in Everton’s history’, while another called him an ‘absolute clown of a footballer’.

Speaking in his first press conference as a Marseille, Maupay has explained his post, although he didn’t exactly back down.

“Supporters like to discuss, criticise, and celebrate and it doesn’t bother me because I consider myself a normal person and if everyone can tweet I can do it too,” said Maupay (via Get Football News France).

“I published a funny little video because my situation at Everton was known, I wanted to leave and the club didn’t want to keep me. So this little video was to say that I was relieved to leave the club.”

The post “I was relieved to leave” – Controversial Everton departure explains social media stunt that left fans fuming appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Exclusive: Superstar could leave Liverpool in 2025 but “it’s not over” admits Fabrizio Romano

Darren Looney — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 16:55:10 +0000

The future of Mohamed Salah at Liverpool is set to be a huge topic of discussion over the coming months as the superstar’s current contract at Anfield is set to expire in 2025, however, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has said that “it’s not over” between the pair.

The winger has been part of the Premier League club since completing a move from AS Roma back in 2017 and the Egyptian star has become a legendary figure at the Merseyside outfit having helped deliver every trophy on offer to fans of the Reds.

Not only this, Salah will go down as one of Liverpool’s greatest-ever goalscorers having netted 214 times across the 352 appearances he has made on Merseyside – the fifth highest in the club’s history.

Having entered the final year of his contract, there is a chance that Salah will leave Liverpool next summer, however, Fabrizio Romano has stated that “it’s not over” between the pair.

There will be discussions over a new deal in the coming months admits the transfer expert and the decision to continue in the Premier League will come down to the club and the player once everything has been discussed.

Will Mohamed Salah leave Liverpool this summer?

Fabrizio Romano provides an update on Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool future

Speaking on the latest episode of CaughtOffside’s The Debrief podcast, Fabrizio Romano has provided an update on Salah’s situation at Liverpool and has revealed that the superstar could leave Anfield in 2025 but there will be discussions over a new deal.

“I think there is still a very concrete chance to see Mo Salah leaving, but what I’m sure about is that there will be conversations. There will be negotiations with Liverpool so it’s not over between Liverpool and Salah. The situation is still very much open. So again, there is a possibility to leave for sure, but it’s not guaranteed,” the transfer journalist said.

More Stories / Latest News

29-year-old prices himself out of Man United move with €25m demands

West Ham co-chair Karren Brady appears to take swipe at Newcastle owners

317-time Man Utd player left without club as talks collapse over contract demands

“There will be negotiations. There will be conversations. Mo Salah is open to negotiating and discussing with Liverpool. It’s about the length of the contract and the project they have at the club. Obviously, money is also an important factor for the final big contract in the career as a football player for Mo Salah.

“There will be conversations and it will happen quite soon. In the next months, there will be conversations with Mo Salah and with his agent, Ramy Abbas Issa, as they will discuss a potential new deal for Mo and they will decide all together. I think it’s going to be a club and player decision.

“They will consider all the factors involved, but from what I’m told is that as of today, it’s not over between Salah and Liverpool. There is a chance to part ways at the end of the season, but there will be conversations, there will be negotiations. So let’s see how it goes.”

The post Exclusive: Superstar could leave Liverpool in 2025 but “it’s not over” admits Fabrizio Romano appeared first on CaughtOffside.

“He’ll make the difference” – New Man Utd signing given approval by Class of 92 star

CJ — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 16:29:46 +0000

Nicky Butt believes Manuel Ugarte can ‘make the difference’ to Manchester United’s midfield.

The Uruguay international arrived at Old Trafford from Paris Saint-Germain for an initial £42.1m fee on transfer deadline day (per BBC Sport).

Ugarte has enjoyed a steady rise through the game in recent years, joining PSG after winning the Portuguese League Cup with Sporting CP during his time in Lisbon between 2021 and 2023. It was at Famalicao where he caught the eye of the current Portuguese champions.

The 23-year-old is best known for his aggression and defensive ability, which allow him to screen his backline against counter-attacks.

Indeed, Ugarte finished first among PSG players in Ligue 1 last season for tackles (98), interceptions (40) and recoveries (181). He should be able to fill a position of serious weakness for Erik ten Hag.

Nicky Butt approves of Man Utd signing Ugarte

Manchester United’s newly-signed midfielder Manuel Ugarte is presented before the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Liverpool at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on September 1, 2024.

One man who knows all about the defensive midfield position is Nicky Butt, who played 387 for Manchester United between 1992 and 2004.

Emerging from the famous ‘Class of 92’ alongside the likes of Gary Neville and David Beckham, Butt was often an unsung hero for the Red Devils, doing the dirty work to help others in Sir Alex Ferguson’s side flourish.

Nevertheless, Butt won six Premier League titles and a Champions League among a host of other honours during his time at Old Trafford.

The 49-year-old believes Ugarte has all the ingredients needed to be a great addition for Man Utd, helping toughen up their midfield.

“I’ve seen a bit of him last year and I think he’s what we need,” Butt told Man Utd’s official website after playing in a legends game against Celtic at Old Trafford at the weekend.

“He’s got legs and he’s aggressive. Hopefully, he’ll shore up that midfield. The one thing it is lacking, and it has got a lot of talent in there going forward, is we can be a little open when teams are on the counter-attack against us. So, hopefully, he’ll make the difference.”

On the role Ugarte will play in the Man Utd midfield, 1999 treble-winner Butt added: “I’m pretty sure that is the thought process behind why they brought him in.

“They want someone to do the dirty work and put in the work that people don’t tend to like to do. But it’s a very important job in front of the back four.”

The post “He’ll make the difference” – New Man Utd signing given approval by Class of 92 star appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe knows exactly who he wants to manage Man United

Darren Looney — Mon, 09 Sep 2024 16:04:29 +0000

Since becoming a co-owner of Man United last year, a lot of talk around Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s time at Old Trafford has been about the future of their manager Erik ten Hag and the Ineos CEO knows exactly who he wants as manager of the English giants.

The 2023/24 campaign was an underwhelming one for United as they finished eighth in the Premier League and bottom of their Champions League group. Ten Hag was under a lot of pressure throughout the season but the Dutch coach saved his job at the last moment.

Man United’s FA Cup success over Man City played a role in Ten Hag remaining at Old Trafford for the current season, but the 54-year-old is already under pressure due to the Manchester club’s poor start to the current campaign.

It was widely reported during the summer that Man United’s board looked into hiring a new manager but ultimately decided to stick with their current boss.

According to The Mirror, Sir Jim Ratcliffe knows exactly who he wants in charge at Old Trafford as he is believed to be dreaming of luring Zinedine Zidane to Man United.

However, the former Real Madrid coach has his eyes on the French national team role as Didier Deschamps’ time with the 2018 World Cup winners looks to be going a bit stale following recent results.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe dreams of bringing Zinedine Zidane to Man United

Zinedine Zidane rules out move to Man United

Zidane has not been seen in a managerial role since 2021 when he left Real Madrid but the Frenchman has already ruled himself out of taking charge of Manchester United, which will come as a blow to Ratcliffe.

The legendary figure has told L’Equipe that a big reason for not taking on the role in Manchester is down to the 52-year-old not being fluent in English.

“Would I want to go to Manchester [United]? I understand English, but I’m not completely fluent in it. I know that there are coaches who go to clubs without speaking the language, but I work in a different way,” Zidane said via the Daily Mail.

“Many elements come into play in order to win, it is a global context. I know what I need to win.”

More Stories / Latest News

29-year-old prices himself out of Man United move with €25m demands

West Ham co-chair Karren Brady appears to take swipe at Newcastle owners