Brazilian side Flamengo have ended talks with former Manchester United forward Anthony Martial, according to reports.

The 28-year-old is currently a free agent after his contract at Old Trafford expired in July.

Martial left United after spending nine years at the club, arriving from Monaco in 2015. During that time, he played 317 times across all competitions, notching 90 goals and 47 assists while lifting FA Cup, EFL Cup, Europa League and Community Shield honours.

However, Martial has consistently with fitness issues and according to Transfermarkt, missed 94 matches through injury during the time he was with Manchester United — and on loan at Sevilla in the second half of 2021/22.

Even, so Martial’s considerable talent has resulted in plenty of interest this summer.

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

Flamengo’s Anthony Martial talks collapse

Brazilian giants Flamengo highlighted Martial as a key target recently after star striker Pedro suffered a serious knee injury that is set to keep him sidelined long-term.

However, according to a report from Meia Hora (via The Sun), talks have now collapsed.

The report states that Martial’s demands were ‘unworkable’, with the 30-time France international insisting on a three-year contract and making salary demands that were simply too high for Flamengo.

According to Capology, Martial earned a whopping £13m during his final season with Manchester United. That was enough to place him level with Mason Mount, while only Marcus Rashford (£15.6m), Raphael Varane (£17.68m) and Casemiro (£18.2m) pocketed more.

That equates to £250k a week. Even if Martial took a substantial pay cut, Flamengo would find it hard to match his demands given former Chelsea defender David Luiz is their current highest-paid player at £39k per week (per Salary Sport).

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Man United are one of several clubs interested in free agent Adrien Rabiot but the French international is pricing himself out of a move with his salary demands.

The 29-year-old entered free agency at the end of the 2023/24 campaign having seen his contract at Juventus expire after spending the last five years with the Italian giants. The Serie A club wanted to keep the player but he turned down their contract offer.

Rabiot remains one of the more high-profile names left in the free agency market and Man United are one club interested in the midfielder.

Talks have been held between the Manchester club and the French star but the Red Devils are not likely to make a move for the former PSG talent as his salary demands are too high, reports Football Insider.

According to Calciomercato, Rabiot is said to be insisting on a salary of €10m per season plus a €15m signing-on bonus, not to mention the commission for his agent and mother Veronique.

The 29-year-old’s representatives are currently working hard to find him a club with the new season well underway but they are unlikely to have any joy outside of Saudi Arabia with their demands.

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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.

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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.

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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.”

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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 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.”

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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.”

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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

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.”

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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.

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.”

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Football fans are eager to see Zidane back on the sidelines as his time at Real Madrid was legendary having delivered the La Liga giants three Champions League trophies in a row.

The Frenchman clearly has an eye on coaching his country and that opportunity may not be far away for the former Real Madrid boss.

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Ronald Koeman has given his seal of approval for Memphis Depay’s move to Brazilian side Corinthians.

The former Manchester United and Barcelona striker is on the verge of sealing a shock move to Timão after his contract at Atletico Madrid expired over the summer.

Koeman has caused controversy in recent weeks by omitting Steven Bergwijn from the Netherlands national team after he signed for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad; calling the former Spurs forward’s case a ‘closed book’.

“It’s clear that this has nothing to do with sportive ambition. His book with the Dutch National Team is closed,” Koeman said of Bergwijn’s move.

“He probably knows that I would have said this.”

Bergwijn — who played 83 times for Spurs between 2020 and 2022, scoring eight goals — responded by saying he had no interest in playing under Koeman anyway and that the manager was in danger of ‘losing his credibility’.

– Read more: Former Tottenham forward hits back at national team manager – “He will lose all his credibility”

Koeman gives Memphis Depay free pass for Brazil move

Depay — who scored seven goals in 53 appearances for Man Utd between 2015 and 2017, arriving at Old Trafford for £31m from PSV Eindhoven (per BBC Sport) — has been given much more favourable treatment by Koeman.

The former Everton and Southampton boss says the 98-time international could return to the Oranje picture as he regards the Brazilian Serie A as a better league than the Saudi Pro League.

“I disapproved Bergwijn to Saudi, with Memphis can be different,” Koeman was quoted as saying by CaughtOffside columnist and transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano.

“The level of the league in Brazil is different. So yes, Depay can still be part of the national team but it depends on his fitness and if he still reaches his level.”

The post Koeman risks Netherlands civil war as £31m Man Utd flop gets free pass after Bergwijn spat appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United winger Antony wants to leave the club and he is pushing for a move to join Turkish giants Fenerbahce.

The Brazilian has failed to make an impact at the club since his £86million move to Man United back in 2022.

He is out of favour at the club now and the Red Devils will have no objection in letting him leave.

According to The Sun, the former Ajax winger is being targeted by Fenerbahce, who are managed by former Man United manager Jose Mourinho.

The Brazilian attacker has played just one minute of Premier League football this season, which shows he is not in the plans of the manager.

The likes of Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho are ahead of him in the pecking order at the club, which means he will not be getting enough playing time.

Teams in Spain, France and Saudi Arabia have reportedly shown an interest in the services of the player, who as per the report, has told the club he wants to leave for a new adventure.

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The Turkish transfer window is open till the 13th September and Premier League players can still leave their clubs till the deadline.

Former Man United midfielder Fred is also playing for Fenerbahce at the moment and Antony’s potential move to the Turkish club would increase the Red Devils contingent there.

Man United winger has struggled to perform at Old Trafford

Antony has three years left on his current contract at the club and despite the club’s wish to sell the player permanently this summer, they will have to settle for a loan move.

Ten Hag managed Antony at his former club Ajax, where both of them enjoyed success but their time at Old Trafford has been completely the opposite.

It is perhaps time for Antony to start a new chapter in his career after being given more than enough chances at the club to perform and still failing.

The post Man United misfit closing in on exit after failed expensive move to Old Trafford appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Cristiano Ronaldo has achieved yet another unbelievable stat on a really rather long list of similar records throughout his tremendous career.

While the Portugal international made the headlines last week for hitting 900 career goals in total, he managed another in the win over Scotland last night, meaning he’s now scored 80 goals for his national team since turning 30.

Yes, you read that right, Ronaldo has 80 international goals *just* since the age of 30, which means he has more in that space of time than many of the best modern forwards managed in their entire careers with their national teams.

See below for the stat from ESPN, showing that Ronaldo has more goals since the age of 30 than Harry Kane’s entire tally for England, Neymar’s for Brazil, Miroslav Klose’s for Germany, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s for Sweden…

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more international goals (80) since turning 30 than some players have in their entire career ?

Unbeatable ? pic.twitter.com/qAMLimWAzb

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) September 9, 2024

In total, the 39-year-old has 132 goals for Portugal, but it really is noteworthy just how good the former Real Madrid and Manchester United man has been in the last decade, which for most ordinary players would be considered after their peak.

Ronaldo just seems to get better and better with age, so who knows how many more goals he’ll add to his tally before he finally decides to hang up his boots and call time on this memorable career?

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Ronaldo may no longer be playing in Europe, but he’s shone for Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr and his form for his country shows very clearly that he still has what it takes to influence matches against elite opposition.

The post Cristiano Ronaldo achieves another unbelievable record that puts him clear of the best modern forwards appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United are reportedly among the clubs keeping an eye on the progress of exciting young Athletic Bilbao midfielder Peio Canales.

The 19-year-old playmaker looks an exciting talent and one to watch for the future, with Man Utd said to be monitoring him as an option for upcoming transfer windows, according to Sam C of The United Stand.

See below for more details as the Red Devils’ interest in Canales is revealed…

Scouting and monitoring already started ahead of upcoming windows, Peio is an Attacking Midfielder

— Sam C (@SamC_reports) September 9, 2024

United have done well to promote and develop young players throughout their history, with many of their best players coming up from their academy.

Meanwhile, in more recent times, they’ve also had success with someone like Alejandro Garnacho, who arrived from Spain at a young age and who is now a key player for Erik ten Hag’s first-team.

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Most fans might not know a huge amount about Canales at this point, but it seems MUFC have decided he’s worth keeping track of in the months to come, so it will be interesting to see if this ends up turning into anything more concrete.

United had a busy summer bringing in a number of exciting young players, most notably Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee, while others like Manuel Ugarte and Matthijs de Ligt are also young enough to be long-term options, even if they also provide experience from their previous stints at other top European clubs.

The club have made some mistakes in the transfer market in recent years, signing some big names without much re-sale value like Alexis Sanchez, Raphael Varane and Casemiro, so fans will surely be pleased to see this switch to an emphasis on bringing in players whose peak years are yet to come.

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